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 Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

According to the provider’s statement of purpose, this children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to two children with 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 .

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation to the children’s home on 25 February 2022, due to there being a risk of harm if more children are moved into the home.

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This monitoring visit

On 7 March 2022, Ofsted carried out a further monitoring visit to the home to ensure that the provider was complying with the notice restricting accommodation, and to seek assurance that one compliance notice in relation to fire safety was met. This notice had not been met so a further compliance notice was served with regard to fire safety.

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This monitoring visit

On 12 April 2022, Ofsted carried out a full inspection of the home and judged it inadequate. At that inspection, serious shortfalls were identified and, as a result, six requirements were made. Three of those requirements were repeated from a monitoring visit carried out on 7 March 2022.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to ensure that the provider is complying with the notice restricting accommodation and to obtain an update on the service.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the provider has continued to comply with the notice restricting accommodation. No new children have moved in and the child who was Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 2 previously living in the home has moved on. The registered manager has resigned from their post and the staff have been temporarily redeployed to another home within the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the responsible individual provided a verbal update on the plans in place to address the identified shortfalls, as well as the organisation’s aim to reopen the home. This included recruiting a new home manager. However, the details of these plans were not available to review by the inspectors on the day of the visit. The responsible individual informed the inspectors that these plans, and an updated statement of purpose, would be shared with Ofsted following a team meeting scheduled to take place on 17 May 2022.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the home’s first full inspection were not reviewed as part of this visit and remain in place. The due date for these requirements is 19 June 2022. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2022 Full Inadequate 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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should refer children to the necessary clinical agencies when needed. They should ensure they are in receipt of the children’s relevant medical histories.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; 19 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 5 an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(ix)(x))

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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

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 19 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 6 that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, complete a written audit of each staff member’s skills and training in relation to risk assessment and management. This is to include senior leaders.

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Requirement Due date

Identify any gaps and produce a written plan, with timescales, to demonstrate how these gaps will be addressed.

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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

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

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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; 19 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 7 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children and 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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii))

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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. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is a safe system in place in line with statutory guidance for the handling of regulated medicines 19 June 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. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. 19 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 8 If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b))

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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: 2666995 9

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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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Inspectors

Amanda Harvey, Social Care Inspector Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2666995 10 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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