Children's Home run by Acorn Norfolk Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 1 Registered provider: Acorn Norfolk 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 provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. It is operated by a national provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as the home in January 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is in the grounds of an independent school and seven other children’s homes all operated by the same national provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to address specific concerns received by Ofsted. The visit has identified several shortfalls that support these concerns. The identified shortfalls impact on children’s welfare and care.

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This monitoring visit

One child has medication prescribed for as and when this is needed. Managers have not provided clear guidance for staff on when this medication should be administered. The records indicate that staff are routinely administering this to the child. There are different understandings between managers about when the medication should be administered. There is conflicting information about the times and regularity of the medication in the child’s file. The home’s policy states that if the medication is given for five days in a row, GP advice should be sought. Managers do not know if this threshold has been met. Overall, there is lack of managerial oversight, risk assessment and guidance for staff in administering this medication. Consequently, the child is vulnerable to the misadministration of the medication.

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This monitoring visit

There have been three separate medication errors since the last inspection. The most recent error involved 12 staff administering out-of-date medication over a two- Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 2 week period. The subsequent management investigation identified actions designed to reduce the potential of this happening again. However, the investigation was limited in scope, seeking the views of only two of the 12 staff. The investigation failed to sufficiently consider why so many staff had made the same error. This has the potential to limit staff’s learning and therefore does not sufficiently reduce this risk.

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This monitoring visit

Managers permit staff to administer medication with managerial approval beforehand. Despite this, a record of managerial approval is not kept. This makes monitoring the staff and managerial compliance with this expectation difficult.

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This monitoring visit

One child has tried to leave the home and the wider site on several occasions. Management actions in response to this risk are not strong enough. Despite managers identifying the need to make changes to a door to reduce the risk of this occurring, this has yet to happen. On occasions, the child has made their way to the road outside the school. On at least one occasion, this has resulted in staff having to divert traffic to ensure that the child and the staff are safe. Despite the seriousness of the incident, managers did not notify Ofsted. The risk assessment for the child who has tried to leave the site is out of date; it does not include crucial elements and significantly underestimates the risk. This does not provide staff with the guidance that they need to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not always ensure that children are supervised by experienced staff. On one occasion, a child was being supervised during an outing by an inexperienced bank staff member and an agency worker on their first shift. This led to an incident resulting in a child hitting members of the public.

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This monitoring visit

The two requirements raised at the last full inspection have not been reviewed as part of this visit, and are restated. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any child who has ‘when required medication has a clear plan in place for its use, that the staff have clear guidance on why, when and how the medication should be administered, and that its use is risk assessed, monitored and reviewed regularly;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that assessments of risk are accurate, clear and up to date and include the particular risks relevant to the individual child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that when actions are identified as necessary to reduce risk, these actions are implemented promptly and effectively. 17 February 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. 17 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that all records contain accurate information and that team meeting minutes accurately reflect the discussions held at the meetings;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff know how and when to record when they have received an injury.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

ensure 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)(c)(h)) 17 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 6 The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 17 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure of restraint, 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

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; 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 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children and staff involved in a restraint are spoken to within the required time frame.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 17 February 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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 17 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 7

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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: 2638159 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Norfolk Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Kirsty Orton-Kabanzi

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2638159 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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