Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes

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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 is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties due to past trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager voluntarily cancelled his registration with Ofsted in February 2022 and is no longer working for the company. There is an interim manager in post who is yet to submit an application to register.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last visited the home on 20 and 21 April 2022 to complete a full inspection. At the inspection, serious failures were identified in the planning of children’s care, safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. The home was judged to be inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the significant concerns found during the inspection, Ofsted raised nine requirements. In addition, a compliance notice under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, was reissued and an additional compliance notice under regulation 12, the help and protection standard, was issued. A restriction of accommodation notice was also reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress against the compliance notices and the restriction notice. The inspectors found that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet both compliance notices. However, inspectors found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the restriction notice and that concerns remain in relation to leaders not managing allegations of staff’s poor practice and conduct effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and the manager do not take sufficient action to address allegations and concerns about staff’s practice. For example, leaders have not taken any action when they have been informed about serious concerns about staff’s conduct. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 2 Furthermore, leaders have not informed the regulator or the designated officer when they have become aware of the concerns. Therefore, their actions have not been scrutinised. This omission means that staff who potentially pose a risk to children have continued to work in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and the manager have now made improvements to the monitoring and reviewing systems in the home. While this is yet to be fully and consistently embedded, there are better systems to identify the needs of children, monitor their progress and review the quality of care the home is providing. This practice ensures that immediate action is taken to help children continue to make good progress.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and the manager have developed better relationships with external agencies. Professionals have shared that the communication with the manager and staff has improved. They have also commented positively on the progress that the children are now making in the home. As a result, improved outcomes are being achieved for children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager now takes action to ensure that concerns are escalated with the local authority and external agencies where appropriate. For example, staff have challenged the local authority to ensure that risk management plans for a child’s family time are effective. This practice promotes children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Staff promote positive relationships between children and their families. For example, they support children to spend time with their families. In addition, they have discussions with children and support them to repair relationships when they have broken down. Families have also shared that they are pleased with the progress that the children are making, and they have seen the positive impact the staff are making in their lives. This shows that staff value children’s relationships with their families and understand the importance of this.

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This monitoring visit

Staff use restraint as a last resort to manage children’s behaviour. The record of the intervention is sufficiently detailed and there is good management oversight. Debriefs with staff are completed by a person not involved in the incident. This ensures effective monitoring and independent oversight of restraints.

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This monitoring visit

The arrangements for the safe storage, safe keeping and safe disposal of medication have now improved. The manager’s oversight has improved, and audits are identifying shortfalls in the recording of administration of medication. This practice ensures that children’s medication is administered safely.

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This monitoring visit

The independent visitor’s report is not an effective monitoring tool. Consultation with professionals and families is inconsistent. Furthermore, the independent visitor is not identifying shortfalls in the quality of care provided to children. This impacts on the effectiveness of external monitoring systems. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 3 The manager has failed to provide a sufficiently detailed report that focuses on the review of the quality of care provided to children, their experiences and the impact the care provided by the home is having on their outcomes and progress. In addition, the report lacks consultation with children, staff and their families. Consequently, the review is neither evaluative nor analytical and does not support the manager to identify actions to improve the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2022 Full Inadequate 25/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 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

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

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)(vii) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that sufficient action is taken to investigate allegations into staff’s poor practice and conduct. 29 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— 26 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 6 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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that monitoring and review systems are fully embedded in practice.

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated as no children have been admitted to or discharged from the home since then.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they fully consider the needs of children before they move into the home. In addition, the manager must fully consider the needs of children already living at the home and any other factors such as recent incidents. 7 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 7 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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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) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all staff are safely recruited. 29 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the independent person completes a rigorous assessment of the quality of care provided to children, which includes consultation with others, and supports the manager’s internal and external monitoring systems. 29 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 8 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they gather the views, wishes and feelings of children to incorporate into their review of the quality of care children receive. In addition, they should ensure that the written report is evaluative and analytical and includes actions that they intend to undertake as a result of the review.

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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: 2600978 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 17, Leeland Mansions, Leeland Road, London W13 9HE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspectors

Mazviita Makiyi, Social Care Inspector Miss Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2600978 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

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