Children's Home run by Impact For Change Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 1

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to care for up to three children. Its statement of purpose states that it provides short- to medium-term care for children aged seven to 12 years at the time of admission.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been in post since March 2022 and has not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this monitoring visit, no children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in January 2022. Two compliance notices were issued following that inspection. At that time, the home was not being led and managed effectively and children were not being safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

We last visited this home on 15 February 2022, when we carried out a monitoring visit. That visit identified that the home had taken sufficient action to address the areas of compliance.

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This monitoring visit

The provider made the decision to temporarily close the home. A condition requiring the provider to inform Ofsted three months before admitting children to the home was issued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out following the provider notifying Ofsted of its intention to accommodate children.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment is suitable for children. The home has been decorated and furnished in preparation for children moving into the home. There is a large garden for children to use as a play area. Areas identified as a risk to children have been made safe and secure. Managers told the inspector that there are some further Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 2 areas of development planned. These include improving the home’s internet connection and purchasing play equipment for the garden.

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This monitoring visit

Management arrangements at the home are strengthened, and include an experienced senior manager monitoring the home’s development and progress. They spoke to the inspector about challenging practice effectively to ensure that performance is improved. In addition, an experienced manager has been appointed to lead the home. They have reviewed and updated the home’s policies.

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This monitoring visit

Existing and new staff have been appointed to the home. There is good training and support planned for them before the home reopens. This will ensure that staff acquire knowledge and skills in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The manager is knowledgeable about trauma-informed care for children. They spoke to the inspector about plans to develop this across practice to ensure that children’s needs are met.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers told the inspector that they plan for children’s moves into the home to be carefully managed and taken slowly. They plan to ensure that children living in the home are settled and making progress before any other child is accommodated. A change to the independent person visiting the home has been made. This is to increase scrutiny and challenge required to monitor the home’s development and children’s progress.

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This monitoring visit

Sufficient action has been taken by the provider and the home is ready to accommodate children. The impact of some actions cannot be ascertained as there are no children currently living in the home. As a result, there has been no change of judgement from the previous inspection. The requirements and recommendation from the previous inspection will remain until they can be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2022 Full Inadequate 14/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(c)(i)) 25 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 5 In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that children are provided with continuity of care from adults who have the training, skills and experience to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that all children are supported to maintain a clean and hygienic bedroom.

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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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are provided with support from external agencies that will reduce the risk of exploitation and drug misuse. 25 February 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 11 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— 11 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 6 helps children 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 25 February 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 7 non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2484443 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Impact for Change Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Canns Down Press, Beaford, Winkleigh, Devon EX19 8LZ

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Inspector

Louise Bacon, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2484443 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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