Children's Home run by DOONAMIS LIMITED in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 1 Registered provider: Doonamis Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private company and provides care for up to three children. It provides emergency and short-term to long-term care for children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home registered in September 2022.

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This monitoring visit

There were two children living in the home at the time of this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

On 26 January 2023, Ofsted served two compliance notices and a restriction of accommodation notice. The compliance notices were in relation to the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. This visit took place to assess the action that leaders and managers have taken in response to the serious shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has complied with the restriction of accommodation. No new children have moved into the home since the restriction of accommodation notice was served.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made some progress in responding to the concerns outlined in the compliance notices. However, they have not yet taken enough action to address all the shortfalls identified. Consequently, the provider has not met the compliance notices. Ofsted has served two further compliance notices and the restriction of accommodation will remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are still of poor quality, with insufficient detail. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that these have been updated following incidents. A Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 2 failure to ensure that risk assessments are updated with children’s current and presenting risks compromises the staff’s ability to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers previously failed to assess the needs of a child moving into the home. They have failed to take action to address this shortfall. There has been no further work done to develop the guidance to assess risks when arranging for children to move into the home. The failure to ensure children are appropriately assessed means that the previously identified risk to children remains.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s monitoring has failed to identify ongoing weaknesses in the quality of risk assessments, behaviour plans and health plans. Inadequate monitoring and management oversight mean that staff are not receiving appropriate written guidance and support. This has led to continued shortfalls and a failure to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that children’s health plans contain sufficient detail. Consequently, these plans do not support staff to understand children’s health needs or guide them in how to manage those needs.

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This monitoring visit

No new staff have been employed at the home, therefore, it has not been possible to assess if safer recruitment practices are being used when employing staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made some improvements. Staff gather children’s views, wishes and feelings through informal conversations, regular house meetings and discussions. This means that children feel heard and know that their wishes and feelings are important to staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers no longer carry out random room searches. Staff only search the children’s rooms if there is a safeguarding or welfare concern. A child said that this change means they feel that staff now respect their personal space.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual and the manager have refreshed their safeguarding training and attended training for designated safeguarding leads. Senior managers reported a safeguarding concern appropriately to the local authority designated officer and Ofsted. The staff team has attended refresher safeguarding training and policies have been updated. As a result, the staff have an improved understanding of how to safeguard children and clearer guidance on who to report concerns to.

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This monitoring visit

The records of children missing from care have improved. Staff now record the conversations they have had with children about where they have been and what has happened during the time that they have been missing. This shows that staff are beginning to use professional curiosity to better understand risks and how to keep children safer in the future. Children are now offered the option to speak to an independent person on their return. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that assessments of risk are accurate, clear, up to date and identify relevant information, allowing staff to manage risks and help children to understand risks and improve their own safety;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that clear plans and guidance are in place to carefully consider children’s risks and behaviours when arranging the placement of children in the home. 31 March 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. 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 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;

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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)(f)(h))

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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;

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 March 2023

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 6 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2672782 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 117 Kingfisher Close, Shoeburyness, Southend-on- Sea SS3 9YB

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672782 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 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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