Children's Home run by Central and Southern Homes Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 1 Registered provider: Central and Southern Homes Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides long-term care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child has left the home since the previous inspection. Two children remain living in the home, and one child was present during the monitoring visit.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager was appointed on 31 July 2024 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

At the inspection on 2 and 3 September 2024, inspectors found serious and widespread shortfalls in safeguarding practices and in leadership and management. The home was judged inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

Two compliance notices were issued following this inspection to address the concerns around the safety of children and the significant failures in leadership and management. This monitoring visit was to review the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices. A notice restricting the provider from admitting any new children into the home was also issued and in place from 5 September 2024 until 28 November 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, one child has left the home. This was undertaken in a planned way, following the home giving notice. The other two children in the home are reported to be more settled since this move occurred.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers devised an action plan in response to the concerns highlighted during the last inspection. A review of all previous incidents and physical interventions has been undertaken, and appropriate action taken when this Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 2 highlighted concerns. However, the outcome of this review has not yet been shared directly with staff, so learning from these incidents has not yet been embedded.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have taken steps to improve staff knowledge and skills by providing relevant training. However, the learning from this has not been explored by the manager. Therefore, managers are unable to accurately assess the impact on children’s day-to-day experiences and the quality of care they receive.

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This monitoring visit

Restraint has not been used since the last inspection. This has supported the start of a culture shift among the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has updated the children’s plans to ensure that they are current, relevant and provide sufficient information for staff to safeguard and meet the needs of both children appropriately. However, staff still do not have a clear or effective approach to assessing risks in respect of all children’s social media use and the potential impact this could have on their well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Sufficient action has been taken to address the points raised in the two compliance notices, however, improvements require time to embed. The notice restricting the provider from admitted any more children will remain in place. Ofsted will continue to monitor this home. In addition, a second full inspection will be completed, when the requirements raised at the first inspection will be reviewed in full.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2024 Full Inadequate 29/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

if they consider, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the registered person ensuring that they liaise effectively with other agencies to review the current education arrangements for children to ensure that they are suitable and meet their needs. 4 October 2024

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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

treat each child with dignity and respect; 4 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 4 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 understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s well-being is effectively assessed and monitored, that children are provided with positive and purposeful experiences in the home, and that care/support plans effectively guide staff.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; 4 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 5 raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)) 4 October 2024

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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. 4 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

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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— 4 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 7 that staff—

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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

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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should carry out a full review of previous incidents and physical interventions. The punitive culture in the home should be addressed with immediate effect.

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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— 4 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 8 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

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; and

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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)(g)(ii)(h))

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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

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and 4 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 9 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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that recruitment checks on agency members of staff are of the same standard as checks for permanent members of staff.

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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: 2717528 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Central & Southern Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pitmaston House, Malvern Road, Worcester WR2 4LL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Dangerfield

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Inspectors

Helen Cushnie, Social Care Inspector Paula Lahey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2717528 11 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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