Children's Home run by Eagle Children’s Home in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356565 1 SC356565

p.1

Eagle Children’s Home

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation and is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2013.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit took place in response to an escalating pattern of concerns as noted in the safeguarding notifications sent to Ofsted. This included incidents of a young person going missing from the home and placing himself at potential risk of exploitation.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit, two young people were living in the home. Progress for young people is mixed. One young person is settled and making good progress. He has forged positive relationships with staff and developed a strong sense of belonging to his home. However, another young person spends a significant amount of time away from the home and regularly goes missing. There are concerns that the young person is on the periphery of gang affiliation and is at risk of being criminally exploited.

p.1

This monitoring visit

One young person goes missing from the home regularly. The registered manager and staff do not take the necessary steps to manage the risks associated with this behaviour. Staff do not follow the agreed missing-from-care protocol. For example, they do not search areas that the young person is known to visit. Records of missing-from-care incidents show that staff miss opportunities to locate the young person and ensure that he is safely returned. For example, on occasions, staff do not attempt to locate the young person despite him informing them of his whereabouts. This leaves the young person at risk of potential harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356565 2 The young person spends a significant amount of time away from the home as part of an agreed plan. The registered manager and staff do not manage the potential risks associated with this arrangement effectively. For example, in most instances,

p.1

This monitoring visit

the young person does not answer his mobile phone when staff contact him to complete their welfare checks. Despite this, staff do not attempt to locate the young person and establish if he is safe and well. As a result, the young person is away from the home for several hours each day without any assessment of the potential risk.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff do not challenge the young person effectively about his persistent incidents of going missing. Furthermore, staff do not understand what he does when he is not in the home. Staff do not use professional curiosity to explore and manage possible risks. Furthermore, staff do not support the young person to understand the risks associated with his behaviour. For example, there is limited evidence of staff providing the young person with one-to-one support. This means that concerns related to him going missing, using substances and potential gang affiliation have not been fully explored by staff with the young person. As a result, staff have been unable to support the young person to fully understand the risks he is exposed to or how he can keep himself safe.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager’s oversight of staff practice and safeguarding incidents is poor. She has failed to identify that staff are not following guidance in risk assessments to keep the young people safe. The registered manager was not fully aware of the extent to which one young person is identified as being at risk of exploitation. This means that there have been missed opportunities to take effective and timely action to respond to escalating concerns about the young person’s safety and welfare.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager does not always send Ofsted notifications of significant safeguarding events. This does not reassure Ofsted of the effectiveness of the management of the home.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/07/2019 Full Good 24/07/2018 Full Good 02/05/2017 Full Good 08/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356565 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.3

Requirement Due date

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.3

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)) 5 April 2021

p.3

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.3

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; 5 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356565 4 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.3

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

p.4

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—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.4

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)(f)) 5 April 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.4

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 5 April 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356565 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.5

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Millicent Vernon

p.5

Inspector

Gareth Leckey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356565 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6