Children's home run by Icare Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1164379 1

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted received concerns regarding leadership and governance of the home. In order to explore these concerns, inspectors completed an unannounced monitoring visit. The inspectors found that insufficient emphasis is given to safeguarding procedures, especially when allegations are made that involved the registered person. This weakness in procedure and process means that young people, staff, managers and the registered person are left vulnerable. Partnership working with the placing authority is compromised by the absence of a senior management structure and resource. This makes it very difficult for information sharing to be prompt and for investigations to start at the request of the designated officer. Despite these significant concerns, there are sufficient staff on duty to meet the needs of young people. Young people are having a fun-packed summer holiday with various activities. This includes a planned holiday to Blackpool, which young people

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This monitoring visit

are excited about. One young person told the inspectors, ‘The staff really look after us well here. We are all going to Blackpool next week and it’s going to be great.’ Inspectors spoke to different professionals during the visit. One social worker told an inspector that ‘(Young person) appears to be settled at this placement and relationships are ok.’ A relative of one young person said, ‘I feel that the quality of care that (young person) receives is good.’ There have been staff changes over the past 12 months. This has resulted in a new staff team, with most of the staff working towards their qualifications in residential childcare. Some newly appointed staff have not received training in physical Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1164379 2 restraint. In addition, staff knowledge is compromised by the absence of a detailed safeguarding procedure. This means that staff do not have sufficient insight into

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This monitoring visit

their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting young people. This creates a deficit in the skills and knowledge of members of staff in keeping young people safe. In a short period, the acting manager has established good staff morale and brought in effective systems to ensure that the daily operations of the home are managed in a way that means staff are prioritising the needs of young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/05/2017 Full Good 02/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2016 Full Good

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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, 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse and neglect. The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse and neglect must in particular provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority, which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home and provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)) In particular, the policy must show the procedure that staff must follow when an allegation is made against the registered manager or the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are 24/09/2017 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1164379 3 protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(v))

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Recommendation

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all their staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)

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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: 1164379 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Icare Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 24 Milton Road, Smethwick B67 7HT

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Inspectors:-

Lisa Walsh, social care inspector Mrs Michelle Moss, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1164379 5 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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Inspectors:-

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Inspectors:-

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Inspectors:-

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