Opinion
- Are children effectively safeguarded?
- Safeguarding records reviewed in full; concerns were escalated appropriately and in time.
- Partially
- Does the conduct of the home promote children's wellbeing?
- Children report feeling settled, but the concerns above are recurring and affect daily life.
- Partially
The visit
Spoke with no children and with staff DF, LG. Sampled the case files of no children. Reviewed 9 areas: physical intervention and restraint, missing from home episodes, complaints, regulation 40 notifications, children's views, education attendance and progress, staff supervision, children's meetings, safeguarding concerns and referrals.
Findings
3 concerns, 2 strengths. Every finding records what was looked at, what was found, and why it matters.
Physical intervention and restraint
Concern- Looked at
- All physical intervention records since the last visit; debrief forms.
- Found
- Two records lack a manager review signature.
- Why it matters
- Without manager review, patterns in use of force go unchallenged.
- Action
- Raised as a recommendation, tracked on the home’s timeline.
Complaints
Concern- Looked at
- Complaints log and responses.
- Found
- One complaint from a child has no recorded outcome after 21 days.
- Why it matters
- A child whose complaint goes unanswered learns that speaking up doesn't work.
- Action
- Raised as a recommendation, tracked on the home’s timeline.
Education attendance and progress
Concern- Looked at
- Attendance registers; PEPs; correspondence with school.
- Found
- One child attending three days a week; no recorded plan to increase.
- Why it matters
- Reduced attendance narrows the child's options and increases time unsupervised.
- Action
- Raised as a recommendation, tracked on the home’s timeline.
Missing from home episodes
Strength- Looked at
- Missing episode log; return-home interview records; police notifications.
- Found
- Return-home interviews offered and recorded for every episode.
- Why it matters
- Supports the standard; no action required.
Staff supervision
Strength- Looked at
- Supervision records for four staff selected at random.
- Found
- Supervision at monthly frequency for all staff sampled.
- Why it matters
- Supports the standard; no action required.