Children's home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 1

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Acorn Homes (UK) Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six children aged between seven and 16 who may experience social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties. The home is run by a private organisation that operates several registered children’s homes.

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Information about this children’s home

This home has not had a registered manager since 8 March 2021.

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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 2 September 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 9 and 10 June 2021. Three compliance notices and five requirements were issued, and a restriction of accommodation notice was served. A monitoring visit took place on 14 and 15 July 2021. One compliance notice, in respect of the safety of the premises, was met. Two compliance notices, one in respect of the assessment of risk and the other in respect of the skills, experience and training of staff, were not met. The five additional requirements were not reviewed on that occasion. As a result of the findings of that visit, the home’s registration was suspended. The previous requirements were repeated, as were the requirements that underpinned the two unmet compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 2 September 2021 to review the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice and to consider if progress had been made in meeting the requirements. The provider had complied with the suspension notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 2 Some progress in response to the seven requirements was evident, however, this was limited, resulting in these being reissued.

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This monitoring visit

This latest monitoring visit was conducted to continue to monitor the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice and to give the provider a further opportunity to demonstrate progress in meeting the seven repeated requirements.

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This monitoring visit

No children have lived in the home since 15 July 2021. The provider has continued to comply with the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

In response to the requirement about the design and maintenance of the premises, all bedrooms have now been decorated and are fully furnished. Some aspects of maintenance are not yet fully completed, such as three faulty fire doors, cracked metal closures on windows and a broken toilet seat. The provider has not reviewed the historic use of restrictors that are placed on all downstairs windows. The requirement made under regulation 12 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

Modifications that were made for children who previously lived in the home have not been changed. This includes a television encased in a non-breakable cabinet and piping used to secure a blind cord to reduce the risks of this being used to self-harm. Four internal locks remain fitted to the front door. The provider has not considered that these measures may not be required for children who may come to live in the home in the future. A number of locks remain on doors to communal areas and bathrooms. The provider has not considered that such restrictive measures will create the need for children to ask the staff to unlock these doors. The requirement made under regulation 20 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

The structure for one-to-one work with children has been reviewed. The new guidance for this provides clear accountability and instruction for members of staff who are carrying out this support. Example templates are available and ready for use, and there is a clear review process that includes the child, their key worker and the manager. Further thought has been given to the format and content of children’s meetings and questionnaires have also been devised to routinely capture children’s views during their time at the home. Although these processes remain untested due to no children currently living in the home, clear progress is evident. The requirement made under regulation 7 is met.

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This monitoring visit

Work has been completed by the provider to demonstrate how children will be supported to move into and leave the home. New impact risk assessment forms provide the opportunity for information gathering and risk assessment before children move in. Examples shared with the inspectors show good consideration for areas that might cause concern and how these would be managed for the child who is moving in. However, the guidance does not prompt staff to consider how the child’s needs and behaviour may have an impact on children who are already living in the home. A new form called ‘My life at [the home]’ has been introduced. This is intended to give children an opportunity to talk about their feelings before moving in Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 3 and prior to leaving. There is less guidance about the leaving stage. Although children will be encouraged to ask questions about where they are moving to and

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This monitoring visit

how they feel about it, the guidance stops short of prompting staff to consider how and what children may need to support them to move on. Consequently, although progress is noted, the requirement made under regulation 14 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have undertaken theory-based training in respect of risk assessment, but not how to use this in their practice. The method being used by the provider is reliant on staff completing a mock risk assessment and bringing this to a supervision with their current manager. However, through the sampling of staff supervision records, inspectors did not find examples of this being implemented in practice. Consequently, the inspectors were not reassured that sufficient progress is being made to educate staff and improve their practice to effectively assess and mitigate risks for children. The requirement made under regulation 12 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider’s response to the requirement to ensure that staff have the necessary experience, qualifications and skills is weak. Records of staffing audits fall short of documenting how each staff member’s skills and experience have been assessed. The document sampled describes the staff member’s work history and a list of training completed and scheduled. Areas for development are listed, however, this is derived from the staff member’s job description, rather than by the assessment of the individual. No timescales are set for how and when areas identified for development will be achieved. This approach fails to fully explore the staff’s professional development needs. Therefore, this limits the provider’s understanding of where any gaps exist and how to respond to these. The requirement made under regulation 13 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

Staff who have been redeployed to other homes have been provided with regular supervision. However, areas for development that have been identified for each staff member are not reflected in their supervision records. Staff have not been given the opportunity to reflect on their previous experiences of working in this home, nor from any of the training/ learning that has been completed since their redeployment. The requirement made under regulation 33 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

Due to no children currently living in the home, the recommendation in respect of monitoring incidents of control, discipline and restraint was not explored on this occasion.

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This monitoring visit

There is currently no manager in post and no allocated staff team. The responsible individual is moving to a different post and a new responsible individual has been recruited. The registration of the home remains suspended while Ofsted considers the next steps. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 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 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)) 30 November 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

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 30 November 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 30 November 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 6 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 30 November 2021

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to the use of holding and locking doors. 30 November 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 30 November 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 7

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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: Acorn Homes (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 424 Margate Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 6SJ

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Inspectors

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Emeline Evans, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2588753 8 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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