Children's Home run by Assure Care Homes Ltd in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 1 Registered provider: Assure Care Homes Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to two children who have social and emotional difficulties. It is owned by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home have been registered with Ofsted since 18 November 2021. The home has not been previously inspected.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to assess the practices of managers and staff in response to incidents that have been notified to Ofsted. Two children have lived in this home since it was first registered. One child moved out quickly due to the staff’s inability to keep him safe.

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This monitoring visit

When children move into the home, their needs are not adequately assessed and planned for. There is a lack of scrutiny by leaders and managers to ensure that risks are fully understood and minimised. The compatibility of the children and the staff’s skill set are not fully considered. Therefore, suitable preparation does not occur.

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This monitoring visit

Risks that have been identified through the children’s referral and admissions information, and subsequent incidents, have not been responded to effectively. Despite risk assessments being updated, the staff’s practice has not been adequately changed to keep the children and staff safe. This has resulted in an escalation of incidents, including a serious fire-setting incident that could have been prevented if appropriate action had been taken earlier.

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This monitoring visit

Staff lack the necessary skills and confidence to meet the children’s known needs. Training records shown to the inspector, and the description of the staff’s training by Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 2 the registered manager, fail to show that the staff possess the training and skills that they need to help the children to reduce their risk-taking behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision records are poor. These do not show clear direction to staff or appropriate levels of support when staff have been involved in challenging incidents. The frequency of supervision does not meet the home’s policy and staff are not able to talk confidently about either the regularity or purpose of supervision. This does not provide staff with appropriate support.

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This monitoring visit

The use of physical intervention is minimal. However, when incidents of physical intervention do occur, reports do not make clear the methods used and refer simply to the name of the restraint. This lack of clarity means that there is potential for inaccurate reporting and insufficient scrutiny of incidents. In one example, the child was not spoken to following a physical intervention to check how they were, and no medical treatment was offered despite injuries being noted.

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This monitoring visit

Staff were unable to confirm whether a child had been registered with relevant health services or had attended any appointments. Leaders and managers said that one appointment had been recorded in the house communication book but there was no record on the child’s file.

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This monitoring visit

Weekly fire checks have been undertaken by staff. These have identified faults in fire doors and emergency lighting, but the checks have not prompted leaders and managers to take swift action to fix them. This lack of urgency, combined with the lack of fire and first-aid training for staff, puts children at unnecessary risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 4

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(iii)) 10 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)) 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 5 *If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 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)) 6 March 2022

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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.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; 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. 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 6 (Regulation 35 (3)(iv)(vi)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification.

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)) 10 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 response to recent notifications.

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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: 2666995 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Assure Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 4, Northbrook Industrial Estate, Hollybrook Road, Shirley, Southampton, Hampshire SO16 6PB

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Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2666995 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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