Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 1

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The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is operated by a private provider and provides care and accommodation for two children who have learning disabilities.

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This monitoring visit

On 28 and 29 April 2021, Ofsted undertook a full inspection. The home was judged inadequate. In response to that visit, Ofsted issued a notice of restriction of accommodation. In addition, on 21 May 2021, a notice of proposal to cancel the registration of the home was issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to consider the home’s adherence to the notice of restriction. The provider has adhered to the restriction of accommodation and there are currently no children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home does not have a registered manager. A new manager has yet to be recruited. Despite the staff vacancies, no staff have been recruited. The lack of manager and staff means that it would be unsafe for children to move into the home.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, the required improvements to the interior of the home have not yet commenced. There are no clear timescales for when this work will be completed. This means that the home is not yet ready for children.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit, the responsible individual was on annual leave. A service manager was overseeing the home in his absence. The service manager had limited knowledge about what action had been taken to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection in April 2021. Currently, there is no written action plan in place to develop and improve the service. This does not provide Ofsted with assurances about the leadership of this home. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 2 The dates of completion for the requirements raised at the previous inspection have not yet expired. These requirements were not monitored and have been restated.

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This monitoring visit

One new requirement has been raised in relation to the visits completed by the independent person. Since the last visit, the independent visitor has not conducted monthly visits during April or May 2021. The independent visitor was of the view that the home was closed and therefore did not require a visit. The provider had not challenged this. This is a missed opportunity to use independent feedback to develop the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/04/2021 Full Inadequate 10/03/2020 Full Inadequate 20/11/2019 Full Inadequate 19/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 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

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff provide good-quality care. 18 June 2021

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 18 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 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

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

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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

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

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff take the necessary action to protect children from harm.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. 18 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 5 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff are suitably trained, experienced and qualified to deliver care that is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff provide effectively planned care moving in and out of the home. 18 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the staff list is kept up to date. 18 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that the responsible individual oversees the management of the home and takes action to ensure that children are safe and protected. 18 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 6 The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that a manager is appointed to the home. 18 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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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)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that gaps in employment history are explored. 18 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff follow the safeguarding policy in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. 18 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the address of the child prior to admission and upon leaving the home, including the statutory provision, is recorded. 18 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 7 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that significant event notifications are sent without delay and include factual information. 18 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the independent person visits the home each month. 21 July 2021

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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: 1253623 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham B23 7YX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Blessing Manyara

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1253623 9 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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