Children's Home run by Worcestershire Children First in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 1 Registered provider: Worcestershire Children First

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was previously owned by the local authority. It re-registered in October 2019 when the local authority moved to be a holding company. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post and registered with Ofsted. He is due to leave mid-August 2022.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection, on 21 and 22 June 2022. As a result of the concerns identified at the full inspection, three compliance notices were issued, in relation to regulation 12, regulation 13 and regulation 40 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. In addition, a second notice restricting accommodation was issued. Eight requirements were also made.

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This monitoring visit

This visit examined the progress made by the home in meeting the three compliance notices and the notice restricting accommodation. The inspector found that the compliance notices in respect of regulation 13 and 40 had been met. This is because there have been improvements in the monitoring and oversight of the home. In addition, a review of training has supported managers to identify some core training for the staff team. The notice restricting accommodation is also being complied with and remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

Two children lived at the home at the time of this inspection. They have both completed their GSCE exams. One child has secured a place at his school for post-16 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 2 education. The children living in the home benefit from a more settled environment and there has been a reduction in incidents since the last inspection. One child has recently moved out. Before this, the manager ensured a multi-agency approach to managing complex risks, to try and keep the child safe. The manager has notified Ofsted of a serious incident, enabling the regulator to maintain oversight of such events.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have reflected on the shortfalls found at the previous inspection. This has enabled managers to devise an action plan and reflect on shortfalls with the staff team. Monitoring systems are in place and managers review the care that children receive, which helps them to identify and evaluate patterns of behaviour. There has been one incident since the last inspection. Managers undertook a comprehensive review of what happened. Improved management oversight is helping managers and staff to reflect on the actions that they take to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have reviewed the training in place for staff. Some training has taken place in relation to child exploitation and self-harm. A programme of training has been planned for staff, which includes attachment theory, peer-on-peer abuse, alcohol and drug awareness and further training around child exploitation. This will support staff to increase their skills in understanding and meeting the needs of the children they care for. However, staff have not yet received training in relation to online safety, despite this shortfall being identified at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Aspects of risk management remain a concern. Managers have failed to ensure that risk assessments contain up-to-date information and clear guidance for staff. For example, children’s risk assessments do not provide guidance about the steps staff need to take to keep children safe online. Additionally, guidance does not include what steps staff should take when a child spends time in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not ensure that children are always well supported to understand risk. For example, one child smokes and it is not clear what support the child receives to understand the implications that smoking has on her health.

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This monitoring visit

Both children living in the home are vulnerable to risks when using the internet. However, managers and staff have failed to ensure that children are adequately educated about risks online. Staff have not received training relating to online safety to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to support children well in this area. One key-work session has been carried out with each child following the last inspection, however, these sessions show a lack of professional curiosity from staff. For example, a child said that he often communicates with online gamers. However, the staff member did not explore who the gamers were, whether he speaks to a particular gamer regularly or to different people about different games. As a result, not enough action is being taken to help to promote children’s safety when they are using the internet. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 3

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, a compliance notice in relation to regulation 12 has been issued for the third time. The notice restricting accommodation remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the last inspection have not been reviewed because the date by which they have to be met had not lapsed. A new requirement in relation to regulation 27 has been issued following this inspection. The registered manager was due to leave his post on 17 August 2022 and the management arrangements for the day-to-day oversight of the home remain unclear. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2022 Full Inadequate 29/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 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 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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that children have opportunities to express their views, wishes and feelings. 3 August 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

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 3 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 6 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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(v)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are supported to understand acceptable behaviours.

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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; 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 7 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that safeguarding concerns are identified and responded to. In addition, ensure that each child has a risk assessment which provides staff with strategies to follow to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and has been restated.

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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)) 3 August 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 registered provider—

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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)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 18 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— 18 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 8 the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 3 August 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: 2548569 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Worcestershire Children First

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester WR5 2NP

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Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2548569 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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