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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2680923 1 Willow Tree Children’s Services Ltd

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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

The home’s registration is currently suspended. The notice to suspend was imposed on 3 March 2023, following a monitoring visit that found significant regulatory breaches relating to the protection of children. The suspension expires on 25 May 2023. This visit was to monitor progress in meeting the regulatory breaches identified.

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This monitoring visit

There were no children living in the home at the time of this visit. The home does not have a manager or full staff team. Currently, there is a newly appointed deputy manager with experience of being a registered manager, a part-time member of staff, and one full-time member of staff, who started earlier in the month. There are six other staff, with varying experience, awaiting full pre-employment checks before they start working in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Investigations into the incident that prompted the monitoring visit on 3 March 2023 have been concluded by the local authority, substantiating the allegations made by a child. The responsible individual has completed their internal investigation but is yet to share this with the designated officer. There is concern that the two investigations have differing outcomes. The investigation into the actions of the former manager is currently on hold. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2680923 2 The three staff available on the day of the visit were clear on how to report safeguarding concerns within the organisation. Two were fully aware of the local authority’s role in protecting children and who to report concerns to. One was relatively new and still working through their training in this area.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoke confidently of their duty to ensure that children have their medical needs met and are safe when they may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Records for missing-from-home incidents and physical intervention now include prompts for staff to seek medical treatment if needed.

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This monitoring visit

Managers in the home demonstrated their knowledge of events that would require a notification to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The deputy manager and responsible individual are clear on how to respond if a child is missing from the home. Records of an incident of a child going missing on 4 March 2023 show a coordinated approach to following the child and disrupting his plans. The documents for when children are missing have been revised.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible induvial has devised several new monitoring systems. While they appear to be repetitive at times, the responsible individual is clear on how they lead to greater oversight at all management levels.

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This monitoring visit

The review of children’s plans has led to various changes. Pre-placement information should lead to an understanding of children’s backgrounds. Remodelled impact assessments and forms to ensure that all key information is sought prior to placement are also now in place. Staff are practising with the new electronic recording system. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2680923 3

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Inspection judgement

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 with 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

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

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)) 15 May 2023

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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; 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2680923 5 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;

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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))

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 15 May 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;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2680923 6 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))

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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

Jennie Christopher, 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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