Purple Heart Project - Children's Services

Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 1 Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services VKYB Enterprises Limited St. Chads Vicarage, Ragpath Lane, Stockton-on-Tees TS19 9JN Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This service is privately run and is registered to provide parenting assessments for up to three families. At the time of this inspection, two families were living at the centre.

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Information about this residential family centre

The registered manager has been in post since the registration of this service in August 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and parents are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 26 July 2022

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This residential family centre was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 26 and 27 July 2022. There were significant shortfalls in the assessment and safety for children and parents, and in the leadership and management of the centre. These shortfalls placed families at serious risk of harm. As a result of that inspection, Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 2 Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and two compliance notices under regulations 11 and 13.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit on 7 September 2022 to review the actions taken to address the steps detailed in the compliance notices and the notice restricting accommodation. The inspectors concluded from this visit that steps set in the compliance notice regarding regulation 13 were not fully met. This notice was reissued. The notice restricting accommodation remained in place at that time.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted carried out a further monitoring visit on 10 October 2022. The inspector concluded from this visit that all the steps set in the compliance notice regarding regulation 13 had been met. The notice restricting accommodation expired on 23 October 2022. Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Inspectors found significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the centre and in the safety and placement for children and parents. These shortfalls put families at serious risk of harm. Ofsted has issued an immediate notice suspending accommodation and five compliance notices as a result of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Assessments are not carried out or quality assured by a registered social worker in a manner that is consistent with guidance in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018’. The assessments submitted to the placing local authorities continue to lack sufficient detail. Assessments fail to draw on the family’s historical evidence, patterns of behaviour and parental commitment to change. This means that families do not receive a robust, fair and evidence-based assessment. This shortfall was also raised by inspectors at the previous full inspection. Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to improve this area of practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The statement of purpose contains inaccurate information to the agencies looking to commission this service. The document states that a registered and qualified social worker completes and signs off on court assessments. Authorities are using these assessments to make life impacting decisions for children and families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Family support plans do not provide staff with clear guidance about the level of supervision that families require. Support plan reviews fail to report and reflect on changes to supervision levels, including the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring. This means that staff do not have up-to-date information about children and families’ risks and vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The manager has failed to maintain boundaries and parameters around the service offer. One family remains living in this centre despite the end of placement assessment being completed with a conclusion of the mother and baby leaving the centre together. This family has lived in the centre for twenty-nine weeks, this is an oppressive environment where the family continues to be observed and their movement restricted. This shortfall was also raised by inspectors at the previous full inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The centre is not consistently maintained to protect children and parents from potential hazards. Generally, the environment meets the needs of the families, but one room within the centre is being used as a storage area, with items that could unintentionally fall or be pulled on to a child. Additionally, a patch of black mould had formed on the bathroom ceiling, this was cleaned away once identified by inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Families have moved into and out of the centre. However, the manager has routinely failed to accurately record necessary details about the admission and discharge of parents and children. This shortfall was also raised by inspectors at the previous full Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 4 inspection and means that the centre does not retain an accurate record of the families they have worked with for future references.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Child protection concerns are not responded to effectively. When a serious incident occurred and a baby had been harmed, staff did not take immediate steps to safeguard the baby. The baby was left in the parent’s care despite the risks increasing. In addition, when a parent reported safeguarding concerns about the welfare of another baby in the centre, the manager failed to fully investigate or document the action taken. The manager did not to make a child protection referral or inform relevant professionals.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff are not provided with the advice and practice guidance to ensure that they assess risk and take necessary steps to safeguard children. The manager and the staff have not confidently or competently recognised and responded to incidents when a baby was at risk of harm. The delay in responding has resulted in a baby not being effectively safeguarded.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Revised safeguarding policies and procedures do not provide staff with the necessary guidance to identify and respond to safety and welfare concerns about children and families. The leadership team do not provide the staff with clear instruction about the protection of children .

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Families have not been monitored sufficiently. The surveillance policy does not provide staff with the necessary guidance on practice and recording expectations. As a result, staff monitoring and recording of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage is inconsistent and not in accordance with each family’s needs.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

There are insufficient staffing levels to provide the required supervision for families. There are numerous occasions when one member of staff was responsible for monitoring three families during the night. This is unsafe practice as two of the families needed constant 24 hour supervision. A significant safeguarding incident occurred on one night when a staff member was lone working and a baby suffered harm .

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Insufficient staffing levels compromise the welfare of families. The manager has placed families in the centre, knowing that parents have specific medical conditions that may require the staff to provide additional support. Lone night working arrangements do not allow staff to provider this additional support if required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight and scrutiny in the centre is ineffective. The manager does not demonstrate the necessary professional curiosity and insight into child protection issues or signs of abuse. The manager’s lack of oversight and reflection of significant records, for example, body maps for babies and incident reports, impact on the Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 5 overarching insight into the experiences of families, in particular the protection of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant shortfalls in staff responses to child protection concerns. When a serious incident occurred and a baby had been harmed, staff did not take immediate steps to safeguard the baby. The baby was left in the parent’s care despite the risks increasing. Shortfalls in staff practice and conduct impact on the safety and welfare of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The centre does not operate in line with the ethos of the statement of purpose. Staff do not adhere to professional expectations and good conduct. This blurs boundaries. The manager’s response to poor practice is not evident within staff records and she does not implement any plan to better provide staff with clear guidelines of expected behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The centres statement of purpose does not detail the supervision arrangements for staff. Inspectors could find no evidence that formal supervision sessions are routinely undertaken with staff or that their performance is formally reviewed annually.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not follow safer recruitment practices. The recruitment file of the recently appointed social worker had evident gaps, including an incomplete application form, limited employment history, no proof of qualification or relevant check with the registered professional body. The manager and responsible individual provided conflicting information about the current recruitment of the social worker. This shortfall was also raised by inspectors at the previous full inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has completed a quality of care review report. However, this report is not an accurate reflection of the service and does not include any consultation with the staff team. Furthermore, the manager had failed to ensure continued improvements since the last inspection. Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 6

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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, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

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Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated, of any allegations of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response; and

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given in each case to the measures which may be necessary to protect children in the residential family centre following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 12 (1)(a) (2)(b)(d)(e)) 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that the parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

The methods of assessment or monitoring must be capable of evaluating the parents’ capacity to change.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that conclusions or recommendations are made as a result of the assessment or monitoring and that— 19 March 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 7 such conclusions or recommendations are objective and based on verifiable evidence. (Regulation 13 A (1) (3) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall ensure that there is, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose of the residential family centre, its size and the numbers and needs of its residents; and

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents,

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Requirement Due date

a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Regulation 15 (a)(b)) 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse of a child accommodated in the residential family centre to an appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal; and (Regulation 17 (2)(b) (5)(a)) 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

*Subject to paragraph (6) and any requirements for electronic monitoring imposed by a court under any enactment, the registered person must ensure that electronic or mechanical monitoring devices for the surveillance of residents are not used in a residential family centre, except for the purpose of—

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Requirement Due date

safeguarding their welfare, or that of other residents accommodated in the centre.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff at the residential family centre are appropriately trained and understand the requirements imposed by this regulation before they use any such devices. (Regulation 21A (1)(a) (4)) 19 March 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 8 The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as “the statement of purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 4 (1)) 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

all parts of the residential family centre to which residents have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their safety. (Regulation 11 (4)(a)) 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

employ a person to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2. (Regulation 16 (1)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is outstanding from the inspection in July 2022. 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Requirement Due date

includes the information, documents and other records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the members of the family; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person shall also maintain the records specified in Schedule 4 in respect of the residential family centre. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)(b) (3)) 19 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

improving, 19 March 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 9 the quality of care provided at the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (1) must provide for adequate consideration of matters raised under regulation 18 by persons working at the residential family centre. (Regulation 23 (1)(a) [1A])

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that families receive a robust, fair and evidence-based assessments that is carried out by a registered social worker in a manner consistent with guidance in Working Together to Safeguard Children. (Residential Family Centre National Minimum Standards 1.2)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and parents using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 1

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: VKYB Enterprises Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: St. Chads Vicarage, Ragpath Lane, Stockton-on- Tees TS19 9JN

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Residential family centre details

Email address: admin@purpleheartproject.co.uk

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Inspectors

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Catherine Heron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Purple Heart Project – Children’s Services 1 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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