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 Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered for up to three young people aged 10 to 17, who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home has not had a registered manager since 1 July 2017. There is no manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 19 June 2018. Prior to this inspection, one compliance notice relating to the safe recruitment of staff had been issued on three occasions. The first was 17 January 2018, the second was 12 March 2018, and the third, 8 May 2018. Despite this continuing regulatory failure, managers have not taken the necessary actions to ensure that safe recruitment practice is undertaken. Consequently, the compliance notice remains unmet.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 12 September 2018, which found that no progress had been made in meeting the requirements from the full inspection. Added regulatory shortfalls were also found. On 14 September 2018, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home.

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This monitoring visit

To evaluate the progress that managers and staff have made in addressing the requirements and recommendations, this monitoring visit was conducted on 25 October 2018. At this monitoring visit, inspectors were told that the manager of the home was no longer working in the home, leaving the responsible individual in day- to-day charge. The one young person living at the home was leaving on the day of the inspection visit. The responsible individual told inspectors that the home would then be closed. Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 2 Inspectors found that little progress had been made to address inspection requirements. Fourteen of the 18 requirements were not met. These related to:

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This monitoring visit

 The continued failure of managers to ensure the safe recruitment of staff.  The failure of staff to respond to a young person‟s request for information about decision-making in relation to his care.  The failure of managers to ensure that necessary guidance was in place to help staff meet a young person‟s health needs.  The failure of managers to ensure that risk assessments are accurate, up to date and clear about actions that staff should take to help reduce risks to young people.  The failure of managers to ensure staff training in managing young people‟s specific health needs.  The failure of managers to update the statement of purpose for the home.  The failure of managers to ensure that staff have the necessary qualifications for their roles.  The failure of staff to ensure that young people‟s records hold the necessary documentation from the local authority.  The failure of managers to ensure that staff rotas accurately reflect when

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This monitoring visit

staff are on duty.  The failure of managers to notify the regulator when a young person has made an allegation about staff conduct.  The failure of managers to undertake a quality of care review that meets the requirements of regulation.  The failure of managers to update the location risk assessment.

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This monitoring visit

One new concern was identified concerning a decline in the condition of the physical environment.

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This monitoring visit

As there had been no physical interventions, and no young people admitted to the home since the monitoring visit of 12 September 2018, the requirements relating to these aspects were untested.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the responsible individual had ensured a proper response to young people‟s complaints. Staff had also attended training in the areas of epilepsy and child sexual exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

Despite substantial opportunity to improve the leadership and management of the home and the arrangements for young people‟s safety and protection, the registered person has been unable to demonstrate the ability or capacity to meet regulation. Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff. 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 and furnished so as to enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(1)(2)(c)(ii)) 02/12/18

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Requirement Due date

The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who 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 ensure that staff help each child to express views, wishes and feelings and help each child to understand how the child‟s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 02/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well-being needs of children are met; and children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)) 02/12/2018

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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)) 02/12/2018

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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)) 02/12/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(f)(h)) 02/12/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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)) 02/12/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child‟s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 02/12/2018

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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. (Regulation 16(1)) This is with particular reference to ensuring that the staff structure and staff details are current. 02/12/2018

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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))* 02/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 02/12/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 6 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 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 which includes the name of the child; details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any

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Requirement Due date

other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 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; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 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. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv) 02/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

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)) 02/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they maintain in the home the records relating to scheduled 4 in relation to; A copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual hours worked. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) 02/12/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 7 Ensure that the registered person notifies HMCI and each other relevant person without delay when a serious event occurs. (Regulation 40(4)(a)–(e)) 02/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report

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Requirement Due date

within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)) 02/12/2018

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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).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1)(2)) 02/12/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 8 Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC441591 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Residential Care Home Ltd

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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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Inspectors

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC441591 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 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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