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Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 1 SC454484

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Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may experience emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, three children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with two of the children.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since June 2021. There is a manager in post, who is not registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

A restriction of accommodation notice was issued on 18 July 2022 until 10 October inclusively.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 12 July 2022. During this inspection, the inspectors found significant breaches in regulations. These related to the safety and protection of children, the leadership and management arrangements and the admission of children moving into the home. As a result, three compliance notices were issued under regulations 12, 13, and 14.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to assess the provider’s progress in meeting the three compliance notices. The visit included a review of documents and discussions with leaders and managers, staff and children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided Ofsted with a development plan which has been regularly updated to demonstrate the steps they have taken to address the shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers propose that the children living at the home will move out in a planned way and that the home’s operation will be paused temporarily. This provides Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 2 reassurance that the senior leaders are taking the necessary steps to address the concerns set out in the compliance notice issued under regulation 14. Steps have been taken to improve the admissions process. Furthermore, staff’s training and development needs have been identified, but staff have not yet completed the identified training. Therefore, the effectiveness of this cannot be fully evaluated and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a full review of children’s risk assessments. All identified risks to children have been assessed and there is clear guidance for staff to follow to help to reduce the risks. The manager has provided staff with guidance to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities in relation to following children’s risk assessments and when a child is being restrained. There has been one incident of restraint since the full inspection. The restraint was proportionate and recorded accurately.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has reviewed the protocols for when children go missing from home. These provide clear steps for staff to follow, including when children go missing at night. The manager has planned for staff to have access to a vehicle to enable them to search for children who go missing. The manager has adjusted the rota to ensure that there is sufficient staffing at night. This helps to ensure that staff can respond quickly when children leave the home. This means that suitable action has been taken to meet the compliance notice under regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided staff with guidance to ensure that they understand their responsibilities in relation to recording incidents. The manager has improved the systems in place to ensure that incidents are reviewed and evaluated.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received supervision that provides them with guidance on the help and protection of children. The manager has addressed the shortfalls in how staff respond to the children and their practice in relation to recording and reporting incidents. The manager is supportive in supervision, which enables the staff to reflect on their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken some steps to ensure that full information about each of the matters in schedule 2 is available to them. This refers to the employment of agency staff. However, some gaps remain. Therefore, a requirement will be made to help to ensure that safer recruitment is embedded in practice.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the full inspection were not reviewed at this visit. Therefore, these are repeated and will be assessed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/07/2022 Full Inadequate 02/11/2021 Full Good 21/07/2021 Full Inadequate 02/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 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

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

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

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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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)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(viii)(ix)) 28 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 5 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x))

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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—

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c)) 28 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 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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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 how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 18 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 7 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c))

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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,

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Requirement Due date

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

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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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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available to them in relation to staff employed through an agency. 18 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 8 (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 28 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)) 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 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: SC454484 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Gateway Plaza, Sackville Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2RD

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Inspectors

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC454484 11 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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