Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 1

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The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is operated by a private provider and is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the service opened in 2017 and has the required qualifications.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate on 20 November 2019. At this inspection 15 requirements were raised, two of which were subject to compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection focused on progress made to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is now in day-to-day charge of the home and has taken some steps to address the shortfalls found at the full inspection. Despite this, the registered manager has been slow to implement all required improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments still do not ensure that risks to children are clear and staff have guidance to mitigate these risks. There is a lack of evidence that staff have read or understood risk assessments that are in place. This means that staff continue to lack information about risk for children and how staff practice can mitigate this risk.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not ensured that staff have read and understood policies and protocols in relation to safeguarding. This means that staff do not have current knowledge about how to manage safeguarding in the home, including allegations about staff and children.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not ensured that staff’s learning and development Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 2 needs are addressed. Staff have not completed essential training in respect of safeguarding, risk assessments, restraint, learning disabilities, challenging behaviour, fire safety and health and safety. This means that not all staff receive support to develop the skills and knowledge needed to keep children safe and understand their needs.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager’s monitoring systems do not enable him to identify and make timely improvements to the quality of care provided to children. For example, when children share their views on the care they receive, it is not clear what action staff take to respond to this feedback.

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This monitoring visit

Although the registered manager has reviewed the complaints procedure, children’s guide and statement of purpose, these documents do not contain all required information. This does not demonstrate effective leadership.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager’s incomplete supervision records mean that it is unclear whether all staff have received supervision or how effective it is. Because of this, it is also not clear how the manager has reviewed and responded to any gaps in staff’s skills and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has reviewed the statement of purpose but has not provided this to Ofsted as required by regulation. The manager cannot be assured that staff are working to the aims of the home because not all staff in the home have read the statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Some progress was noted. All actions identified in the fire risk assessment are now complete. The home has had some decoration, including in children’s bedrooms. Children now have curtains in their rooms, which provides them with privacy. Door alarms have been removed from bedrooms doors. Because of these changes, children live in a safer and improved physical environment.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2019 Full Inadequate 19/02/2019 Full Good 19/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the children’s guide should be in a form that each child is able to understand. 08/03/2020

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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; 08/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 4 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)) *

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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 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) * 08/03/2020

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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. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 08/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 5 having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this is to ensure that staff are directed to complete necessary tasks and actions in a timely manner and there is management monitoring and oversight of these being completed.

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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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, gaps in employment should be verified. 08/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 08/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy 08/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 6 which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 08/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 7 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 08/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 08/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 8 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(4)(a)(b))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

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’).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on 08/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 9 request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

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))

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham, Warwickshire B23 7YX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Blessing Manyara

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Inspectors

Karol Keenan, social care inspector Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 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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