Children's home run by Ivie Lodge Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 1

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to four children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out following a complaint made to Ofsted from a child living at the home. This complaint was about the quality of care being provided. The visit identified significant breaches relating to the safe care of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have failed to keep children safe and promote their well-being. The premises were found to be in a poor state of repair. Staff had failed to attend to broken windows, significant damage to interior walls and unhygienic home conditions. These shortfalls mean that children have been left at risk of harm. Their health and safety have been compromised. Children have lived in home conditions that would significantly impair their experiences and sense of well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have the experience or skills to safely meet the children’s complex needs. Staff have found it difficult to de-escalate situations before they become challenging and extreme. There is a high turnover of staff and a lack of confidence in the staff team. A child reported an inappropriate use of restraint by a member of staff. The recording of this incident by a staff member made no reference to the restraint used and is inconsistent with another member of staff’s account of the incident. The recording, review and management oversight of children’s behaviour and staff responses are not accountable or safe.

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This monitoring visit

The home did not have a manager in place at the time of the visit and staff could not identify who was in charge. The registered manager’s post is currently vacant. There has been ineffective management oversight and support for staff. The Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 2 inspector struggled to speak with any manager at the time of the visit. The registered person has failed to properly oversee the safe running of the home. The home conditions presented a risk to children. The registered person has failed to put in place measures to promote and sustain the welfare of children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the significant shortfalls found at this visit, the home’s registration has been suspended.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, the requirements made at the last inspection were not reviewed. These are reinstated, together with two further requirements in relation to the protection of children, and leadership and management.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/10/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/06/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 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

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that details of all children placed in and discharged from the home are recorded and records kept. 13 December

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement of purpose within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to notifying Ofsted of any changes in staffing. 13 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 13 December Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 4 the requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that full and satisfactory information is sought in relation to any agency staff used.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure pathway plans for relevant children are in place. 13 December

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 10 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 5 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to maintaining safe home conditions and following procedures that relate to the safe care of children.

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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

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 Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the home is appropriately managed at all times, and that managers have oversight of the quality of care provided and take effective action when shortfalls are evident. 10 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to respond to concerns raised about the quality of care provided.

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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 address: 2nd Floor, 9 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3BE

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2483881 7 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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