Children's Home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children's home: SC386430 1 SC386430 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to two children who may have social emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post and registered with Ofsted since 2013.

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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

We last visited this setting on 18 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC386430 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2019 Full Good 27/09/2018 Full Good 18/12/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC386430 3

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inadequate

There are two children living in the home. Neither of the children has sustained good progress since moving into the home. Inspectors found that despite the two children making initial progress with their education, their educational attendance and attainment has significantly reduced since moving in and there was no clear strategy to reintroduce learning opportunities for them.

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inadequate

One child, who has lived in the home since March 2021, has not been protected from engaging in anti-social behaviour. This has led to police involvement, the child’s identity being exposed on a social media platform on two separate occasions and an exclusion from school. These patterns of behaviour have ultimately led to the child not engaging with formal learning.

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inadequate

The staff know the children well and show them genuine warmth and care. The inspectors observed staff trying to engage with them in a supportive, caring and sensitive manner. However, despite these positive observations, the manager and staff have not been able to support the children’s development. Both children are increasingly disengaged and spending longer periods in their bedrooms; their sleep patterns are disturbed and they are choosing to spend time alone.

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inadequate

The children are encouraged to attend any necessary and routine health appointments. However, for one child, attending the dentist remains a challenge. The inspectors noted that the child missed an appointment because the manager failed to prioritise the appointment by allowing the child to play out with friends.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

One child, who has lived in the home since February 2021, has not been protected from harm and as such the outcomes for this child are compromised. Leaders and managers have failed to make sufficient progress to reduce the risk to this child, who is identified as at high risk of child exploitation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to sufficiently engage and provide structure for one 13-year-old child, leaving them unsupervised in the community. As a result, the child has engaged in anti-social behaviours. Inspectors found that this child has seven hours of free time in the local community. While staff would call the child and meet to give them their lunch, the manager was not able to confirm where the child would be and who they would be with during these seven hours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff know how to respond when a child is missing from the home and records evidence the steps the staff have taken to discourage one child from staying away from the home. However, despite the attempts by staff, leaders and managers have Inspection report children's home: SC386430 4 failed to safeguard this child. For example, this child has on occasion left the home without the staff’s knowledge, been missing for up to four days and been found in the company of adult males who have been identified as people of concern.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Inspectors found extensive records of how the registered manager has escalated and shared her concerns for one child. However, leaders and managers have not been able to prevent this child from forming inappropriate relationships via social media platforms, and neither have they protected the child from an unplanned visitor to the children’s home and the subsequent impact of exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has worked hard during a challenging period to ensure that information is shared with all professionals and there is partnership working. Despite this, the registered manager has not been able to interrupt the patterns of behaviour of both children. This means that both children have not made measurable or sustained progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records and plans are well kept, they are detailed and comprehensive, and chronologies are kept for all safeguarding incidents. However, the registered manager has failed to ensure staff follow the plans and risk assessments for each child. For example, not all actions of a deprivation of liberty order (DLO) are being followed, with a 13-year-old child being able to access an 18-rated game and staff recorded as playing this game with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager and staff have been challenged by the behaviours of both children. While training is provided to equip the staff with strategies to better support the children, some training was not up to date or did not reflect current research developments. In particular, the inspectors found that the registered manager’s training in relation to child exploitation had not been updated since 2016, and strategies to protect a child from child exploitation were not underpinned by current research practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following this inspection, one compliance notice, in relation to the quality and purpose of care standard, and five requirements have been made. Ofsted will continue to monitor the action plan. Inspection report children's home: SC386430 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(v) (3)(b)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must take immediate action to safeguard and protect one child from being 27 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC386430 6 contacted by males, which is placing her at risk of child exploitation.

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Requirement Due date

Also, staff must follow the requirements as set out in the DLO for one child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure no person is allowed to visit the home and meet with a child unless it is planned and authorised by the manager.

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Requirement Due date

Staff should follow a structured daily timetable for both children. Leaders and managers must ensure children are only allowed unsupervised time away from the home when it is safe to do so and it is agreed with the child’s social worker. In particular, the registered manager must ensure they know where the children are and who they are with when they are away from the home without adult supervision.

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Requirement Due date

Also, the registered manager should ensure that they and their staff update their training in relation to child exploitation.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; 1 October 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC386430 7 help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the leaders and managers ensuring children are fully supported to learn when not attending school.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2(a)(ii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the staff and registered manager receiving training that equips them with strategies to better support children to develop positive relationships and 1 October 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC386430 8 behaviours.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring each child is supervised according to their level of need and risk. 1 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 1 October 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC386430 9 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(g)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring staff are provided with training that equips them with the skills to better support a child who is at risk of child exploitation, and that decisions are underpinned by research.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children's home: SC386430 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspectors

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Justine Hosking, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC386430 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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