Children's Home run by Young Foundations Limited in Darlington

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 1 SC061439 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities and/or mental health disorders.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was completed in response to increased notifications from the provider to the regulator which raised concerns about poor safeguarding practice and children being at risk of harm. The visit was to establish whether the provider was taking effective action to minimise identified risks.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, serious concerns were established and, as a result, two compliance notices have been issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). The regulator will return at a later date to check the progress towards addressing these shortfalls. A requirement under regulation 14 (the care planning standard) was also made. An additional requirement raised during the full inspection on 4 and 5 October 2022 has not been reviewed at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a failure to suitably risk assess the needs of all children prior to children moving into the home. This means there is a lack of understanding and guidance for staff to help them to mitigate the children’s competing risks.

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This monitoring visit

When children move into the home, the necessary safeguards to protect them have not been put in place. Known risks increase because restrictions are relaxed and there is a lack of regular and effective monitoring from staff. As a result, one child has had significant exposure to sexual exploitation through the unsupervised use of her mobile phone. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 2 Staff do not adequately safeguard children from one another. Children have engaged in sexualised behaviours, and this has gone unchallenged by staff. One child is regularly hit and punched by another child during what is described as ‘play fighting’. Children are at risk of harm from these behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

There are insufficient staffing levels to meet the needs of the current children. This is despite the manager assessing that there should be one-to-one staffing for two of the three children. As a result, there has been a failure to de-escalate situations and manage children’s behaviours effectively. This has led to children becoming hurt and staff being physically assaulted and injured.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not had the relevant training to meet the children’s individual needs. As a result, some staff do not have the required skills and knowledge to provide good- quality, safe care to the children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2022 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Inadequate 28/09/2021 Full Good 27/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 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

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)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) * 29 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. 29 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)) *

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments consider the competing risks and needs of all children. 29 January 2023

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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)) 16 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through engagement with the home’s staff. In particular, a debrief with staff should take place following every serious incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)

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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: SC061439 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 7 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD

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Inspector

Emma Ridley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061439 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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