Children's Home run by Our Place (2008) Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report children's home: SC407929 1 SC407929 Registered provider: Our Place (2008) Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this children’s home. It provides care for 10 children with learning disabilities (including autism spectrum disorder and associated challenging behaviours. Children may stay after they reach 18 years old.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017. The registered manager is appropriately experienced and qualified.

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Inspection date: 20 January 2022

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 20 January 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC407929 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and two children have moved in. These transitions have been well-planned. During the inspection, a social worker for one child explained that the child was welcomed into the home, and there was good information-sharing before their admission. As a result of this, the child quickly settled, is happy and has already made improvements in his communication skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has made improvements to increase partnership working between the home, parents and local authorities. These include sending weekly care reports to family members and consultation cards to encourage them to give feedback on the care provided in the home.’. In addition, the manager has introduced a new visitor book, which asks each visitor to provide a comment on the home and set an agenda for the next visit. This helps the manager to understand the views of others.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have made improvements to the children’s care plans and activity planners. These documents now record detailed and clear information. Staff have created ‘grab sheets’ for each child, which provide staff with a quick overview of each child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are involved in the weekly planning of activities, and staff support the development of children’s interests and hobbies. During the inspection, children were helped to play with different games, such as creating shapes with slime and kinetic sand. In addition, the manager has embedded a new consultation tool for children to provide an opportunity for them to give feedback on their experiences. As a result, changes in the home are made in response to the voice of the child. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and increases participation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the home has been redecorated, and there have been improvements made to the children’s bedrooms and the communal living spaces. The home now has a well-equipped library and a much-loved sensory room. However, during the inspection, it was identified that there has been a delay in reporting and fixing holes in the walls, which are near electrical sockets. This may have presented a risk to children and does not ensure a comfortable and safe environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the last inspection, managers commissioned external audits on medication and safeguarding practices in the home. The manager has responded to the shortfalls identified by the audits. In addition, a new independent visitor has been completing monthly audits of the home. These reports are detailed, and the Inspection report children's home: SC407929 3 managers’ report that they find these useful. However, actions are not always completed in a timely way.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There continue to be shortfalls in the management oversight and monitoring of the home. The manager failed to ensure that all advice given by the local safeguarding team was considered during an investigation of a staff member’s practice. This demonstrates a missed opportunity to ensure effective safeguarding and continued improvements in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been times when children have needed to be held to keep them safe. The recording of these incidents remains poor. This shortfall was identified at the last inspection and has not been fully addressed. Managers do not ensure that restraint logs are completed in line with regulations. For example, in one record viewed, it was not clear which staff member had received a debrief following the incident. Furthermore, records do not always fully describe staff’s efforts to de- escalate and support the child during and following an incident. This lack of recording impacts on managers’ oversight of how incidents are managed and is a missed opportunity to improve the standards of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection in August 2021, nine requirements and one recommendation were raised. Managers have addressed six of the requirements and the one recommendation made at the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection raised a new shortfall. Managers have not ensured that all staff members working in the home have been provided with individual supervision. This means that some staff are not effectively supported, and it could lead to inconsistencies in staff practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have carried out work to improve the standards of record-keeping in the home by introducing a new recording system. This work remains ongoing at the time of this inspection, and managers recognise this as an area for further development. Inspection report children's home: SC407929 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/11/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good 13/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC407929 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

that the premises used for the purposes 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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the condition of the home environment.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 March 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—

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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

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)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h)) 25 March 2022 Inspection report children's home: SC407929 6 This specifically relates to the registered manager’s oversight of the care provided and using monitoring and review systems to improve practice on the quality of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that physical intervention is recorded in line with regulation.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff working in the home receive practice-related supervision. 25 March 2022

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Inspection report children's home: SC407929 7 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report children's home: SC407929 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Our Place (2008) Ltd

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Inspectors

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC407929 9 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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