Children's Home run by Oakley House Kent in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 1 Oakley House (Kent) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately-owned home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted is aware that there is a current ongoing police investigation in relation to an incident that occurred at the home.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to monitor the compliance notices issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 32, fitness of workers following the full inspection of the home on 4 and 5 April 2022. The provider has taken action to meet the required steps in the compliance notice raised under regulation 12. However, the steps in the compliance notice raised under regulation 32 have not been met and this compliance notice has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector did not review all the requirements that were made from the full inspection because the date for the completion of these had not yet passed. These requirements remain. One requirement was reissued in relation to regulation 12, protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the responsible individual has commissioned an external consultant to undertake a review of the home. Initial meetings with the consultant have been helpful and have informed improvements made since the full inspection. For example, better communication and links have been established with local partnership agencies. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 2 Managers and staff have completed a thorough review of children’s risk assessments to ensure that they reflect historical and presenting risks. Appropriate strategies are in place to manage these risks; staff are aware of these strategies and follow them. The registered manager’s improved oversight of risk assessments ensures that these remain up-to-date and accurate.

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This monitoring visit

Risk-management plans have also been shared with external professionals to seek their advice and contributions. For example, children’s missing-from-home plans have been shared with the local missing person police liaison officer, who has made suggestions and given advice to strengthen the plans. For one child, the self-harm risk-mitigation plan has been shared with the mental health team to provide feedback and strategies to assist staff. This demonstrates effective partnership- working to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has implemented new processes and spent time developing staff’s knowledge of good safeguarding practice. Following the last inspection, the registered manager highlighted areas for development and created a bespoke training programme. This was delivered to staff promptly. This training is further supported by scenario-based questions and group activities in team meetings, to look at children’s previous incidents and lessons learned around how staff would do things differently.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision practice has improved. The registered manager now focuses on safeguarding and staff development. Records demonstrate that this has been effective in improving staff’s awareness of safeguarding practice. Team meetings are held weekly. Any learning from the registered manager’s monitoring of the previous week is pulled into these meetings.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the recruitment policy has been updated to include that staff will not be permitted to work or volunteer in the home unless all aspects of regulation 32, schedule 2 have been met. However, one member of staff has continued to work shifts in the home despite their recruitment checks being incomplete. This member of staff’s file did not have confirmation of the reasons why the individual left previous work involving children or vulnerable adults. Managers have not yet satisfied themselves that all staff working in the home are appropriate to do so.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector also identified that the registered person has not ensured good practice by verifying original Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates for all staff. While the registered person has recognised that verifying original DBS certificates is good practice and is completing this for new staff, this has not been applied to existing staff.

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This monitoring visit

Following a previous incident regarding a child accessing the medication cabinet, the registered manager undertook an internal investigation. This resulted in disciplinary action for some staff. However, a required referral to the DBS was not made for one Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 3 person who no longer works in the home. Consequently, this person could potentially seek employment with children despite known concerns about their suitability to do so. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/04/2022 Full Inadequate 19/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider should make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service when staff are dismissed for safeguarding concerns. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)) 05 July 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

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; 10 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 6 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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2 (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 10 July 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 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: 2625170 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oakley House (Kent) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE

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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625170 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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