Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240936 1

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Meadows Care 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 operated under a contract with a large children’s trust. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have experienced trauma, placement breakdown and/or family breakdown.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted undertook an interim inspection at the home on 7 March 2019. The inspector identified serious failings. At that time, children were not safe in the home because of poor arrangements to manage risk. Following this interim inspection, Ofsted suspended the registration in respect of this home on 8 March 2019.

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This monitoring visit

There are no children currently living in the home. The service has complied with this condition of the notice of suspension.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider completed an internal investigation to review the circumstances that led to the declined effectiveness of the home between the full and interim inspections. Through this process, senior managers identified areas of poor practice relating to the actions and inactions of managers and staff. The registered provider has taken action to address these practice shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation has now appointed a new manager and recruited a full staff team for this home. All staff have completed appropriate training for their role. This includes courses relating to safeguarding, child protection including when children go missing from the home, the assessment and management of children’s risks and physical restraint incorporating de-escalation techniques. This will help them to respond to and meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

The notice of suspension in respect of this home will end on Friday 31 May 2019. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240936 2 Ofsted will continue to inspect this service in line with the social care common inspection framework, and assess steps taken by the organisation to address the remainder of the requirements raised at the interim inspection in March 2019. The provider is implementing new systems and processes that will help managers to monitor the service and assess the impact of the quality of care provided to young people. The effectiveness of these systems will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/11/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240936 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 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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 22/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the 22/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240936 4 registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(e)(i)) 22/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate 22/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240936 5 induction. (Regulation 33(1)(a))

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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 address: Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale OL12 9EN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Niel Shelmerdine

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Samantha Goodrickmeech

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Inspector

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240936 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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