Children's Home run by BTTLR Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 1 BTTLR Limited

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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 and provides care for up to two children who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 2023. He is suitably qualified and experienced.

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This monitoring visit

During a suitable person interview on 4 August 2023 with the nominated responsible individual, it became Ofsted’s view that the responsible individual did not have the capacity, experience or skills to supervise the management of the home. The nominated responsible individual had not worked in or managed a children’s home before. They did not have any previous leadership experience in children’s residential care to draw on. The nominated responsible individual had failed to challenge the poor practice of previously employed managers in other settings. This contributed to long periods of time without a registered manager between March 2022 and October 2023. This regulatory breach of regulation 26 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 resulted in the issuing of a compliance notice on 23 October 2023. A monitoring visit on 20 November 2023 established that this compliance notice had not been complied with.

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This monitoring visit

At that monitoring visit, it was found that leaders had made some progress in recruiting a new responsible individual but had not yet completed the required safe recruitment checks. Leaders were of the view that they required more time to meet the compliance notice. This was therefore issued again on 27 November 2023.

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This monitoring visit

A suitably qualified and experienced responsible individual has now been recruited. They commenced in post on 1 February 2024. They have demonstrated to the provider that they have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 2 management of the homes for which they have been nominated. Ofsted has scheduled a suitable person interview with the newly appointed responsible individual on 12 March 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the last inspection on 23 January 2024. As a result, a restriction of accommodation notice was issued to the provider on 26 January 2024, preventing further admissions to the home. There were no children living at the home at the time of this monitoring visit. The provider is complying with the notice issued. A further monitoring visit will take place within the restriction period to ensure continued compliance with the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

Progress against the requirements made at the full inspection in January 2024 was not reviewed at this monitoring visit, and will be considered at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Inadequate 03/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care.

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff building trusted relationships effectively with children in their care, taking into consideration the child’s views about such care. This also relates to the effective handling of children’s complaints. 29 March 2024

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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— 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 5 mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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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

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff recognising and understanding reasons for children’s behaviour, and how previous traumatic experiences impact on such behaviour. This also relates to effective behaviour management using skills of resolving conflict and reducing violence. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 6 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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff being prepared and supported to respond to any incidents of challenging or unsafe behaviour. It also relates to ensuring that staff have an understanding of their own safeguarding responsibilities and their duty to act on these when concerns arise. It also relates to having effective risk assessments as safeguarding tools and to staff 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 7 ensuring that these are adhered to. It also relates to the home environment and making this as safe as possible.

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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;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(i)(ii)(h)) 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 8 This is in relation to sufficiency and quality of staff and leaders ensuring that care is delivered in line with the home’s statement of purpose. It also relates to the experience and qualifications of staff, and ensuring that these are sufficient to provide the necessary care for the children placed in the home. It also relates to auditing and monitoring systems needed to understand the impact of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 29 March 2024

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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. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all records relating to safe administration of medication, including risk assessments and care plans, are accurate and current for each child. It also relates to ensuring that staff have received adequate training in respect of such tasks and that competency checks are undertaken regularly. 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 9 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)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to having an effective and understood policy in the event of an allegation against an adult who works in the home. 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 10 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to effective and accurate record-keeping of any measures of restraint used in the home.

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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. 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 11 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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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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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: 2592228 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 3, Ground Floor, Michael Way, Raunds, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN9 6GR

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Inspector

Rachael Sprigg, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592228 13 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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