Children's Home, Residential special school run by The National Autistic Society in Barnsley

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 1 SC032154

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National Autistic Society (The)

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a charitable trust. It is registered to provide care for up to eight children who may have autism spectrum disorder. Children may have other associated difficulties, such as sensory impairment and/or physical disabilities. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is divided into two houses, with a communal hub and garden. This registered children’s home is also part of a specialist school that provides education on site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 and 9 November 2022. Inspectors found significant breaches in regulations relating to the safety and protection of children, the leadership and management of the home, restraint and the deprivation of liberty, behaviour management policies and records, and the notification of serious events. As a result of that inspection, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and issued five compliance notices under regulations 12, 13, 20, 35 and 40.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the notice restricting accommodation. Since the last inspection, no children have moved in to this home. The inspector concluded from this monitoring visit that the provider is adhering to the restriction of accommodation notice. However, the restriction notice remains in place. The compliance notices have not been reviewed at this visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 2

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/11/2022 Full Inadequate 22/03/2022 Full Outstanding 21/01/2020 Full Outstanding 08/01/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 3

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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

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

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) (2)(b)(ii)(ix)) 1 January 2023

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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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are medically assessed following incidents of restraint and self-injurious behaviour. 1 January 2023

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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 1 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 4 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

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; 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)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h)) 1 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

*Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (2)) 1 January 2023

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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

The registered person must ensure that— 1 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 5 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

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

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

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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

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 (2) (3)(a)(iv)(v)(viii)(b)(i)(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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 1 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)) 1 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 6 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

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c) (5)) 1 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered persons should ensure that the children’s home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. They will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. The children’s bedrooms need to be clean, and any sign of bodily fluids cleaned. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, ensure that all staff have up-to-date food hygiene training, and the senior team receive relevant risk assessment training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: SC032154 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: National Autistic Society (The)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032154 8 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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