Children's Home run by Osei Minkah Care Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1277449 1

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Osei Minkah Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This provider is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children with learning difficulties and/or mental health difficulties. The home is dual registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in October 2020. A deputy manager is in post. Recruitment activity for the post of manager is ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

At an assurance visit on 23 and 24 September 2020, serious and widespread concerns were identified in relation to the care and protection of children. As a result of this inspection, and in response to the serious failings found in respect of safeguarding children and the leadership and management of the home, the home’s registration was suspended on 25 September 2020. Eight requirements were raised; five of which were the subject of compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit on 3 November 2020 found that managers had complied with the suspension notice. However, managers had not prioritised making the necessary improvements. Consequently, progress was slow and none of the compliance notices or requirements had been met. Eight requirements were raised again.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit on 15 December 2020 found that managers had complied with the suspension notice. However, serious and repeated shortfalls in respect of the leadership and management arrangements for the home continued to be evident. The registration of the home was suspended on 17 December 2020 for a further 12- week period, subject to review at six weeks.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit on 26 January 2021 found that managers had complied with the suspension notice. However, managers had not made sufficient progress in Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1277449 2 remedying the shortfalls that were identified in previous inspections and which led to the registration of the home being suspended. Consequently, the home’s registration remained suspended.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit on 8 March 2021 found that managers had complied with the suspension notice. However, insufficient progress had been made in bringing about improvement in order to ensure that children would be likely to receive safe and effective care. Serious and repeated shortfalls in respect of the leadership and management arrangements for the home remained evident. The registration of the home was suspended on the 11 March 2021 for a further 12-week period, subject to review at six weeks.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s adherence to the suspension notice, to review any progress made in addressing the shortfalls that led to the home’s registration being suspended, and to consider whether it would be safe for children to live at the home.

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This monitoring visit

At this visit, inspectors found that managers have continued to comply with the suspension notice. No children have lived at the home since September 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have taken some action to address some of the shortfalls identified at previous visits. However, progress remains extremely slow and during this visit two further shortfalls were identified. New and repeated shortfalls mean that the regulator is not assured that the progress made in bringing about improvement is sufficient to ensure safe and effective care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers remain unable to demonstrate that they have developed and implemented effective monitoring systems to ensure the necessary oversight of the care and safety of children. Managers advised inspectors that since the last monitoring visit there has been no further advice from the management consultant appointed to support them in developing a suitable quality assurance system.

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This monitoring visit

A quality assurance policy was provided for inspectors during the visit. However, the policy is adult focused and fails to take account of the law, guidance and key requirements relevant to the safe of operation of a children’s home. The long- standing failure to develop and implement an appropriate quality assurance system raises significant concerns about the ability of leaders to manage the home effectively and safely.

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This monitoring visit

The safeguarding policy has been revised, and now focuses on safeguarding children rather than adults. Since the last inspection, 10 out of sixteen staff have undertaken level 3 safeguarding training. A staff meeting record shows that managers have discussed the revised safeguarding policy with staff, including the difference between safeguarding concerns about persons in a position of trust and other types of safeguarding concerns. However, shortfalls in the policy remain. For example, the policy refers to a manager who has not been at work for several months and has no Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1277449 3 return date. The policy does not clearly set out the need to liaise and cooperate with any local authority making a child protection enquiry, or the need to ensure the prompt referral of allegations of past abuse and neglect. It does not set out what staff should do if an allegation is made about a manager in the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

Information contained in the policy about measures which may be needed to protect a child following an allegation of abuse focuses on staff reporting to managers and other agencies. It does not set out the practical measures that staff may need to consider to secure a child’s immediate short-term safety. These shortfalls do not assure Ofsted that managers have the knowledge and understanding to ensure that staff have access to a fully relevant policy that meets regulation, to help them to understand and act on their responsibilities for safeguarding children.

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This monitoring visit

A new shortfall was identified in that managers have failed to ensure that staff have access to relevant and current information to support them in understanding and supporting children’s challenging behaviour. The policy and procedure document for challenging behaviour is adult focused, refers staff to the Care Act 2014 and contains no reference to the relevant law and guidance relating to children or the operation of a children’s home. This means that the policy does not provide staff with essential information to help them to understand the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in supporting children who are living in a children’s home. In addition, the policy and procedure document states that an intervention called ‘seclusion’ may be agreed, which is of concern.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have improved the records of physical intervention and the recording template now captures all information necessary to meet regulation. However, no evidence was provided for inspectors to show how managers have ensured that staff understand the expectations for completion of the new physical intervention record. Five out of 16 staff have completed general online record-keeping training since the last visit. However, training in record-keeping that is specific to the home needs to be rescheduled. Six of the 16 staff named in the statement of purpose have recently completed physical intervention training. Dates to confirm that the rest of the staff have either received this training or are to complete it have not been provided.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not taken reasonable steps to ensure that there is safe and proportionate behaviour management practice in the home. This is evidenced by the shortfalls in the guidance for staff on behaviour management and the slow progress made in ensuring that staff are clear about practice expectations.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, managers have developed guidance on the reporting of significant events. However, it is a concern that, when asked by the inspector, a deputy manager was unable to talk through the range of events that should be reported to the regulator, as set out in the guidance. This limited progress does not give the regulator assurance that managers and staff are confident in their understanding of processes that support the external oversight of the safety and welfare of children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1277449 4 Efforts have been made to follow up previous safer recruitment concerns. However, a lack of insight regarding safer recruitment practice means that shortfalls have not yet been fully addressed. For example, managers have repeatedly continued to pursue an employment reference via an unverified personal email address rather than approaching the employing organisation directly for an authorised reference.

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This monitoring visit

There is no evidence that managers have considered or sought an overseas check for the employee, despite the employee only recently coming to live and work in the United Kingdom. Continued shortfalls in safer recruitment practice potentially expose children to the risk of being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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This monitoring visit

Managers failed to provide evidence that recommendations arising from a management investigation into staff practice during the previous summer had been actioned. As a result, it is not clear that lessons have been learned.

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This monitoring visit

The review of the suitability of the premises does not meet regulation. The location risk assessment is of poor quality. The document does not show that in conducting the review of the premises, managers have consulted with and considered the views of each relevant person. Ofsted remains concerned that managers do not take responsibility for assuring themselves that information key to supporting children’s safety meets regulatory requirements.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have now received official confirmation from a pharmacist that medication policies are suitable for use in a children’s home.

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This monitoring visit

Weak leadership and management and repeated failure to self-direct, make and sustain improvements have been ongoing themes since the home’s first full inspection in August 2019. The continued and repeated inability of managers to meet and apply what the regulations require does not give Ofsted confidence that managers have the ability and understanding necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of children.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s registration remains suspended at this time.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/12/2019 Full Inadequate 27/08/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1277449 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: Osei Minkah Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trilogy Suite, 9 Church Street, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire WV11 1SR

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Inspectors

Alison Cooper, social care inspector James Tallis, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1277449 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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