Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447645 1 SC447645

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Unity Residential Care Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider runs this home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have experienced childhood instability that results in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a manager in post. Since the last inspection, the registered manager has moved to be manager of another home in the company.

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This monitoring visit

On 15 December 2020, a monitoring visit was carried out in response to information received by Ofsted which raised concerns about the safety of children. Following this visit, compliance notices were issued under regulations 12 and 13 due to shortfalls in the assessment and mitigation of risk, and the leadership and management of the home. In addition, Ofsted issued an urgent variation to the conditions of registration to limit the numbers of children who can live at the home to one child.

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This monitoring visit

At a further monitoring visit on the 26 January 2021, the inspector found that the provider had met the actions required in the regulation 12 compliance notice but had not met the actions set in the regulation 13 compliance notice. This compliance notice was reissued and notice restricting accommodation in the home was issued. This prevents any child moving to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

On the 9 March 2021, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to review the progress made to meet the actions set out in the regulation 13 compliance notice. This visit was carried out remotely due to restrictions due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The inspector found that the provider had not met the actions set out in the compliance notice. The notice restricting the accommodation of any new children moving into the home remains in place. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447645 2 The inspector found that the home does not have enough staff for any children to move into the home. Since the monitoring visit on the 26 January 2021, the registered manager and two residential care workers have been moved to work in other homes run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited. The home now has a trainee manager and three residential care workers. The trainee manager and one residential care worker cannot work in the home because of reasons associated with

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is inexperienced. Of the four remaining staff members, only the trainee manager has the required level 3 diploma qualification. None of the three residential care workers have previous experience of working in residential childcare and two of these staff have less than six months’ experience of working in this setting.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been subject to compliance action because of concerns about the safety of children and the sufficiency of appropriately skilled and trained staff on two occasions in the last seven-month period. This has had a significant impact on children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have made some progress in meeting the steps in the compliance notice. Managers have taken steps to increase staff knowledge and skills to keep children safe. This includes ensuring that staff have had face-to-face first-aid training. All staff are enrolled on the level 3 qualification and managers lead regular learning events which are focused on safeguarding.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child has had a planned move to live back with their family. Staff supported the child to move to their new home. They gave the child a goodbye party with the child’s favourite takeaway meal and gifts. Some staff joined the meal remotely to ensure they said goodbye. Therefore, despite the restrictions related to COVID-19, staff have enabled the child to have a positive experience of leaving the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/10/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Full Good 10/01/2018 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447645 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the number of qualified and experienced staff working in the home and the availability of managers to work in the home. 18 April 2021

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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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447645 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Belvoir Farmhouse, Woolsthorpe Road, Redmile, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG13 0GN

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447645 5 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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