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 is no longer working at the home. There is an interim manager currently in post.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate on 10 March 2020 for the second time. Fourteen requirements were raised, two of which continued to be subject to compliance notices. A restriction of accommodation was also put in place.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection examined progress made at the home against the two compliance notices. One of these notices is now met. However, the progress made in addressing shortfalls in leadership and management continues to be weak and a compliance notice to address continued shortfalls in regulation 13 has been made.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was conducted remotely to comply with government guidance regarding travel due to Covid-19. The inspector was emailed documents which were reviewed, and telephone calls were carried out with staff, the manager and the responsible individual. Since the last inspection one child has moved out of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has now ensured that there are adequate risk assessments in place for the child who continues to live in the home. These provide basic guidance for staff regarding how to mitigate specific risks. The manager has talked to staff about risk identification during team meetings and supervisions, and staff have completed training around risk identification. This means the manager can be assured that staff have a basic understanding of risks. However, staff reported that they have still not Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 2 seen behaviour management plans for children which inform practice and complement the risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

The safeguarding policy is now up to date and accurate. The manager has discussed this policy and new procedures in team meetings and some supervisions. Staff have completed safeguarding training and the manager and deputy manager have completed training identified for those who are designated safeguarding leads. Staff now understand who leads safeguarding in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered individual has updated the statement of purpose, but this still does not reflect the care provided in the home. For example, minimum staffing levels for the home are incorrect, and statements about the home using a therapeutic informed approach, for which staff are not trained, are still included. As a result, staff cannot provide care in line with the statement of purpose, and not all staff have a clear understanding of the aims and objectives that are set out in the statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and the responsible individual are not able to demonstrate they have a clear understanding of the regulations and guidance for children’s homes. The manager has completed a quality of care review that does not meet regulation. For example, the review submitted to Ofsted focused on the upcoming six months instead of evaluating the care provided in the last six-month period.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has made some positive changes in the home and staff reported that they are feeling more confident about seeking support and advice. The manager identified that half of the staff team members are new to the care sector. This means that the team as a whole currently lacks experience . The manager and responsible individual have not completed their own skills audit to develop their understanding of the skills of the staff team. As a result, training is not targeted at developing the staff’s skills and knowledge in regard to meeting children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and responsible individual have not put in place clear, regular monitoring activities that help them to oversee the quality of care provided for children, and the staff’s practice. A monthly operational audit is completed which ensures compliance with some aspects of policies and the day-to-day running of the home. This audit does not evaluate the quality of care provided or the children’s progress, and does not involve consultation with children. This does not ensure that the care provided improves.

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This monitoring visit

The manager now ensures that staff supervision is regular, but the actions taken after supervision are ineffective. For example, staff are not given a timescale within which they need to complete training, and are not held to account if the training is not completed in time. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/03/2020 Full Inadequate 20/11/2019 Full Inadequate 19/02/2019 Full Good 19/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31/05/2020

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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

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7(1)(c)) 31/05/2020

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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 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 31/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 5 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))* The registered person must—

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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)) 31/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)) 31/05/2020

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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 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

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)) 31/05/2020

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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. (Regulation 35(1)) 31/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 6 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 31/05/2020

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31/05/2020

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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. 31/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 7 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 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)) 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)) 31/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

The children’s guide should help children to understand:  what the day to day routines of the home are (“what happens in the home”);  the statement of purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there);  how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure;  how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and  how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22) Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 8 In particular, the children’s guide should be written and presented in a way which is accessible to all children who live in the home, and should include all the required information.

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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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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that Covid-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this inspection, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of Coronavirus by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 9

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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 B23 7YX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Blessing Manyara

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Inspector

Karol Keenan, 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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