Children's Home run by Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 1 Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd

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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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager position has been vacant since 22 November 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 4 and 5 April 2023. Following the inspection, Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation to safeguarding children, and leadership and management. A restriction of accommodation notice was also issued. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to ascertain if the compliance actions have been met and the restriction notice is being adhered to.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is complying with the restriction notice. No children have been admitted to the home in the period since the full inspection. The restriction notice has now been lifted because of the progress made in relation to previous shortfalls. The actions required in the compliance notices have been met and are no longer in place.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments have been reviewed by managers. There is an overview of risk in each child’s support plan. Risks that are identified as medium or high have a more detailed assessment. Staff training has involved discussions about risks to children. This is helping staff to recognise children’s risks and how to respond to them.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have devised a new care plan format for each child which is easier to read. They inform staff of the child’s routines and how they should be supported. This ensures that children’s needs are better met. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 2 Staff’s recording of incidents has improved. There is more detail about what caused the incident and what happened. There is evidence of debriefs with children and staff following incidents. Managers have added comments to records to evidence their oversight of any incidents. Managers are better aware of incidents and can support staff to respond to children in different ways.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a further incident regarding the administration of medication, but managers have responded well to learn lessons and reduce the chances of this happening again. Changes have been made to where medication is stored and how it is given to children. Managers have ensured that staff know the revised arrangements and the new policy regarding medication administration. This has prevented any further incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have provided an induction to all staff who have started since the last inspection. This has included training and shadowing more experienced staff. Staff have also attended training in de-escalation and physical intervention. New staff feel more supported and confident.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not provided regular one-to-one supervision meetings with all staff. Some staff are supervised by a consultant who does not work in the home. The consultant is not always aware of issues at the home. Therefore, some staff are not getting the opportunity to fully reflect on their practice and develop.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have put systems in place to ensure they have better oversight of staff practice. This includes the use of daily, weekly and monthly checklists. Managers also record their oversight of incidents. This has meant that managers have a clearer understanding of the care provided to children. It has also ensured that notifications and reports have been sent to Ofsted in line with legislation.

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This monitoring visit

The statutory requirements set at the full inspection have not been considered at this monitoring visit and so they remain in place. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/04/2023 Full Inadequate 19/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 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; and

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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

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)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that damage to the home is repaired quickly to keep children safe and promote privacy and confidentiality. 23 June 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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 23 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 5 support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that the home has plans regarding children’s education and that days are structured for children who are not in school, college or employment 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— 23 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 6 that staff—

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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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that staff have the skills to address children’s behaviour and are consistent in doing so, and that positive relationships are built between staff and children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all medication is safely stored, safely administered in line, with the home’s policy and clearly recorded with the reasons for gaps clearly explained. 23 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 7 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy and being led by an appropriately experienced person who has a day-to-day understanding of this home. 23 June 2023

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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: 2625585 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barratt House Office G3a, Kingsthorpe Road, Northampton NN2 6EZ

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Inspectors

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Mrs Alli Tandy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2625585 9 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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