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.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since September 2018.

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This monitoring visit

On 20 and 21 October 2020, Ofsted undertook an assurance visit. The visit identified widespread and serious concerns. As a result, 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

On 4 December 2020, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit to the home. The purpose of the visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices and adherence to the suspension notice. Inspectors identified that the provider had not taken enough action to meet the steps set out in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

These compliance notices were not re-issued. However, the suspension noticed remained in place. Furthermore, on 16 December 2020, Ofsted issued a notice of proposal to cancel the provider’s registration due to the repeated failure to provide care in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

On 11 January 2021, Ofsted completed a remote monitoring visit to the home. The purpose of the visit was to review the progress made in meeting the requirements raised at the last visit.

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This monitoring visit

The current manager was appointed on 30 November 2020. At the time of this visit he was absent due to sick leave. The responsible individual advised that he would be Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC458746 2 absent until at least 18 January 2021. Due to the nature of his sick leave, his return date is not guaranteed. Should the manager not return as expected, the home may experience a prolonged period without a manager in day-to-day charge of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The existing management structure does not include a deputy manager. Furthermore, the organisation does not have any other managers who are able to deputise in the manager’s absence. This leaves the responsible individual in day-to- day charge of the home. During the visit, the responsible individual told inspectors she is concerned whether she has the capacity to manage and support both children’s homes that she has responsibility for. In the event that the responsible individual should need to be in day-to-day charge, due to the manager’s absence, this would likely have a detrimental impact on both the homes that she is responsible for. This may expose children to an increased risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is inexperienced. This means that they require the guidance and advice of managers to ensure that they provide appropriate care to any children admitted to the home. The absence of the manager, coupled with the responsible individual’s ineffective leadership skills, mean that staff may not receive the support that they need to meet the needs of children. This means that Ofsted is not assured that children will be safely admitted and cared for effectively in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have recently undertaken a range of training to help develop their skills and knowledge. Most of this training has been completed online. As the home’s registration is currently suspended, there are no children living in the home. This means that the extent to which this training has enabled staff to be able to keep children safe and meet their needs is untested.

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This monitoring visit

Not all senior staff have completed formal training in safer recruitment. This is despite recent concerns about the quality of safer recruitment. However, all staff currently working in the home have been safely recruited. Furthermore, the responsible individual is due to complete training in respect of safer recruitment.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not completed a quality of care review in line with regulations. This is a missed opportunity for managers to consider the learning from the last six months and to implement an improvement plan. This does not demonstrate effective leadership.

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This monitoring visit

Although there are continued shortfalls in the leadership of the home, there have been some improvements. For example, the statement of purpose has been updated, the location risk assessment reviewed, and staff are receiving regular supervisions and have had appraisals. In addition, a new independent visitor has been appointed.

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This monitoring visit

Three requirements raised at the last assurance visit could not be reviewed as there are no children currently in placement. These requirements related to regulation 14 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC458746 3 (the care planning standard), regulation 35 (behaviour management policies and records) and regulation 36 (children’s case records).

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This monitoring visit

Based on the information set out in this report, the notice of suspension was re- issued on 13 January 2021.

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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

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 spire 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

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)(c)(d)(e)(f) 8 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 8 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC458746 5 A responsible individual must—

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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)) 8 February 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;

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Requirement Due date

and 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 8 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC458746 6 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii) (c))

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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

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

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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 February 2021

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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

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. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 8 February 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that managers and senior staff can access resources to support their training needs. This will include the completion of safer recruitment training for those individuals involved in undertaking the recruitment of staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC458746 7 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 8 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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