Children's home run by Diverse Abilities Plus Limited in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 1 SC004085 Registered provider: Diverse Abilities Plus 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 run by an independent charitable organisation. The home provides a short-breaks service for up to 4 children who may have sensory impairments, physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2014.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to address specific concerns received by Ofsted in relation to medication processes in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Significant medication errors have occurred in the home. There have been 6 medication errors since 4 October 2025. Five of these errors relate to 1 child and were repeated over a 7-week period. Because the staff have not given the child the correct dose of medication, health professionals have not had an accurate view of the child’s health condition and the effectiveness of medication.

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This monitoring visit

Investigations completed by leaders and managers into medication errors are insufficiently detailed. They have created a culture where medication errors are expected and accepted as part of practice, leading to a lack of rigour in completed investigations. This means that leaders and managers do not explore or consider all factors at the time of errors to fully understand the concerns and identify all learning. Medication errors are considered within a narrow view of competence, rather than recognising potentially serious safeguarding concerns. Leaders and managers do not ensure that learning is shared with the wider staff team, limiting opportunities to understand and improve wider practice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 2 Staff practice in relation to medication management is inconsistent and does not follow the provider’s stated policies. Staff employ workarounds to place fewer

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This monitoring visit

demands on parents; however, this results in poor-quality records and leads to risk of medication errors. Staff do not always ensure that there is clarity about medication changes and information communicated informally is not clearly recorded. Changes made to medication administration records do not always contain a signature or explanation, meaning leaders cannot sufficiently audit practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not review medication administration records and medication processes in a timely way. There are long delays in auditing records, which means there is an overreliance on staff identifying and reporting medication errors. Despite errors in staff signing in medication on 5 occasions, leaders have not reviewed other children’s records for those same days to understand whether there have been further concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations from the full inspection were not considered at this visit. New requirements have been made under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 23, medicines. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Good 08/05/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 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 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

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

The registered person must review medication processes and maintain effective oversight to ensure safe administration of medication. They must ensure that staff have the skills to manage medication in the home safely. 5 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that medication is administered to children as prescribed by medical professionals, and that a clear and accurate record is made of this. 8 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 5 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are clear processes in place to monitor the care and support provided in the home. This should include proper scrutiny of incidents that occur and staff’s responses to them to identify any learning. The manager must ensure that they use processes of monitoring and review to make improvements in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that details of the care that children receive are recorded in a way that allows the reader to understand the child’s experiences. 29 November 2025

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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— 29 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 6 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s views about the care they receive, particularly following incidents and the use of restraint, are gained.

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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.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they complete and document the process of deciding whether the provision is suitable for a child to access, including how their overall needs can be met. 29 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 7 In addition, the registered person must ensure that they document the pros and cons of different children spending time at the provision together.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is updated to show information about staffing and opening times. 29 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure they consider all potential forms of restriction when reviewing staff practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.42)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s environment is well maintained. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the scuffed bedroom walls are decorated and that the protective covering of the television is only used when absolutely necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, this refers to not writing information in the first-person narrative if it is not the child’s actual

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Recommendations

words. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 8

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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: SC004085 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Diverse Abilities Plus Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Beehive Centre, 13–15 Manor Avenue, Poole BH12 4LB

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Inspectors

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Ashley Arkless, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC004085 10 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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Inspectors

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