Children's home run by I.M.P.A.C.T Children's Residential Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 1 Registered provider: I.M.P.A.C.T Children’s Residential Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. There were three children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 12 August 2021. The registered manager post is vacant.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as inadequate at the full inspection carried out from 8 to 10 November 2022. As a result, a notice to restrict accommodation was issued. Furthermore, five compliance notices were issued, under regulations 12, 13, 27, 34 and 40 of the Children’s Homes Regulations (England) 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out on 15 December 2022 to monitor the progress made against the compliance notices and the requirements raised at the full inspection. The inspectors found that satisfactory progress has been made in meeting the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, there were three children living in the home. This demonstrates that the provider has complied with the notice to restrict accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have been working hard to improve the safety of the children living in the home. They have ensured that medication and any other potentially hazardous items are stored safely. Staff demonstrate that they understand the importance of ensuring that the children do not have access to these items. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 2 Staff have received training to improve their skills and knowledge in how to keep the children safe. This includes safeguarding, medication and self-harm training. More training has been booked but is yet to take place. This training helps staff to actively develop their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have supported the staff team to improve their response to children’s behaviours. Since the last inspection, the police have not been called to intervene and support staff to manage children’s behaviour and risks. Staff now use de-escalation and distraction techniques more to avoid an escalation of incidents. As part of the induction process for new night staff, they are now required to work during the day to enable the children to get to know them and for the staff to become familiar with the positive behaviour management strategies used in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff recruitment is ongoing. Two new night staff have been appointed since the last inspection. Furthermore, a new manager has been recruited and is due to start working at the home in early February 2023, pending satisfactory checks and references. Until then, the home will be managed by the deputy manager with the support of the responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have introduced processes to improve the monitoring of the quality of care provided in the home. However, due to the limited time these processes have been in place, they have not yet been embedded in day-to-day practice. Therefore, their effectiveness cannot be measured.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are working with their HR department to ensure that their whistle-blowing policy is amended to set out the procedures that staff must follow if any allegations are made against staff who are friends or family of the director. The final version of this document has not yet been agreed.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have ensured that any serious incidents are notified to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made good progress in meeting the compliance notices. Therefore, the compliance notices have been met. One of the recommendations raised at the full inspection has been met. No additional requirements or recommendations were raised from this monitoring visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2022 Full Inadequate 15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 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 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)) 15 January 2023

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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

promotes their welfare. 15 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 5 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

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)(h))

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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 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

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 15 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— 15 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 6 there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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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

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 31 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a home with another individual or other individuals, otherwise than in a partnership, if that individual and each other individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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

the individual is mentally and physically fit to carry on the home; and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is financially fit to carry on the home.

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; and 31 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 7 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of the matters in paragraphs 1 and 3 to 6 of Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a)(b)(c)(d) (6)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider’s company secretary or other company directors must provide Ofsted with a report demonstrating that they have fulfilled their statutory obligations to ensure that the nominated person is fit to be the responsible individual.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s 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 has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training to meet the needs of all the children living in the home. 31 December 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home produces a children’s guide which helps children to understand what the day-to-day routines of the home are and the care that they can expect to receive while they are living there. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 8  The registered person should assess and keep under review the practice of locking the lounge door at night. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2624855 9

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Inspectors

Aneta Wasilewska, Social Care Inspector Claire Beckingham, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2624855 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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