Children's Home run by Autonomy Plus Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 1 Registered provider: Autonomy Plus Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to five children who have a learning disability and additional needs. At the time of the inspection, four children were living at this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left on 16 April 2021. The home has been without a registered manager since.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 29 and 30 May 2022, and a compliance notice was issued in relation to regulation 13, the leadership and management standard of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015. This monitoring visit was completed to review the action taken to comply with the requirements of the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the area manager has become the responsible individual, which has enabled the previous responsible individual to make an application to register as the manager. An improvement plan for the home is being developed, and the responsible individual is working closely with the proposed manager to implement the plan.

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This monitoring visit

Records have been reviewed and new forms introduced. This forms part of the improved monitoring arrangements for the home. The new monitoring system allows for daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly review and monitoring by leaders and managers. The responsible individual will review the effectiveness of the new process on a quarterly basis. Changes have been shared with staff in team meetings and recorded in the new staff communication book. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 2 Policies and procedures are due to be fully reviewed. However, action has been taken to amend flowcharts for staff in relation to safeguarding concerns and referrals to the local authority designated officer and the multi-agency safeguarding hub. This has been shared with staff during team meetings. No concerns have been raised since the last inspection, which means any improvements are still to be tested.

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This monitoring visit

The complaints process and on-call protocol have been reviewed and changes shared with staff during team meetings. Forms and records used to log complaints, concerns and incidents have been reviewed and updated and these now allow for improved recording of actions and outcomes. Records are available electronically, which allows leaders, managers and staff easy access to these when they are away from the office. The inspector was advised this will enable staff to update records more easily and in a timely manner. This also allows for easier oversight by leaders and managers and provides the opportunity for better monitoring of quality. This is in the early stages of introduction and needs time to be fully embedded.

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This monitoring visit

Staff supervision procedures have been reviewed and updated. A new form has been introduced and this is intended to provide better evidence of the effectiveness of supervision with staff, including sections for discussions about concerns and about practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff recruitment files are being audited, and action is being taken to ensure that all files meet the requirements of the regulations. A monthly review meeting has been introduced between the manager, the responsible individual and human resources to provide monitoring and oversight of these records. A new form has been added to the front of the recruitment records to evidence that safer recruitment practice is being followed. Plans are in place for the provider to confirm the information about the safe recruitment and evidence of training and qualifications for agency staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing arrangements have been reviewed, and the importance of sufficiency reiterated with the staff team. Rotas reviewed by the inspector demonstrate that leaders and managers are taking action to ensure that there is sufficiency of staffing.

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This monitoring visit

Sufficient action has been taken to meet the actions required by the compliance notice. However, the improvement plan is still in the early stages, so the requirements from the last inspection will remain and will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2022 Full Inadequate 18/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2021 Full Inadequate 09/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 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 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

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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 1 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 5 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;

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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

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

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 1 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 6 A responsible individual must—

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 1 July 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. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 1 July 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

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

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 1 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and 1 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 7 the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 1 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 1 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 1 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that repairs to any damage in the home are of good quality and dealt with promptly to create a warm, welcoming environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 8

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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: 1263124 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Autonomy Plus Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 67 Roundpond, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8EB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Faulkner-Elliott

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Inspector

Kerry Fell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263124 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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