Children's home run by Heathfield (Parkgate) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 1 Registered provider: Heathfield (Parkgate) Ltd

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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 children’s home provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 31 March 2022.

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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection on 3 and 4 July 2024, two compliance notices were issued, one in respect of regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and one in respect of regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was completed on 16 August 2024. The compliance notice under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, was restated. The purpose of this monitoring visit is to review the progress the provider had made in respect of that compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The recent reduction in the number of children living in the home has improved the dynamics, and the frequency of incidents has significantly reduced. There have been no physical assaults on staff or harm to children from other children since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

A recent incident was managed well by staff to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Those staff were able to implement the home’s safeguarding policy, and recording was thorough. The notification was sent to the regulator and professionals in a timely manner. However, staff spoken to during the inspection could not confidently describe the steps they would take if they had safeguarding concerns. For example, they were unable to name the external agencies they would contact if they believed a child was hurt by a staff member. They were also unclear about Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 2 actions they would need to take such as ensuring the child received appropriate support and seeking medical attention. This shortfall indicates that not all staff have been provided with opportunities to ensure that they are clear about their role in relation to the home’s safeguarding policy and procedures.

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This monitoring visit

There has been significant improvement in the management monitoring of physical restraint. When this is applied, there is timely oversight by the registered manager. Debriefs for staff and children are thorough and this helps to ensure successful reparation. However, debriefs are not always carried out by an experienced and skilled senior member of staff. This inhibits challenge and learning being identified at the earliest opportunity.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff have received appropriate and regular practice-related supervision. This relates specifically to staff that have recently joined the home in the past six months. The registered manager failed to identify this as part of their monitoring and quality assurance.

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This monitoring visit

Regular and well-attended team meetings provide a platform for staff to discuss safeguarding practice and progress of children. However, not all staff attend these meetings. The responsible individual has taken positive action to ensure that all staff prioritise these.

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This monitoring visit

The senior leadership team continues to have significant involvement and presence in the home. A focus on developing the home’s quality assurance tools and monitoring systems has continued to assist the registered manager to provide more focused oversight. However, the responsible individual has not identified most of the shortfalls identified at the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Following this inspection, the compliance notice under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, was not met and has been restated. The notice restricting the accommodation of further children into the home remains in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2024 Full Inadequate 24/08/2023 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 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 with the given timescales.

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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.

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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

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(iii)) 10 November 2024

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)) 10 November 2024

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 10 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 5 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(g)(ii)) 10 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(c)) 10 November 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)) 10 November 2024

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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"). (Regulation 45 (3)) 10 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 6 *These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the workforce plan is kept up to date and meets the requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63,

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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: 2667771 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Heathfield (Parkgate) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Deansway, Worcester, Worcestershire WR1 2JG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Smeeth

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Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667771 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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