Children's home run by Empower Residentials Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 1

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Empower Residentials Limited

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 up to three 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 2022. The responsible individual is carefully overseeing the setting.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 21 and 22 September 2022. At that inspection, it was assessed that the managers’ safeguarding knowledge and practice were weak. Staff were not sufficiently trained or experienced to be able to meet the children’s complex needs to keep them safe. Following the inspection, seven requirements were made.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to the full inspection, the manager had submitted his resignation. He is due to leave on 16 November. Senior leaders have agreed that until a new manager is recruited, the deputy will cover in the interim for a period of two months.

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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 children and to address the identified practice weaknesses. This plan is routinely reviewed to check the progress by the manager and the deputy manager. It has been shared with all the staff in team meetings. During this visit, the inspector found that leaders and managers were making progress to address some of the points on their action plan. However, not all changes have been implemented yet, and others are at an early stage or not fully embedded. As a result, all seven requirements set at the full inspection are restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 2 Leaders and managers have completed a review of the home’s safeguarding procedures. Led by the deputy manager, team meetings have been used to review current practice. Self-audit exercises are helping staff to recognise practice

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This monitoring visit

weaknesses. This means that staff are active partners in learning how to improve their practice to ensure better care for children. The responsible individual reviews the effectiveness of these approaches routinely.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have sourced a range of specialist training for the staff team. Staff are currently being supported, based on their training needs, to work occasionally in other homes. This is helping them to put their learning into practice alongside experienced workers in adjacent homes. Not all training has taken place yet, but dates are booked in. The training courses that are planned aim to provide the team with an improved understanding of how to manage and respond appropriately to children with more complex needs.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s statement of purpose has also been adjusted in line with the skill set of the staff. Leaders are clear that they will not be admitting any further children at the present time. Consequently, the child currently living in the home continues to make positive progress against his set targets to develop his life skills and do well in education. There has also been a significant reduction in incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Bi-monthly supervision sessions for the manager and team meetings have been introduced. Staff attendance at team meetings is consistently high. Records of these meetings are concise and clear, reflecting the discussions held and agreed actions. Currently, actions are in place to review children’s care plans, risk assessments, missing protocol and incident records. Management oversight of these records has improved. However, it is too soon to see the impact.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders have taken effective action to strengthen the staffing arrangements. The deputy manager has been appointed in an acting-up position, with a twin-track approach of continued recruitment. The manager and deputy are supporting and guiding the staff by working alongside them and using team meetings to promote and develop a learning culture amongst the staff. This current arrangement is helping the team to improve and 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 reviewed the independent person’s monitoring activity. Time is needed for the introduction of new processes, some of which are still in draft, to be fully implemented and embedded into daily practice. Following this monitoring visit, Ofsted will continue to closely monitor developments at the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/09/2022 Full Inadequate 02/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 31/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 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 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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)) 19 December 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

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Requirement Due date

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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; 19 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 5 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with each child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotional can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(ix))

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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

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; and

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 19 December 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

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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; 19 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 6 ensures that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(h))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

and 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—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 19 December 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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 19 December 2022

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; 19 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 7 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(e))

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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: 2595791 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

Joy Howick, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2595791 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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