Children's Home, Residential special school run by MacIntyre Care in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC043994 1 SC043994

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MacIntyre Care

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is part of an independent school for children who have an autism spectrum disorder and/or severe learning disabilities. The home provides 20 placements in four houses.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This unannounced monitoring visit took place following a complaint being received by Ofsted. The nature of the complaint raised concerns regarding the premises, quality of care and the management and storage of medications. Since the full inspection was conducted on 9 and 10 June 2021, monthly monitoring visits had been conducted remotely due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). As a result, a monitoring visit was conducted.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements that had been made at the full inspection were not assessed at this visit because the due date for meeting these requirements had not yet passed.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection in June 2021, the provider has reduced the total number of houses used to accommodate children to from six to four.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that all homes were nicely presented, welcoming, homely, and designed with children’s needs fully considered. Children’s bedrooms are immaculately presented, furnished and decorated. Children are fully involved in designing their bedrooms, and managers and staff fully incorporate children’s interests and likes. For example, some children have themed bedrooms with impressive murals and soft furnishings, to fully embrace the children’s interests. Each home has a clear cleaning regime which is overseen by senior staff. Medication is appropriately stored and recording methods are quality assured by leaders. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC043994 2 Children have ample opportunity to explore outdoors, develop their physical skills and enhance their imaginations in well-presented outside areas. In addition to this, all the four homes have their own individual garden, which have been, or are in the

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This monitoring visit

process of being, redesigned. New trampolines have been sunk into the ground so children can access them more easily. During the visit, children were observed to make full use of their new garden, and they squealed with delight as they were able to jump as high as they could when playing on the trampoline. The inspector spoke to children and observed many positive interactions between children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, Ofsted has received several safeguarding notifications. The provider has also received, and dealt with, some complaints. All of these had been investigated and addressed by the provider. For example, a child had made a complaint about a situation they were not happy about. This was made through use of an accessible complaint form which is designed and available for children to share their views effectively. The provider investigated the concerns appropriately and provided the child with a response that was designed in a format that they understood. This means that the provider ensures that children can raise their views effectively, and that staff and leaders listen to these views and take appropriate action in response.

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This monitoring visit

The safeguarding notifications were considered more closely at the visit. The inspector found that although the registered manager took effective action when an allegation against an agency member of staff was made, they did not follow their organisational safeguarding policy. The registered manager ensured that children were immediately safeguarded. The staff member concerned was asked to leave the home while an investigation was completed. The registered manager informed the member of staff’s employment agency. However, the allegation was not reported to the designated officer or other statutory agencies within the required timescales. The provider fully accepted this shortfall at the visit. All other safeguarding notifications had been dealt with appropriately by the provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/06/2021 Full Good 21/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/07/2019 Full Inadequate 09/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC043994 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 Requirement

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Requirement

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Requirement

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Requirement

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Requirement

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Requirement

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Requirement

(Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3)) 15 October 2021

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Requirement Requirement

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 Requirement

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Requirement

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 15 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC043994 4 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Requirement

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Requirement

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Requirement

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Requirement

and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Requirement

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Requirement

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Requirement

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located.

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Requirement Requirement

(Regulation 34(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)) 15 October 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered manager must ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. In particular, (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.5)  The registered manager must ensure that there is supervision of staff practice and that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home so they understand what they would need to do if they found other Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC043994 5 staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child.

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Recommendations

In particular, to include the regular use of evidence in safeguarding discussions, scenarios to refresh learning and the development of staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43 paragraph 9.14)

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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

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: MacIntyre Care, 602 South Seventh Street, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK9 2JA

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Inspector

Kelly Marchmont, social care compliance inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC043994 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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