Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 1 SC489036 Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children/young people with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is experienced and preparing her application to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 7 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 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

The previous manager has recently left the home. A new manager has started and is preparing her application to registered with Ofsted. The new manager has recently been a registered manager for the same organisation and is very experienced. In the very short time the new manager has been in post, she has made many positive changes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection, there have been periods when the home was not performing well and children were at risk. However, more recently, under the guidance of the new manager, safeguarding incidents have been managed well. Children’s experiences are better and they are receiving the support they need to succeed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager has an ambitious vision for the home. She has made an assessment of the staff team’s skills and performance, identified some areas of development for the home and made records more streamlined. However, the new manager has only been in post for a very short time. As a result, she has not had the opportunity to embed or sustain any of these changes. She is still in the process of monitoring and assessing how the home can better support children to make progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All requirements and recommendations from the last inspection are met. Children have access to someone independent of the management of the home to raise their concerns with should they wish to. Staff are helping children decrease their use of tobacco and ‘vape’ products. Relationships between staff and children, and between the children themselves, are positive. The manager and staff team ensure that the home environment is at an acceptable standard.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An important change the manager has achieved is that children and staff say they now feel listened to. As a result, children feel safer. Children say that the new manager has taken the time to get to know them. A child said, ‘She is around more. She listens to us. She is just there for me fighting my corner. Staff are with us more. It’s so much better. Now I want to be out of my room. Before I was just in my room all the time. Now I want to be downstairs with staff.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The interior of the home is warm and homely. There are plenty of spaces for children to spend time with each other and staff. The exterior of the home requires some improvements to match the standard of the interior and the manager is incorporating this the home’s development plan. An external fire escape route that had several trip hazards was made safe during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 3 The reinvigorated staff team say they now enjoy coming to work. They really enjoy the time that they now have with the children and feel their relationships are strengthening and developing as a result. Members of staff now feel more empowered to support children to succeed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite having related experience and transferrable skills from previous employment, none of the staff team are qualified to the required level. One member of staff is outside of the two year relevant date to achieve the qualification. The manager and responsible individual recognise the vulnerability for the quality of children’s care that this situation creates. They have a plan to ensure that all staff have the time during their working hours to complete their qualification within timescales.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An alarm is used on an external door to help ensure children’s safety. It sounds when the door opens. Although the manager confirms all placing authorities and children have agreed to the use of this monitoring device, a policy about its use is not in place. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2019 Full Good 07/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 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

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring all escape routes are free from trip hazards. 8 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 1 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 6

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Recommendation

 Any home using CCTV or other monitoring equipment should have a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with regulation 24. Homes must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16). This refers to the use of alarms on external doors.

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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) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Coach House, Drinsey Nook, Lincoln, Nottinghamshire LN1 2JJ

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Inspector

Catherine Honey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC489036 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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