Children's home run by Silverlining Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 1 SC458746

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Silverlining Childcare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have experienced disruption in their lives and have social and/or emotional difficulties. It is run by a small private partnership company. The home has been without a registered manager since September 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

On 20 and 21 October 2020, Sam Dulay-Kainth, social care regulatory inspector undertook an assurance visit. The visit identified serious and widespread concerns. Ofsted issued a notice of suspension. In addition, two compliance notices were raised under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the suspension notice and the provider’s progress in completing the actions set out in the compliance notices. The other requirements were considered as part of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors identified that the provider had not taken enough action to meet the steps outlined in the compliance notices. There continue to be serious and widespread concerns about the care provided to children. The notice of suspension remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the suspension notice, there were no children living at the home during the visit. One child was discharged from the home on 23 October 2020 and another child left on 28 October 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to the children leaving the home, one child went missing. Upon their return they made a disclosure. A request was made to the local authority for a strategy meeting, but this did not take place. Managers and staff failed to adequately Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 2 challenge this. Furthermore, this outstanding safeguarding matter had not been shared with the child’s new home when they moved.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors identified that records related to significant incidents, including missing- from-home incidents, are of poor quality and do not reflect action taken. The manager’s oversight of such records lacks rigour. Following the last assurance visit and prior to children leaving the home, staff continued to rely upon inaccurate and out-of-date risk assessments. This reflects the careless and despondent approach to safeguarding.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been without a registered manager since September 2018. A new manager started in post on 30 November 2020. However, the responsible individual has not ensured that he was safely recruited. For example, references were missing and there were no checks of the online Disclosure and Barring Service. This irresponsible approach to recruiting staff means that children are at risk of being looked after by staff who are not safe or suitable to do so.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not suitably trained. The training matrix does not reflect the current staff team. There are no certificates of attendance to verify completion of training. Furthermore, training is provided by the responsible individual. It is not clear what skills, qualification and knowledge she has to deliver this training. This impacts on the quality of training provided and hinders staff’s learning and understanding.

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This monitoring visit

Currently, there are only two members of staff recruited to work in the home. This means that the service does not have enough staff to be able to safely admit children.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership team’s oversight of the home is poor. For example, the statement of purpose does not include an up-to-date staff list and the location risk assessment does not include important information about current and potential risks in the known area.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not receive regular supervision. Of the two staff in post, one had not received supervision since June 2020, and another had not had supervision since August 2020. Neither of them had had an annual appraisal. This means that staff do not receive valuable feedback to enhance their professional development.

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This monitoring visit

Improvement has been made to the home environment. The home now benefits from new carpets throughout. Furniture has been replaced and the house has been decorated.

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This monitoring visit

The fire risk assessment now identifies where the fire extinguishers should be located. No concerns were identified with fire safety during the visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2019 Full Good 08/05/2019 Full Inadequate 24/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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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

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—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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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

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(xi))) 8 January 2021

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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 staff— 8 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 5 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

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

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

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— 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

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

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)(c)(d)(e)(h)) 8 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s 8 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 6 home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 26 (1)(a) (7)(b)) 8 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who 8 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 7 does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 8 January 2021

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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”)— 8 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 8 has spoken to the user about the measure; and 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b) (i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

and are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that copies of children’s education, health and care plans and child looked after medical reports are on file. 8 January 2021

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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; and to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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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— 8 January 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 9 children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

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.

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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: Silverlining Childcare Limited

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Inspectors

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC458746 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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