Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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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 and run by a private organisation and can accommodate and care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties. According to its statement of purpose, the home is ‘for young people and children with individualised needs who may benefit from living in a smaller home that supports their needs’.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2021.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection conducted on 10 and 11 January 2022 judged the home inadequate due to serious shortfalls in respect of staff recruitment, risk management and poor monitoring oversight. As a result of that inspection, senior leaders gave assurances that only safely recruited staff would be working at the home with immediate effect.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit did not consider all requirements that were made from the full inspection, because the dates for completion had not yet passed. These requirements remain. However, due to the serious concerns in respect of poor staff recruitment practice and monitoring oversight, this monitoring visit was conducted to seek assurance about the immediate and current safety of the children.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector reviewed some of the staff recruitment files against the names of staff as detailed on the current staffing rota. Shortfalls and gaps found in those recruitment files included examples of incomplete employment histories, the absence of necessary references, and some references not being verified. One specific example included the absence of an overseas check for a member of staff who has worked abroad. Other examples included the failure to check and verify staff’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. One member of staff’s DBS check, that contains a caution, has not been suitably risk assessed to determine this person’s Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 2 suitability to work with children. These shortfalls raise significant concerns about the continuing poor recruitment practice of the provider and its failure to provide effective safeguards through safer recruitment. Consequently, and in light of these

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This monitoring visit

additional findings, Ofsted does not have confidence in the provider’s ability to protect children from potentially unsafe and unsuitable adults.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents since the full inspection have not been consistently well managed. One example includes a child informing the staff that she was distressed and engaging in self-harm. The staff member’s record indicates that regular checks were conducted on this child throughout the night. However, the record of a different staff member’s conversation with the child describes the child as saying that no checks were made on her during that same evening. Managers were unable to demonstrate that these discrepancies had been identified or further explored through management monitoring.

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This monitoring visit

Another example included confusion among the staff team as to the whereabouts of razor blades that should have been stored in a safe in the staff office. This confusion resulted in a staff member asking a child with known self-harm risks if the child had these items in their possession. Although it was later discovered that a different staff member had disposed of the razor blades, it is of significant concern that there was any confusion as to the whereabouts of such dangerous items when the risk of self- harm at the home is high.

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This monitoring visit

Following the shortfalls previously identified in respect of the staff’s use of inappropriate and punitive responses to a child’s behaviour, the registered manager has begun to review these examples with the child and the staff team. Further training for the staff is planned, albeit not yet started

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This monitoring visit

Overall, Ofsted remains concerned that significant shortfalls and omissions are continuing in relation to safer recruitment. The provider has failed to use protective measures to protect the children from potentially unsafe adults. When combined with the failure to make sufficient progress to monitor effectively the experiences of the children, the regulator is not reassured that children are being safely cared for. Ofsted has therefore, suspended the home’s registration.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/01/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(b)(ii)) 30 April 2022

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(c)) 27 February 2022

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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— 27 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 4 promotes their welfare.

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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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)) 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19 (1)) 1 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)) 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4)) 30 April 2022

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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 27 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 5 if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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) (3)(d))

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Muchatuta

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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2631195 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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