Children's home run by Albrighton Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263329 1

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Albrighton Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to two children who have a learning disability. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since August 2020. A new manager started in post on 25 January 2021. They have not applied to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place as the home has not been inspected since January 2020. Furthermore, since the registered manager’s departure in August 2020, there have been two further changes to the management of the home. In addition, Ofsted had concerns about the quality of the independent visitor reports being received.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, two children have left the home, and one child has moved in. There is currently one child living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers’ poor oversight has contributed to a disorganised approach to care planning. For example, care plans, behaviour management plans and risk assessments do not provide details of the child’s behavioural difficulties and emotional health needs. This means that staff are not given clear guidance on how best to meet the child’s needs. As a result, staff do not work in a consistent way to support the child.

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This monitoring visit

The new manager has been in post for three weeks. The manager does not yet have a good enough understanding of the quality of care being provided. However, the manager recognises that there are shortfalls. The manager has started to take action to address these. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263329 2 The independent visitor’s audits of the home have not provided enough scrutiny. For example, the independent visitor has not identified that staff do not always receive regular supervisions or that there are gaps in staff training. Furthermore, the reports completed by the visitor include generic statements about the quality of the care provided to children and the suitability of the home’s safeguarding arrangements. However, senior managers recognised that the quality of these audits was not good enough and have appointed a new independent visitor. The new visitor has not yet

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This monitoring visit

completed their first visit to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The six-monthly quality of care review was completed by the previous manager in September 2020. The report does not include any feedback from children, parents or local authorities. This is a missed opportunity for managers to identify and address improvements in the quality of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

Since August 2020, there has been a stable staff team. Staff have developed positive relationships with the one child living in the home. These relationships and the support provided to the child has had a positive impact on his emotional well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been successful in ensuring that the child’s education attendance has improved since he has lived in the home. Staff have worked in partnership with the child’s education provider to plan how best to support him. This has helped him to make progress with his education.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have worked hard to keep the child entertained and active despite the restrictions in place as a result of COVID-19 (coronavirus). This has included purchasing him a bike and engaging him in regular activities such as going on regular walks. This has been an effective strategy in helping the child to regulate his emotions and overcome feelings of anxiety. This has contributed to the child’s behaviours being more settled.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/01/2020 Full Good 14/11/2018 Full Good 26/02/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263329 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 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. (Regulation 13 1(a)(b) (2)(a)) 31 March 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 31 March 2021

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 31 March 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— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263329 4 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

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Requirement Due date

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—

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263329 5

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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: Albrighton Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Albrighton Care Ltd, Rumer Hill Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0ET

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263329 6 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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