Children's home run by Willow Tree Children’s Services Ltd

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 1 Registered provider: Willow Tree Children’s Services 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 operated by a private provider and is registered to care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. It is set in a semi-rural location near a major town.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2023.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out due to new concerns relating to the management of incidents. Following the visit, the provider was issued with a notice suspending their registration to operate a children’s home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff do not know how to respond effectively when an allegation is made by a child. Furthermore, there are gaps in staff training, children’s plans lack direction for staff to follow and staff are unable to explain how to raise safeguarding concerns externally.

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This monitoring visit

This lack of safeguarding knowledge has contributed to children being placed at risk of harm. For instance, there has been a poor response when a child reported an allegation to the manager. The incident, which relates to the allegation, was also witnessed by an agency staff member. The allegation was not reported in line with safeguarding procedures. Consequently, there was a delay in the allegation being reported to the local authority designated officer, and Ofsted was not informed. This left external professionals unable to make an informed judgement and take effective action about these concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff have failed to take immediate action to keep children safe from harm. For example, the child who made the allegation was not offered medical attention following the incident. Additionally, the staff member who was alleged to have harmed the child remained working at the home. The responsible individual Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 2 failed to take effective action when they were made aware of the poor management of the allegation and the serious incident to which it related.

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This monitoring visit

Children do not receive the care and support they need to be kept safe and feel valued. For example, when children went missing from the home, staff did not check on the children’s well-being when they returned to the home. One child presented as unwell, and staff did not seek medical advice for the child. Following a fall, the child was admitted to hospital. The manager and staff showed a lack of professional curiosity in relation to this incident and in ensuring the welfare of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have not ensured that the systems in place for when disclosures of harm are made by children work. For example, the addition of waking night staff to further support children has lacked oversight from leaders. As a result, leaders are unable to fully satisfy themselves that children feel and are safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff sufficiency and recruitment difficulties have a detrimental impact on the care children receive. For instance, one child attended a medical appointment with their social worker and personal advisor due to there being insufficient staff available to support the child with the visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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 (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) 14 April 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— 14 April 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 5 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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 (2)(h))

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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)) 14 April 2023

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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

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— 14 April 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 6 provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv))

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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: 2680923 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Willow Tree Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Matt Nicholls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2680923 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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