Children's home run by Absolute Children’s Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 1

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Absolute Children’s 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 run by a private provider. It offers care and accommodation for up to four children aged between 10 and 17 who have experienced early childhood instability that has led to trauma and/or associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2019 and is suitably qualified to level 4 in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

The home was last inspected in February 2020. Ofsted carried out this visit to review children’s progress.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Ofsted did not carry out a physical visit to the home. The inspector gathered evidence in several different ways, including holding video calls with the manager and the staff and asking them to provide electronic documents for the inspector to review.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in.

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This monitoring visit

One child living at the home told the inspector that they feel supported by staff and managers. The child also told the inspector that staff spend time with them and listen to them.

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This monitoring visit

During the periods of restrictions relating to the pandemic when it has been difficult for children to attend school, staff have stepped in to help promote children’s learning. This has enabled children to sustain academic success.

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This monitoring visit

Staff promote children’s health. They actively encourage children to attend medical and health appointments. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 2 Staff communicate well with the relevant professionals to ensure that recommendations raised at statutory reviews are acted on. As a result, children’s care aligns with their care plan.

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This monitoring visit

Staff manage aspects of children’s challenging behaviour well. They de-escalate situations effectively, which means that the number of incidents involving physical intervention is low.

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This monitoring visit

During the periods of national lockdown, children have been supported by staff to stay in touch with their families. When it has been allowed, staff have arranged face- to-face meetings. This has helped children to sustain important relationships.

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This monitoring visit

It is acknowledged that staff face-to-face training has been impacted by restrictions associated with COVID-19. The manager has worked hard to ensure that staff continue to receive up-to-date training to enable them to support the children in their care. This has included receiving specialised training in mental health and self- harm. However, two members of staff have still not gained their level 3 diploma in residential childcare within the necessary timescale.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the positive aspect of care, managers do not always use monitoring and review systems to help with their oversight of the home. For example, the statement of purpose needs to be brought up to date to reflect changes in the management and staff structure. It took the inspector to highlight a concern that a child’s bedroom window did not have a window restrictor fitted. This health and safety oversight has the potential to place children at harm.

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This monitoring visit

When children go missing from the home, there is no clear guidance for staff to follow on when they should contact the police. This creates a delay in safeguarding measures being triggered.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed and accurately reflect the level of risk that children can face. For example, staff do not have clear guidance and advice in relation to specific risks of child sexual exploitation and a child’s use of a mobile device. This leaves staff without all the necessary information that they require to enable them to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has submitted to Ofsted his first quality assurance report about the service. Although he has a clear plan for the future of the service, the report does not yet meet the quality standards for children’s homes. In addition, managers have not ensured that the independent person’s monthly reports result in a rigorous assessment being made over the quality of care. As a result, relevant information, such as the children’s wishes, feelings and views, is omitted from reports.

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This monitoring visit

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have received regular supervision. However, the manager does not always use supervision effectively to enable staff to reflect on Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 3 their practice. This creates a missed opportunity for raising staff aspirations and development.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 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 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

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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii)(d)(e)) 23 April 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)) 23 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 5 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or 23 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 6 works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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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)) 23 April 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose meets regulation 6 (2)(a) and (b)(i). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a statement of purpose (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s statement of purpose should be child focused and indicate how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standard for the children in their care. The information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement in that home is the right one for that child and the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that the statement of purpose contains accurate information and reflects staff structure and staffing levels to meet young people’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, pages 14 and 15, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matter set out in the regulation at least once every six months. The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of the children living there, and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the quality standards, as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should make sure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Absolute Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 142 West Malvern Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4NJ

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2525807 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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