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

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

p.1

Icare Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children‟s home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have complex needs. The home‟s statement of purpose states that staff aim to help each young person to achieve their full potential through providing a family environment.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home was last inspected on 21 August 2018 and was judged to have declined in effectiveness. Prior to this, a monitoring visit took place on 17 August 2018 due to Ofsted receiving concerns about the home. Three compliance notices and a restriction of accommodation were served in respect of the significant regulatory shortfalls resulting from these two visits.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection took place due to significant concerns being shared with Ofsted on 28 August 2018. These concerns related to:

p.1

This monitoring visit

 The provider not having sufficient resources to pay staff wages.  The risk that staff will not turn up, and have not turned up, for work at the home.  The ongoing financially viability of the home.  Senior staff, including the responsible individual, leaving their employment at the home with immediate effect.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit identified that the above concerns are valid. The responsible individual has left the home with immediate effect. One senior member of staff has tendered their immediate resignation and will not be returning to work. Another senior member of staff failed to report for duty on the day of the inspection. During the inspection visit, the inspector was informed by another member of care staff that they had advised the provider that they will not be working in the home any longer. The Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 2 acting manager is not able to work currently. Consequently, there is no senior staffing in the home and no person in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staff informed the inspector that they had not been paid their correct wages. The organisation has advised staff that the remainder of their wages will be paid in September 2018. Despite repeated attempts to contact the director of the organisation, the inspector was not able to ascertain the extent of the issue. Previously, on 17 August 2018, Ofsted had set a regulatory requirement for the organisation to provide Ofsted with details of the financial arrangements for the home. This information is due to be sent to Ofsted by 23 September 2018. However, in the intervening period, significant concerns have emerged with regards to the organisation‟s ability to satisfactorily resource the home. This has the potential to place young people at serious risk of harm because of insufficient staffing levels.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The inspector was informed that two of the three staff on duty during the inspection should have finished work at 8am that day. Due to there being no additional staff coming to the home, these members of staff stayed in the home to maintain a safe staffing level. The staffing rota showed that a senior member of staff had failed to attend work. Efforts were being made to find additional agency staff. However, it was established during the inspection of 21 August 2018 that the provider is not currently able to safely recruit agency staff. This means that there is the continued potential for unsafe adults to continue working in the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Ofsted convened an urgent case review during the inspection visit. The decision was made that the provider‟s registration in respect of this children‟s home will be suspended. Ofsted immediately notified the placing local authorities of this decision, and the urgent need to remove young people from the home. The inspector served the notice of emergency suspension prior to leaving the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection visit, no requirements have been made. However, the requirements from the last two inspection visits on 17 and 21 August 2018 are included in this report as the due dates have not yet passed.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The service is now suspended until 21 November 2018. Ofsted will continue to monitor the service and ensure that the provider does not operate this children‟s home during the period of suspension.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/08/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/11/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff–

p.3

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.3

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) 31/08/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(d)) 31/08/2018

p.3

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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(h))* 23/09/2018*

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the child‟s placing 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 4 authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24(1)(b)) If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) 31/08/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide HMCI with such information as HMCI may require for the purpose of considering the financial viability of the home, including–

p.4

Requirement Due date

the annual accounts of the home certified by an accountant;

p.4

Requirement Due date

a reference from a bank expressing an opinion as to the registered provider‟s financial standing;

p.4

Requirement Due date

information as to the financing, and financial resources, of the home and the registered provider;

p.4

Requirement Due date

where the registered provider is a company, information as to any of its associated companies; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

a certificate of insurance for the registered provider in respect of liability which may be incurred by the registered provider in relation to the home in respect of damage, death, injury, public liability or other loss. (Regulation 47(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 07/09/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 23/09/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(vi)) 23/09/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 23/09/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure 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. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(b)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)) 23/09/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b), (2)(b)(i)) 23/09/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(2)) 23/09/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3): the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1), (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))* 23/09/2018*

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a))* 23/09/2018*

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)) 23/09/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. 23/09/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 6 (Regulation 35(3)(c)) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 23/09/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b)(c)) 23/09/2018

p.6

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)) 23/09/2018

p.6

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) of regulation 45 must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(5)) 23/09/2018

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1), (2)) 23/09/2018

p.6

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person builds a strong safeguarding culture in the home („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 43, paragraph 9.8). In particular, ensure that staff always check visitors‟ identification and explain the fire evacuation procedure.  Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. („Guide

p.6

Recommendations

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 7 to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Ensure that the registered person builds a strong safeguarding culture in the home („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 43, paragraph 9.8)

p.7

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Icare Children‟s Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Griffiths

p.8

Inspector

Pete Hylton, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1164379 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9