Children's Home run by Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 1 SC423617

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Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was appointed on 1 May 2019. He has made an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged the home to be requires improvement at the last full inspection, on 7 and 8 May 2019. Ofsted raised nine requirements that are due to be met by 20 July 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to investigate information received by Ofsted that suggests that there may be a breach of regulations as a result of managers and staff failing to address specific concerns and allegations.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not recognise when children need support and guidance to stay safe. For example, one child decided to use a bush in a local park to go to the toilet. Although members of staff were present, they failed to stop the child putting himself at risk. This resulted in a member of the public raising a concern over what they had seen. Staff did not recognise this as a significant event and failed to make any record of the incident. Furthermore, staff have not spoken to the child to help to educate him about socially acceptable behaviour and how to maintain his dignity and self-respect when in a public place.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not sufficiently scrutinise employment applications before making a decision about whether someone is suitable to work with children. For example, gaps in employment history go unchallenged, references are not verified before staff start working with children, and no verification is gained when staff who Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 2 have previously worked with children and/or vulnerable adults the reason why their employment ended. Leaders have also failed to explore in enough detail the information provided by a member of staff regarding a child protection investigation. These omissions mean that leaders and managers cannot be assured that children are cared for by suitably vetted individuals.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not ensure that the house is maintained to an acceptable standard. The shower has an uncovered drain and the bathroom window does not have a blind or curtain fitted. These shortfalls mean that children’s health is put at risk and their dignity compromised. One child has a broken bed and a broken chest of drawers in his bedroom. The unkempt state of this child’s bedroom indicates that staff are not supporting children to develop a sense of pride in their environment and in themselves. Leaders and managers do not have systems in place to ensure that damage within the home is promptly dealt with. This means that children are living in an environment that does not promote their physical and emotional health.

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This monitoring visit

When a serious concern about a child’s welfare has been raised, managers and staff have failed to take effective action. For example, teachers at a child’s primary school had reported concerns about staff dropping the child off at school and leaving him unsupervised in the playground. Staff did not follow the school’s request to ensure that the child was left in the supervision of a teacher. Despite concerns being raised with managers, staff again took the child to school and left him in the playground, unsupervised. Managers and staff did not update the child’s risk assessment with all of the relevant information when they first became aware of this risk. This failure has compromised the child’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, three compliance notices have been issued.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/04/2018 Full Good 02/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 develop socially aware behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)) 01/09/2019*

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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; 01/09/2019* Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 4 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 01/09/2019*

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 20/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 5 positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 staff understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour, and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; 20/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 6 treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that internal placement plans are up to date and reflect young people’s progress. 20/07/2019

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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; 20/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)(5)) 20/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 20/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 8 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) 20/07/2019

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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 20/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 9 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

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

(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC423617 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13a Pitsford Street, Birmingham B18 6LJ

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Inspectors

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423617 11 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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