Children's Home run by Empower Residential Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 1 Registered provider: Empower Residentials Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The statement of purpose states that the home can provide care for two children who may have social and emotional needs or learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post of registered manager has been vacant since November 2021. The responsible individual is closely overseeing the setting.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 26 and 27 July 2022. At that inspection, it was assessed that the managers’ safeguarding knowledge and practice were weak. Following the inspection, six requirements and three recommendations were made.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection and in consultation with senior leaders, the manager withdrew her application to register with Ofsted. Senior leaders have devised a support plan and appointed a mentor who is working with the manager to help her to improve her safeguarding knowledge and develop her skills for the role.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders and the manager provided Ofsted with a plan documenting the action that they proposed to take to safeguard the child and remedy the weaknesses. During this visit, the inspector found that leaders and managers were making steady progress to address the points on their action plan. However, changes remain in their infancy and are yet to be fully embedded.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have completed a review of the home’s safeguarding procedures. The responsible individual reviews the effectiveness of the new process Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 2 regularly, and areas identified that require further improvement are shared with the staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have sourced specialist training for the staff team. The training courses completed to date have been well attended and have provided the team with an improved understanding of how to manage and respond appropriately to the child’s needs. Consequently, the child is benefiting from more positive interactions with the staff and incidents have reduced. During the inspection, the child and staff were enjoying a day out swimming at the beach.

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This monitoring visit

Bi-monthly supervision sessions and team meetings have been introduced. Staff attendance at these sessions has improved. Records of these meetings are of a better quality; they now reflect the discussions held and agreed actions. Further work is planned to review children’s care plans and risk assessments. Management oversight of these records has improved.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken effective action to strengthen the staffing arrangements. A deputy manager has been appointed. The manager and deputy are supporting and guiding the staff, by working alongside them on alternative evenings and weekends. This current arrangement is helping the team to develop its confidence and skills.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are committed to making ongoing improvements for the safety and protection of children. They have invited external professionals to complete quality assurance visits, and they have also reviewed the independent person’s monitoring activity. Time is needed for new processes to be implemented and embedded into daily practice. Ofsted will conduct a further full inspection of this home, when the requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection will be reviewed. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/07/2022 Full Inadequate 11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 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 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;

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This directly relates to leaders and managers ensuring that the staff team is sufficiently skilled and experienced to understand and support children’s needs and promote their welfare effectively. 14 September

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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— 14 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 5 that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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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 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;

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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; 14 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 6 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the monitoring of care is effective in safeguarding children and promoting their well-being.

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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

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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that staff who care for the child are experienced and skilled to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure information gathered in exit interviews is used to help improve staff retention. 14 September

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring prompt referral of safeguarding concerns and allegations to the LADO. 14 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out the 14 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 7 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 ensure that 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 any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (3)(a)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to the registered person ensuring that discussions held with staff and the child following incidents provide them with an opportunity to reflect on their actions, explore how the child felt about being held, and consider alternative behaviour management approaches.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision provides evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. In particular, ensure that formal supervisions and team meetings provide staff members with the opportunity to reflect on their practice individually and as a team. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that best use of information from independent and internal monitoring is made, to ensure continuous improvement. This particularly refers to ensuring that the written development plan is

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Recommendations

formalised to include ideas that the management team have to improve the quality of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2547967 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Empower Residentials Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2 Prockters Farm Offices, West Monkton, Taunton, Somerset TA2 8QN

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2547967 9 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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