Children's Home run by Hampshire County Council in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 1 SC033174 Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

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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 operated by a local authority. The home is registered to care for up to four children. At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since March 2021.

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This monitoring visit

A restriction of accommodation notice issued following a monitoring visit on 14 December 2022 was reissued following a further visit on 1 March 2023. At a case review following a full inspection on 23 and 24 May 2023, it was agreed that the restriction of accommodation notice would remain in place. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review that notice.

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This monitoring visit

There has been some progress in relation to the quality of care being provided to the child. The child has spent more quality time with staff, including enjoying some day trips out with them. Consequently, relationships between the child and the staff have improved, the frequency of missing-from-care episodes has reduced and there has been a reduction in the number of incidents which result in physical restraint. Additionally, the child has been able to spend an increased amount of time with their family.

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This monitoring visit

Staff ensure that the child receives professional support to improve their physical and mental health. Managers advocate effectively for the child to ensure that they are accessing the resources and support that they need.

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This monitoring visit

There are detailed risk assessments in place which provide staff with information about how to support the child to stay safe. However, on one occasion, a staff member failed to follow the child’s risk assessment. The child was given Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 2 unsupervised access to an item that was unsafe for them due to self-harming behaviour. The manager did not respond robustly enough to ensure that there was learning from this incident and to reduce the risk of a recurrence.

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This monitoring visit

On occasions, there have been delays between serious events occurring and Ofsted being notified. This limits the regulator’s ability to monitor managers’ response to incidents which have placed children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is receiving mentoring and support from a senior manager. There is an action plan in place with the intention of continuing to improve the quality of care being provided to the child. However, during the visit, inspectors found shortfalls in the manager’s knowledge, skills and experience to ensure the safety and well-being of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the thorough induction, staff who have recently been recruited are not yet confident in their roles and responsibilities in relation to caring for the child and keeping them safe. Additionally, there continue to be a significant number of staff vacancies. There is a reliance on the use of agency staff to ensure that the staffing ratio is sufficient to meet the needs of the child. As a result, the home is not yet ready to care for more than one child.

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This monitoring visit

The improvements noted during the visit indicate early positives, but these are not yet embedded and so the impact is not fully known. The requirements made at the previous monitoring visit are restated and there is an additional requirement about the management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

At a case review following this visit, it was agreed that the restriction of accommodation notice will remain in place. Ofsted will issue a notice of proposal to vary the home’s conditions of registration and reduce the number of registered places to one. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2023 Full Inadequate 02/08/2022 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Inadequate 26/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 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, The 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 enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 31 August 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— that staff—

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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

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

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 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(b)) 31 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 5 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

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)) 31 August 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

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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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; 31 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 6 help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(iv)(v) (3)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 30 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i)) 1 September 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: SC033174 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, Elizabeth II Court North, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8UG

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Inspectors

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Ashley Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC033174 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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