Children's home run by Utopia Supported Housing

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 1 Registered Provider: Utopia Supported Housing

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to six children with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left their post. The provider is currently going through the recruitment process to appoint a new manager.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last full inspection on 22 and 23 April 2024, all the children have moved on from the home. One child moved the day after the inspection and the staff noted an immediate change in the dynamics in the home. Children became more engaged and restored relationships with the staff. They have enjoyed taking part in activities and had some shared experiences together.

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This monitoring visit

The staff feel that there has been a positive change in the team and the senior leadership since the last inspection. The staff feel supported and well led.

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This monitoring visit

Changes have been made to the admissions processes when referrals for children are made. These include the introduction of a new risk assessment to assess if children will be able to suitably live alongside each other. Consideration is given to all risks and ensuring that sufficient information is made available from the child’s placing local authority to inform care planning for children.

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This monitoring visit

Processes have been implemented to ensure that staff are safely recruited. Furthermore, there is support from an external human resources contractor to provide additional guidance and auditing for records. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 2 Senior leaders have identified gaps in staff skills and experience and implemented a training plan to address the shortfalls, which is currently being delivered to all staff. This includes refresher safeguarding training to ensure that all staff have a suitable first-aid qualification, and development for senior leaders in safer recruitment and monitoring processes.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has developed the internal recording system to ensure that the correct records are completed following the use of any consequences and physical interventions. Since the last inspection, there have not been any consequences or physical interventions used by staff to support children. However, the staff have been supported to attend refresher training to ensure that they understand the thresholds for their use and the procedures in place to support the children and staff following any incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The home is currently being redecorated and new furniture is in place. There are still outstanding repairs required in some bedrooms to ensure that these are suitable for children. This is being completed as part of a planned overhaul to the aesthetics of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has removed all internal monitoring and surveillance cameras and has ensured that processes are in place to seek consent for their use from others should this be needed.

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This monitoring visit

The senior management team has ensured that any new notifications required under the regulations regarding serious incidents have been reported to the relevant local authorities and Ofsted. Furthermore, monitoring systems have been implemented to ensure that there is sufficient management oversight of notifiable events and that senior leaders take accountability to ensure that this is completed when required.

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This monitoring visit

New measures have been introduced to ensure that children have support from staff to lead a healthy lifestyle and understand their health needs. The staff have received additional training around the processes relating to children’s medicines, health planning, and providing children with a healthy and nutritious diet.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has updated the home’s statement of purpose and sent this to the regulator.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders have taken action to review some of the allegations and complaints made by children, and reviewed the outcomes following poor safeguarding practice during the previous investigation processes. However, there are some allegations and complaints identified at the last inspection that have still not been reported to the local authority safeguarding team or the regulator. Nor have they been explored to ensure that a thorough investigation has been completed where required.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders have not reviewed all children’s risk and care planning to ensure that there is effective risk mitigation in place. Furthermore, they have failed to undertake Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 3 a full review of risk management arrangements to ensure that these are effective. Therefore, the registered provider has failed to carry out some of the steps in the compliance notice issued under regulation 12 and this has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider was required to undertake a full review of the home’s current monitoring systems, identify any gaps, and produce an action plan to address these. While there is an action plan in place, the provider was unable to demonstrate how they reviewed current monitoring systems to ensure that the action plan would address any identified shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has identified who will be responsible for the management and oversight of the home. However, they not yet demonstrated how they have assessed that those who are responsible for the management and oversight of the home have the skills and experience necessary to undertake this role. Therefore, the registered provider has failed to carry out some of the steps in the compliance notice issued under regulation 13 and this has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Not all of the requirements made at the last inspection were looked at during this monitoring visit and some have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/04/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 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 with 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

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

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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

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

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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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 6 *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

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)(b) (2)(h)) 7 July 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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all staff, including agency staff, are suitably vetted, and safer recruitment processes are in place and staff work within the remits of their work permits. 30 June 2024

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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

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— 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 7 ensure that staff—

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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. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that children’s views and wishes are listened to regarding their quality of care, and that children understand how they can share their feelings to feel listened to.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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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: 2748091 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Utopia Supported Housing

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: English Room, Old Free School, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0BX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lauren Mercurius-Mascoll

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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2748091 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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