Three Gables

Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 1 SC065553 Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a local authority. The home provides care for up to four children who have emotional, behavioural and social needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced but is currently absent from the home. At the time of the inspection, the deputy manager was also absent from the home, and the home was being managed by an acting deputy manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Full Good 01/10/2019 Full Outstanding 13/09/2018 Full Outstanding 07/02/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 3

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inadequate

Overall, children’s experiences and progress are inadequate due to shortfalls in the protection of children and in the leadership and management of the home.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers do not provide consistent care for children. Children are cared for by different staff and there is an increase in the use of agency staff. One staff member said that they ‘have a lot of agency staff coming in, which is quite disruptive’ for the children.

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inadequate

One child has minimal education provision. There has been a lack of robust challenge to the local authority about this child’s education plans. Children are not supported with education-focused activities. A member of staff told the inspector that taking the children out of the home for activities has been difficult and said, ‘We do not have enough staff, due to staff sickness.’ As a result, children’s learning and development are being hampered.

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inadequate

Children are not cared for in a high-quality, homely environment. A child’s bedroom is in a poor condition and a state of disrepair. General maintenance around the home is not addressed in a timely manner. This has an impact on children’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth.

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inadequate

Staff do not help children to develop positive peer relationships. Children are not supported effectively by staff during times when they are struggling with their emotions. One staff member said they have some children in the home who they ‘don’t feel equipped for,’ in relation to staffing ratios. Children and staff are at an increased risk of physical harm.

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inadequate

Children’s wishes, feelings and views are not captured or recorded. This limits opportunities for children to have their voices heard in a manner that makes them feel valued.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Failures in safeguarding practices mean that children are not always safe. Staff members and children are not always protected when allegations are made. Appropriate and timely actions are not taken, which places children and staff at further risk of harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been several safeguarding incidents, some of which have not been reported to external professionals, including Ofsted. This has, at times, left children and staff vulnerable. Although staff have responded to incidents, they have not Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 4 always been able to ensure the safety of the children. Children have told staff they do not feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Risk assessments are clear and detailed. However, they are not always effective, used consistently or updated to reflect new safety concerns. Two members of staff raised a concern about safety when travelling in the car with children. One staff member said: ‘Staff fear for their own safety if they are lone driving with a young person.’ This is not reflected in the child’s risk assessment.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff are not always recruited safely. Their records are not always checked in relation to employment references, employment history and reasons for leaving their previous employment. This is in relation to agency staff and those working at the home from elsewhere within the organisation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The safety and welfare of children at the home have not been regularly reviewed by the organisation. When risks have developed, leaders have not responded in a timely way to minimise these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Registered persons have failed to put in place effective management and oversight of the home. At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was absent from work. The organisation failed to inform Ofsted of this in a timely way. The deputy manager was also absent from work. The acting deputy manager was provided with minimal support from senior management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders do not always consider children’s needs and behaviours when they plan for children’s care. This shortfall has left children and staff feeling unsafe. Staff told the inspector about their concerns in relation to care planning and one member of staff said, ‘We are having children come to live with us who have not been matched and have not had a transition plan.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A proper oversight of incidents cannot be obtained because the records are poor. A serious incident took place where children were utilising items from around the home as weapons. The recording of this incident lacked detail about how staff supported the children to reduce the risks to themselves and others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff members have not had the opportunity to meet with their manager in one-to-one supervision meetings. Gaps in supervision meetings have developed at a time when the staff need the support the most. Staff members have not had the opportunity to share concerns about practice with their supervisor or receive professional guidance to develop their care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are not held frequently, and staff attendance is poor. There is a lack of structure at the meetings and safeguarding of children is not always discussed. Reflective practice sessions have provided some support to staff in relation to children’s care. Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 5 The acting deputy manager recognises that staffing difficulties have an impact on the stability of care provided for children. One member of staff said about the acting deputy manager, ‘She is empathetic and calm in her approach.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 1(a) 2(b)(ii)(iii)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to improvements required in a child’s bedroom and general maintenance of the home being addressed without delay. 8 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 31 March 2023 Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the home having plans regarding the child’s education and structuring days for children not in schools so that they continue to learn.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; 31 March 2023 Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 8 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to staff ensuring they are familiar with the safe care plans in place to support children’s positive relationships between peers and with staff.

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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

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 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

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)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring staff are supported by effective management and oversight to ensure the safety and welfare of the children. 8 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 31 March 2023 Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 9 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that careful and considered decisions are made when admitting children into the home in relation to matching with the children already living there.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy of at least bi-monthly. 31 March 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; 31 March 2023 Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 10 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(e) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that Ofsted is notified of serious incidents If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence.

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Requirement Due date

If the absence arises as a result of an emergency or is unforeseen, the registered person must give notice of the absence—

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Requirement Due date

within one week of the beginning of the absence; and

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Requirement Due date

specifying the matters in paragraph (2)(b). (Regulation 48(1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person informing Ofsted of the registered manager’s absence. 31 March 2023

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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 children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 11 to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Offices, Matlock DE4 3AG

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Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065553 13 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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