Children's Home run by Individual Specialist Care Limited in Sandwell

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 1 SC481235 Registered provider: Individual Specialist Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since December 2018.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2018

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector identified a serious safeguarding concern that was not managed effectively by staff. This placed young people living at the home at risk of harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Out of the five requirements raised at the last inspection, four remain unmet. Six additional regulatory breaches have been identified. This shows a lack of effective management oversight and a failure to make and sustain improvement. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 2 Young people‟s risk assessments are not appropriately updated and do not reflect all relevant information about potential risks posed to the young people. As a result, staff do not have sufficiently detailed or accurate knowledge and guidance to help them to keep young people safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When a serious incident happened in the home, staff did not have the required levels of skills, understanding or knowledge to respond effectively. This resulted in young people being placed at significant risk of harm. The inspector found that over the course of the incident there were opportunities for staff to take action to bring an end to the incident sooner. They failed to take and make constructive use of these opportunities. Furthermore, staff called police to the home because they were unable to deal with the young people‟s behaviour and prevent this from escalating. One young person was arrested and faces criminal charges. These failings are significant and may impact on young people‟s future life chances.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff fail to meet the emotional health and well-being needs of young people. One young person required a therapeutic placement, but this was not considered sufficiently during the matching process. A therapist was not in place when the young person moved in, and staff only have a basic introductory training in therapeutic parenting. As a result, managers accepted a young person into the home whose needs they could not meet. Poor care planning resulted in the young person‟s needs not being met and the placement broke down. Furthermore, the young person‟s placement ended abruptly and in crisis.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and review systems are ineffective. Staff training records are not up to date. Records of physical restraints are not complete and important information, such as records of staff debriefing sessions, is missing. Furthermore, the manager has reviewed restraint incidents which he has been involved in. As a result, reviews of incidents lack independent scrutiny and oversight. This poor quality of monitoring demonstrates a lack of effective leadership and management and is a missed opportunity for staff and managers to reflect on and learn from practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has undergone extensive maintenance and repair work following incidents when young people have caused damage. However, the home is still not maintained to an acceptable standard. For example, there was graffiti on a young person‟s bedroom wall and the home looks sparse in some areas.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The responsible individual has failed to keep an accurate record of all recruitment checks for new staff. As a result, it is not clear that new staff have been safely recruited to work with young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have failed to escalate their concern when placing authorities have not provided up-to-date plans relating to young people. Not having the required documentation affects the staff‟s ability to provide young people with well-coordinated care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered person has also failed to provide Ofsted with an up-to-date statement of Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 3 purpose which clearly sets out the aims and objectives of the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/05/2018 Full Inadequate 22/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 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)) 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the 15/03/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 4 purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))* 15/03/2019

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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 helps children 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— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(c)(h))* 15/03/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))* 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement of purpose within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(b)) 15/03/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 5 A responsible individual must have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. (Regulation 32(1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered individual should ensure that references are verified and that suitable records are kept to evidence this. 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint, 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; 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)(3)(i)(ii)(c) 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‟s home. The registered person must ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff training records are accurate and up to date. 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children‟s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 6 Using the „Social care common inspection framework‟, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children‟s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the „Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Individual Specialist Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 65 Lodge Road, Walsall, Staffordshire WS5 3LA

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Inspector

Lisa O‟Donovan, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC481235 7 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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