Children's Home run by Somerset County Council in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 1 SC030439

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides short breaks, shared care and permanent accommodation for up to five children with a learning disability and complex needs. Two children currently live in the home. The provider suspended short-break provision at the time of the interim inspection in March 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in February 2021. A new manager was appointed and applied to register with Ofsted but resigned in September 2021. An acting manager was appointed temporarily but this person has also now resigned. There is no manager in full-time day-to-day control of the home; the responsible individual is closely overseeing the setting.

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This monitoring visit

Following the interim inspection on 22 March 2022, a restriction of accommodation was placed on the home. This means that no additional children can be admitted while the order is in place. This is the second monitoring visit since the restriction to review the situation at the home and to assess whether the restriction can be lifted.

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This monitoring visit

Following ongoing concerns seen at the previous monitoring visit, Ofsted issued a notice of proposal to cancel the home’s registration in addition to keeping the restriction notice in place.

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This monitoring visit

Two children continue to live in the home. Work is taking place to find alternative homes for both children. Both children are supported to attend school or alternative education regularly. Interesting and fun activities take place. Recently, both children visited the beach together and one child also enjoyed an ice-skating trip.

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This monitoring visit

Despite these positives, the care that one child receives falls far short of that described in the statement of purpose. This child continues to be cared for solely by agency staff, and over the past month this has included 20 different people. Despite Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 2 having concerns raised about the practices of some agency staff by adults and the child, leaders have not put in place adequate monitoring of their practice. In addition, leaders and managers have failed to assure themselves that all required safer recruitment checks are in place for these staff. A new requirement requiring the provider to take urgent action, has been made about this regulatory breach.

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This monitoring visit

The post of manager remains vacant. The home has now been without a registered manager since April 2021. A consultant is in post and supports the monitoring of the home for three days each week. This provision is not sufficient.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations or concerns made by a child about staff have not been managed effectively. At times, staff have dismissed the concerns saying that they did not happen or that the child’s interpretation of what happened is wrong. Staff have failed to follow child protection guidance and ask open-ended questions to enable the child to tell them their views. Leaders and managers have failed to identify these concerns and have failed to notify Ofsted of all of them as required.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders acknowledge the seriousness of the concerns and agree that the current situation is not sustainable. Leaders are keeping Ofsted up to date with their plans for the home, and Ofsted will continue to closely monitor the situation and the children’s moves from the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 3

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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; and

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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

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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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

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to improving the homeliness of the environment, taking into consideration the use of institutional-style fixtures and fittings in bathrooms, tired decor throughout the home, use of walkie-talkies, carrying of 5 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 4 keys and passing through one child’s accommodation to access communal areas.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are helped to contribute to their care plan and are helped to provide feedback on the quality of care they receive. 5 May 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 5 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that one child’s bedroom window is not covered by an external shutter during the day.

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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 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; 5 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 6 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; 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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 5 May 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 the register provider is an organisation or a partnership;

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

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)(i)(ii)(b) (2)(a)(b)) 5 May 2022

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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 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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 15 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 7 The requirements are that—

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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))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they consult with children and other stakeholders to obtain their views about the quality of care provided by the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that actions from previous supervision sessions are consistently reviewed at the next meeting. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Somerset County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4DY

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Inspector

Paula Lahey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC030439 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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