Children's Home run by Direct Care Children’s Homes Ltd in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2655041 1 Direct Care Childrens Homes Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children. There is currently one child living in the home. The child was not seen at this inspection as they were on holiday.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023. At the time of inspection, she was not at work. The operations manager is providing management cover.

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This monitoring visit

During the full inspection on 23 and 24 July 2024, Ofsted judged the home to be inadequate. A compliance notice was issued under regulation six due to significant concerns about the standard of accommodation, poor daily routines for children, and a failure to ensure care is delivered in line with the statement of purpose. This monitoring visit was to review the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection two children have left the home. One was in an unplanned way, as decided by the local authority. This has created a further period of instability and challenge for staff to manage. It has impacted on the time available to meet with staff and progress plans.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have started to explore and understand the reasons behind the inadequate judgement. There has been a particular focus on understanding the culture in the home as an underlying issue. However, because they take this longer- term approach, they have not taken action to address the concerns with staff practice. Supervision and team meeting time has been spent exploring staff motivation and understanding. They are not provided with clear and consistent advice about how to support children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2655041 2 Senior managers have reviewed the effectiveness of the therapeutic model used in the home. They determined that staff did not sufficiently understand this, or how to implement it in practice. The provider plans to identify and embed a new practice model. As an interim arrangement, the statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the concepts of ‘good parenting’. While this provides some clarity about

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This monitoring visit

expectations, there has been no information provided to staff about how to deliver this.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have increased their presence in the home, to support staff and develop new processes. The severity of the concerns and the need for change have been recognised. However, there has been a lack of urgency to address the concerns. There remain no clear plans to implement the changes needed in the home. It is still not clear what the changes are that senior manager want to see.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment is significantly improved. Much of the flooring has been replaced, and the home re-painted. The child has been involved in choosing new soft furnishings.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, a case review was held. This determined that sufficient action had been taken to address the key points and another compliance notice would not be issued. The other requirements made at the full inspection were not reviewed and so they remain in place.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2024 Full Inadequate 30/10/2023 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2655041 3

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vi)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that the home environment is well-maintained, clean and homely throughout. The registered manager should also ensure that staff consistently provide positive routines and structure to 1 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2655041 4 children, and that the therapeutic approach adopted by the home is understood by all staff and applied in practice. Additionally, leaders and managers should ensure that staff have the skills to provide responsive nurturing care to children that is applied in practice.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

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)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager should ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge to effectively work with children who may have experienced trauma, and that effective relationships are developed between children and staff to enable staff to deescalate situations. Additionally, the registered manager should ensure that staff supervision is reflective and considers how staff work with children, how they meet their individual needs, and how this aspect of practice can be improved. 1 September 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— 1 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2655041 5 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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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: 2655041 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Direct Care Childrens Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 4, Paxton Business Centre, Whittle Road, Salisbury SP2 7YR

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Inspector

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2655041 7 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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