Children's Home run by ARGF Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 1 Registered provider: ARGF Limited

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Full inspection 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 3 children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 3

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improvement to be good

Children like living at this home. There are good relationships between staff and children. They like spending time with staff and enjoy activities. Staff support children to personalise their bedrooms. There is ongoing development to the home which will benefit children and staff.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are detailed and clearly written. They are individual to each child and address their needs and how staff will support the child. However, the manager does not ensure that staff always follow these plans.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to make good progress with their education. All children are attending education provisions and some are sitting exams. This is particularly good for children that have been out of education for a long time.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to remain physically and mentally healthy. This includes registering with medical professionals and supporting children to attend appointments. Some activities involve exercise and children are encouraged to eat healthily. However, some children smoke, use vapes and illegal substances. Also, staff have not been proactive in ensuring that children are protected from extreme weather.

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improvement to be good

Staff hold one-to-one sessions with children. They are individual to each child and take place regularly. However, they are not always recorded well. They also do not always relate to the children’s needs as identified in their plans.

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improvement to be good

The manager has ensured that children’s risk assessments are clearly written and specific to each child. However, staff do not have conversations with children to help them understand known risks. The manager and staff do not explore additional risks when incidents have occurred. As a result, staff do not always recognise risks to children.

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improvement to be good

When children make allegations, the manager determines the risk. A child’s support plan identifies allegations as a high risk. However, recorded allegations do not evidence this. There has been no escalation to safeguarding professionals.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that all staff receive training in physical intervention. At times this has meant only one of the staff caring for the children has completed the training. Meetings are not always held with staff and children following incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 4 Therefore, children are not supported to understand unwanted behaviour and learn different responses.

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improvement to be good

Risks in the local area are identified by the manager. The support children should receive from staff regarding these risks are recorded. However, this work has not always been completed. For example, the assessment refers to a local lake. Sessions with children on the dangers around water were to be held. This has not been completed with any of the children.

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improvement to be good

Concerns from children and family members have not always been responded to as complaints. This does not show that the manager or responsible individual takes the concerns seriously.

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improvement to be good

Children do not go missing from the home. There are plans and procedures in place for if this should happen. The manager works with the police lead for missing children. This includes training to staff.

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improvement to be good

The manager has ensured that safe recruitment processes are in place. These are used when staff join the team.

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good

Staff like working at the home. They feel well supported by the manager and deputy manager. They say they can discuss things with them both. Staff feel able to approach the managers with any concerns.

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good

The responsible individual does not evidence good oversight of the home. The manager does not receive supervision each month. Sessions that are held do not record oversight of the manager’s work. Areas of good practice and improvements required are not identified.

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good

The manager has not ensured that staff are supervised in line with the providers policy of once a month. One member of staff had not received supervision for several months. As a result, issues regarding practice had not been addressed.

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good

The manager holds a meeting with the staff team each month. However, minutes are brief and do not always record discussions from agenda items. Therefore, staff who could not attend the meeting are unable to benefit from any learning and development.

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good

There are gaps in manager and staff recording. Some of the language used in records is not helpful to the children. This has been recognised and additional training provided. However, the records remain a weak area of practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 5 The responsible individual and manager do not effectively use quality assurance processes. Therefore, the shortfalls in practice have not been recognised and responded to.

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good

The manager ensures that all staff receive a comprehensive induction to the home. This includes face to face and online training. Staff feel this provides a good start to working with the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 6

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff supporting children to understand risks. Also, staff having the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm and being confident in challenging and dealing with inappropriate and risky behaviour. 19 July 2024

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(h)) 19 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 7 This particularly refers to the registered manager and responsible individual using systems to ensure that all aspects of children’s care are monitored.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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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 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff following the ways of working identified in the care plan and behaviour support plan. 19 July 2024

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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)(b)(i)(ii) and (c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to debriefs being held and recorded with staff and children. 19 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring records are clear and detailed and written in a way that is helpful to the child. 19 July 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; 19 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 8 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))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the responsible individual and registered manager delivering supervisions in line with the home’s policy.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This 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’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 29, Corby Enterprise Centre, London Road, Priors Hall, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 5EU

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Inspectors

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 10 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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