Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 1

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Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately-owned children’s home is operated by a large national provider. It is registered to care for up to three children who have complex needs and have experienced trauma and loss.

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Information about this children’s home

The new manager starts in post on the 1 April 2021 and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted inspected the home on 13 and 14 October 2020. Serious and widespread concerns were identified. As a result, Ofsted took the decision to issue the home with a notice to vary a condition of the registration. Ofsted considered this to be the most appropriate action and believed that reducing numbers from five children to three, on an urgent basis for up to 12 weeks, would give managers and staff the opportunity to reduce the risk of harm that was present in the home. Additionally, Ofsted issued a compliance notice under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was carried out on 3 November 2020 to review the notice to vary a condition of the registration. At the monitoring visit, inspectors found that despite the number of children being reduced to three, children were not safe in the home. As a result of the significant concerns identified, Ofsted made the decision to issue a notice to suspend the registration of this home. This took immediate effect from 4 November 2020 until 26 January 2021.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 16 December 2020 to review the suspension notice. The inspector found that the provider had complied with the suspension notice and the home was being refurbished. The registered manager and the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 2 responsible individual had left the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

On 19 January 2021, a further monitoring visit took place. The visit found that the provider had continued to comply with the suspension notice. The provider decided not to admit children until the senior managers’ action plan was implemented.

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This monitoring visit

At this latest monitoring visit, inspectors found that a new manager and a new responsible individual have been appointed. The staff team has benefited from learning and development opportunities over recent months. This training has helped the staff to improve their knowledge and skills in readiness for the home to reopen. In addition, the home has benefited from refurbishment. Consequently, the home is now ready to start to readmit children.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the previous inspections have not been reviewed and, therefore, remain in place.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/02/2020 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good 30/11/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(i)) 22/02/2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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— 22/02/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 4 that staff—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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. 22/02/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 5 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f))

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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.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(i)) 22/02/2021

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the appropriateness of using bedroom door 22/02/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 6 alarms needs to be fully considered and kept under review.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the 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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(vii)) 22/02/2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e)) 22/02/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 7

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Recommendations

 the registered person should ensure some records are kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Electronic records should be held at the individual home in accordance with data protection principles. IT systems should ensure the safe storage of these records and business continuity planning should be in place to prevent loss or damage to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 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

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

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