Children's Home run by Brite Futures Ltd in Doncaster

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 1 Registered provider: Brite Futures 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 is privately owned and managed. It is registered to provide support for up to five children who may have a physical disability, a learning disability or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. The registered manager has notified the regulator that they are leaving the home and the inspection was led by the interim manager.

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Inspection date: 13 November 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns with the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 There are significant shortfalls in leadership and management of the home, and the children’s welfare is not being promoted.  Leaders and managers have failed to maintain effective oversight of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was to review the provider’s practice following a complaint received by Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

One child was spoken to during the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Individual plans do not identify all known risks to the child, including support for some health needs. Plans do not give clear guidance to support the child well. Staff are not clear on how to respond and are inconsistent.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not have the skills and knowledge to support children to manage difficult emotions. Staff have not been able to de-escalate emotionally charged incidents safely and staff said that they did not have the skills to do so. Staff do not feel able to take control of situations. This creates anxiety for the children.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of a child in the home. They have not supported staff to develop skills and knowledge specific to the child. Staff do not feel confident in meeting the needs of the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that there are sufficient qualified staff in the home. Leaders and managers left staff who were not suitably skilled, qualified or supported to make complex decisions for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to guide staff about how to meet children’s individual needs. Leaders and managers have not met with staff regularly to guide and support them. Leaders and managers are not present in the home often and staff do not always receive a response from the identified manager on call.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not always shared information with professionals in a timely manner. Professionals have requested information from managers about the child’s progress, but this has not been received.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior leaders have identified the issues which need addressing and are taking the necessary steps to do this. A replacement manager has been identified and is applying to register with Ofsted. Senior leaders have committed to not taking in any new admissions while the identified shortfalls are addressed. The improvement plan Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 3 is new and not yet in practice. Therefore, the effectiveness of this plan cannot yet be reviewed.

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Findings from the inspection

This was a focused inspection. Leaders and managers have not met the requirements identified at the last inspection. These have been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Good 13/12/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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

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; 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)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the required training and support to meet the children’s individual complex needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review their induction, supervision and training strategy so staff have the required level of support to help them to be effective in their roles. 5 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 6 They must assess and evaluate the competency of staff before they take on leading roles.

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Requirement Due date

Staff in their probationary period should have their performance reviewed in line with the provider’s own policy.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the workforce development plan to ensure that it still meets the needs of the staff and care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should have a system that supports their analysis of behavioural incidents to help identify patterns and trends to help improve staff practice and the safety of children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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 role and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 5 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 7 Are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 5 January 2025

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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;

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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)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 5 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 8 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 5 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the placing authorities of children. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 5 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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Requirement Due date

and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of 5 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 9 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”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 7, Warwick Road, Maltby, South Yorkshire S66 8EW

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Inspector

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2707632 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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