Children's Home run by Berry Gifford Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 1 Registered provider: Berry Gifford 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 privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted. They were not present during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, no children were living at this home.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged to have serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at the assurance visit that took place on 2 November 2023. A notice restricting the accommodation of children at the home was issued.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, it was identified that the organisation has ensured compliance with the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual acknowledges that improvements are required to improve the care practice of staff. Leaders and managers understand the areas that require improvement. They have implemented an action plan to address these areas and make the required changes. These processes are not yet embedded, and during the inspection, it was not evident that the care practice of staff has improved sufficiently.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and management’s monitoring and oversight are not yet effective. Since the last inspection, there has been a lack of management oversight. The responsible individual has implemented systems to ensure that he has improved oversight of the manager’s practice. However, he was not aware of flaws in this monitoring that would impact his ability to have the required oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff have not been provided with good-quality supervision or team meetings. Senior staff have been informed that they would provide supervision to less experienced colleagues; however, details have not been Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 2 provided to them. This does not equip the staff with the knowledge and skills required to learn from incidents and prevent recurrence so that staff are able to meet children’s needs and keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

The safer recruitment procedures for new staff continue to be an area of concern. This process is not yet robust and rigorous. The statement of purpose sets out that two members of staff are also recruited to work at more than one home. It was identified that managers have not implemented a risk assessment for a staff member in post while they await relevant checks to be completed. As a result, Ofsted cannot be assured that staff are safe to work with children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff development has improved. Since the last inspection, all staff have received mandatory training, and dates have been arranged for outstanding training to be completed. The registered individual identified that staff required additional support and monitoring. There are plans in place for the registered manager to complete weekly audits of medicines and for an internal manager to complete monthly audits. Dates for when this will commence have not been identified.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that safeguarding concerns have been reported to Ofsted. This enables the regulator to monitor the care being provided and the safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, the requirements and recommendation made at the last inspection were not reviewed. Actions to address requirements will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that all children have a plan that staff can work to, to ensure that children are helped and protected and their welfare is promoted at all times.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 25 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 5 understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that children receive support to enable them to have their health needs met.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and 25 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 6 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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that: whistle-blowing concerns are responded to; records of incidents are clear and demonstrate management oversight; staff are knowledgeable about risks to children or skilled in dealing with inappropriate and risky behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that systems are in place for the administration of medicines, children are supported to understand appropriate relationships, staff understand their roles to keep children safe and staff have the required training to understand the missing-from-care procedures.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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; 25 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 7 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that leaders and managers have effective oversight, records reflect children’s current needs and risks, staff have the training and skills to meet children’s individual needs and good recruitment procedures are in place.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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: 2695482 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Mercury Park, Amber Close, Tamworth B77 4RP

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Inspectors

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Mrs Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2695482 9 regulates and inspects 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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