Children's home run by Vita Nova NE Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2615326 1

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Vita Nova NE Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2021. There is currently no registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was last visited on 8 and 9 June 2021, when a full inspection took place. Consequently, three compliance notices were issued under regulations 11, 12 and 13. These notices were issued to address the serious concerns relating to the care and protection of children, and the widespread failings in the leadership and management of the home. Additionally, five requirements were issued to address other shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out on site. The purpose of the visit was to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

An interim manager has been appointed since the last inspection. They are in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s bedrooms have been redecorated and repair work is complete. The health and safety issues have now been addressed. This helps to provide each child with a safe space in their bedroom. The interim manager now ensures that staff check children’s bedrooms daily. Staff report any issues to the interim manager, which she promptly addresses so that Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2615326 2 children’s rooms are maintained. Staff have explained the need for safety checks to help children to adapt to the new routines and to understand that their safety is important.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are in the process of completing training in a range of topics to help them develop the ability to identify and respond to children’s needs. Staff use key-work sessions to help children to learn about healthy and appropriate relationships. This helps children to learn about keeping themselves safe.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments identify their known risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments now contain guidance to help staff to understand the issues children face. These risk assessments identify the actions that staff should take to help keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has implemented a system to monitor and review the quality- of-care children receive. She puts measures in place to address shortfalls. This helps to raise the standard of care that children receive.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, the compliance notices are met. The requirements previously issued under regulations 8, 12, 14, 21 and 40 were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are reissued.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2615326 3

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)) 28 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for children’s impact risk assessments to include an analysis of risk and to be specific to the individual needs of the child. 28 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 28 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2615326 4 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for children’s care plans and behaviour support plans to be specific to their individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 28 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 28 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2615326 5 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Vita Nova NE Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 58 Lanchester Road, Maiden Law, Lanchester, County Durham DH7 0QS

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2615326 6 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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