Children's home run by Aspire Residential Care Home Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC441591 1 SC441591

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Aspire Residential Care Home Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for three young people up to the age of 18. The home offers care for young people who have behavioural and/or emotional needs. The home is privately owned.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged declined in effectiveness at the last interim inspection on 3 January 2018. That inspection resulted in two compliance notices being issued. These related to:

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This monitoring visit

 the failure of managers to give sufficient attention to the safe recruitment of staff  the failure of managers to ensure that staff have the opportunity of regular practice-based supervision.

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This monitoring visit

In order to evaluate the progress that managers have taken to meet the two compliance notices, a monitoring visit was undertaken on 1 March 2018.

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This monitoring visit

Progress in safe recruitment has not been sufficiently prompt to ensure that practice safeguards young people. For example, managers continue to fail to verify the employment histories and references of staff prior to commencement of employment. In addition, managers do not ensure that when staff have previously worked with children or vulnerable adults the reasons for that employment ending are checked. The failure to take the required action has resulted in the compliance notice not being met. Ofsted has reissued the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Progress to ensure that staff receive regular supervision has not been made. As a result, staff are still not receiving supervision as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff who are still in their probationary period do not receive supervision at Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC441591 2 the specified frequency. The failure to take swift action has resulted in the compliance notice not being met. Ofsted has reissued the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Eight other requirements made at the last inspection are ongoing and will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC441591 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, 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 protection of children standard is that the registered person must ensure that staff 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. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that the registered person must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(v)) 28/03/2018

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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 promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child and that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(c)(d)) 28/03/2018

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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 promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(e)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enable, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand the impact that the quality of care is having on the progress and experiences of each child, use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home and to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2)(f)(h)) 28/03/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC441591 4 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. This is with particular reference to ensuring that the staff structure and staff details are current. (Regulation 16(1))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27(1)(a)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d))* 30/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c))* 30/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) This is in relation to training to raise awareness of autistic spectrum disorder, Prevent and online safety. 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made. (Regulation 35(3)(a)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in schedule 4. This includes a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37 Schedule 4(3)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered person notifies HMCI and each other relevant person without delay when a serious event occurs. (Regulation 40 (4) (a)-(e)) 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are provided with appropriate furniture, such as a lockable cabinet or drawers to securely store personal items, including any personal information. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)  Ensure that there is a workforce plan in place which can fulfil the requirements of Regulation 16 Schedule 1. (‘Guide to the children’s homes Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC441591 5 regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Residential Care Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 311f The Big Peg, 120 Vyse Street, Hockley B18 6NF

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Inspector

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC441591 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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