Children's Home run by BTTLR Limited in West Northamptonshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 1 Registered provider: BTTLR LIMITED

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to provide care for one child who requires support with their social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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Inspection date: 20 February 2024

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 5 and 6 June 2023. Serious and widespread failures were identified in the leadership and management of the home and the protection of children. This resulted in Ofsted issuing a restriction of accommodation notice.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 31 August 2023, Ofsted issued a second notice restricting accommodation, to prevent any new children being admitted to the home. During a monitoring visit on 5 October 2023, adequate improvements were found and the notice restricting accommodation was lifted.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

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. They did not have any previous leadership experience in children’s residential care to draw on. The nominated responsible individual had failed to successfully challenge poor practice of previous managers in the setting. This contributed to long periods without a registered manager between January 2022 and October 2023. This regulatory breach of Regulation 26 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 resulted in a compliance notice being issued on 9 October 2023. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 2 A remote monitoring visit on 20 November 2023 established that this compliance

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

notice had not been complied with. The responsible individual had made some progress in recruiting a new responsible individual but had not yet carried out the required safer recruitment checks. The responsible individual was of the view that she required more time to fulfil the compliance notice. The notice was therefore issued again on 27 November 2023.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 3

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

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 management of the home. Ofsted has scheduled a suitable person interview with the newly appointed responsible individual on 12 March 2024.

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Findings from the inspection

The home was without a registered manager between January 2022 and October 2023. A new manager commenced work on 28 June 2023 and was registered with Ofsted on 6 October 2023. He is the registered manager for this home and another home run by the same organisation. The manager is sufficiently qualified and experienced.

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Findings from the inspection

No children have lived at the home since the last inspection and there have been no staff working at the home. The organisation is developing an action plan to share with Ofsted that will outline their business plan for this home. There are no immediate plans to welcome a child to the home. A refurbishment is underway while the home is empty.

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Findings from the inspection

Progress against the requirements made at the full inspection in June 2023 was not reviewed at this assurance inspection, and will be considered at the next inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Inadequate 12/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/05/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 5

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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 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; and

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))(b)(e)) 29 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 6 This is with specific reference to staff understanding and following children’s risk assessments and care plans in relation to known safeguarding risks. It also relates to ineffective safeguarding practices when the child was being cared for away from the children’s home.

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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

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)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there is an appropriate skill mix within the staff team, including staff who are qualified and experienced to work with children. It also relates to a lack of robust managerial monitoring and review systems, which impacts on the quality of children’s care. 29 March 2024

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 29 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)) 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.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; 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)(b)(c)) 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

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)) 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 29 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 8 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; and

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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; and

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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)(iv)) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 9

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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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2556338 10 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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Inspector

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