Children's home run by Little Belsteads Care Home Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1248979 1 Monitoring visit

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a small independent provider. The home provides care for up to seven children, aged eight to 17, with learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. Five children may live in the main house and two in the barn annex.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in February 2021. An acting manager is in post and the home is being overseen by the operations manager.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to explore concerns received by Ofsted about the home.

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This monitoring visit

No new children have moved into the home since the monitoring visit in October 2021. Managers have made good progress with recruiting and inducting staff in line with the home’s development plan, resulting in four new staff joining the home. However, three staff have left resulting in further changes for the children and the remaining staff team since the last monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Staff continue to work additional hours to meet children’s assessed needs. There have been times when staffing levels have not met the children’s allocated staffing needs. Managers are focused on the recruitment of new staff. They have established systems to reward staff commitment to promote staff retention. Staff said that they enjoy working at the home and value the training that they have attended.

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This monitoring visit

One child’s needs have increased, resulting in more frequent and more serious incidents of physical aggression and injuries to staff. All staff have attended behaviour management training and are in the process of undertaking additional training in relation to restraint. However, some of the staff are new to working with children with complex needs and some feel anxious about incidents of physical aggression and keeping everyone safe. This has resulted in a decision by the home for one child to move on. This is a change from the child’s care plan. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1248979 2 At this time, the home does not have staff with the required experience to match the level of need outlined in the statement of purpose. However, managers have a good understanding of the strengths and areas of development at the home. Managers are carefully considering new referrals based on the capabilities and experience of

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This monitoring visit

the staff team and the staffing levels available.

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This monitoring visit

Managers respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. Information is shared with other agencies and reported to Ofsted to allow for external oversight. Managers identify and formally address poor practice with staff, in line with the home’s disciplinary procedures. Managers identify lessons learned from incidents and adjust policies and practice as needed.

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This monitoring visit

Managers are overseeing ongoing improvements to the home and maintenance of the grounds to ensure that the premises are safe. Some communal areas look worn, with chipped paintwork and doors. Decoration to these areas is scheduled to take place over the next few months.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2021 Full Good 18/06/2019 Full Good 05/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1248979 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that sufficient staffing is available to meet children’s assessed needs and supervision levels, and that staff have the confidence to manage children’s behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 8 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the home should ensure that the statement of purpose includes details of the experience and qualifications of staff. 8 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1248979 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a well- maintained, homely and domestic environment. In particular, ensure that the home’s improvement plan to decorate and maintain the communal areas of the home is implemented. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and when they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The statement of purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. In particular, the provider should review the statement of purpose to ensure that the range of needs the home can currently meet is up to date and accurate.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards, page 56’, paragraph 11.4)

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Information about this inspection

This visit was undertaken to explore concerns received by Ofsted about the home.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1248979 5

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Inspector

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1248979 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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