Children's Home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 1 Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children 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 children’s home provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, complex needs and social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since August 2022. She has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out in response to whistle-blowing concerns that were raised with Ofsted regarding the safeguarding practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations were made that a culture of locking doors had grown. On arrival at the home, inspectors made an immediate tour of the premises. The home was found to be clean and tidy. There were no doors found locked. A risk assessment is in place for one child regarding locking doors as a short-term measure to be used if they are in a heightened state. This measure is to prevent them from entering the private space of other children. Inspectors found the risk assessment was clear in the circumstances and that the child’s social worker was aware of the measure. However, the staff are not recording this measure in line with the provider’s use of restraint policy. As a result, there is currently no managerial oversight of the frequency and effectiveness of this measure.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has been in post for four weeks. During this time, seven members of staff have handed in their notice. The manager and the senior leaders are in the process of recruiting new staff. Some staff, who are experienced in working with children with learning disabilities, are joining the team from other homes in the organisation. In addition, new staff are being recruited. The new staff spoke positively of their induction. They have received training to equip them with the skills Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 2 and knowledge required to care for the individual needs of the children who live in this home. However, inspectors found that a staff member, who has since left, had not completed the written elements of the new staff induction.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the staff have called in sick late, presenting a challenge to the manager to cover shifts at short notice. Although shifts have been covered, some of the rotas do not accurately reflect the last-minute changes that have been made.

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This monitoring visit

An allegation was made that logs had gone missing from the recording and reporting system. The operations manager has investigated this and found that some logs had been mislabelled and were not in fact missing. Inspectors were shown the recording and reporting system. It has safeguards built in to enable senior managers to have detailed oversight and to track every entry.

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This monitoring visit

Specific allegations were made about several incidents regarding the care of children. Records and internal investigations were sampled, all staff present were interviewed and social workers spoken to. The information that inspectors found did not support the allegations. The local authority designated officer and the children’s social workers did not have concerns regarding the care of the children.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have experienced some unwanted attention from members of the public on two occasions. The location risk assessment has recently been updated and refers to a ‘lockdown protocol’. However, there is no written guidance for staff to follow to implement this protocol.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the full inspection on 29 June 2022 were not examined at this monitoring visit. The dates have been extended to coincide with the four additional requirements that have been made as a result of this monitoring visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2022 Full Good 31/01/2022 Full Outstanding 10/12/2019 Full Good 27/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that relevant professionals are consulted with regard to any devices used to support children’s physical welfare. 2 October 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is consistent information in all plans and records. 2 October 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 5 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (6)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff who are employed part time may have the date deferred by when they need to have completed a suitable qualification, but they must still undertake the qualification. 2 October 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 6 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments provide up-to-date assessments on risks to children, including updates when children ingest items. 2 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31 (1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any temporary member of staff from within the organisation and/or an agency is provided with comprehensive information about each child’s needs, receives an induction into the home and has the required skills and qualifications for working in residential childcare. 2 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 2 October 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 7 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

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 2 October 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 8 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, keep rotas up to date to accurately reflect any changes such as staff absences and who covered the shifts. 2 October 2022

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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). (Regulation 46 (1)) 2 October 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that children’s homes comply with relevant health and safety legislations, including checking electrical wiring within required time frames. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, and paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1236532 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Advantage, 87 Castle Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 7SN

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Inspectors

Sarah Olliver, Social Care Inspector Mrs Emeline Evans, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1236532 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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