Children's home run by Wrottesley Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 1

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Wrottesley Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged to require improvement to be good at the full inspection in June 2019. The home was judged to have declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection in November 2019.

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This monitoring visit

An assurance visit took place on 28 and 29 September 2020. At this visit, widespread and serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home were identified. The home’s registration was suspended on 30 September 2020 and two compliance notices were issued.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place in November 2020. At that visit, the compliance notices were considered to be met. However, as improvements were in their infancy and staff recruitment was ongoing, Ofsted imposed an urgent notice on 5 November 2020 to vary the conditions of registration of the home to care for one child.

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This monitoring visit

On 8 December 2020, a further monitoring visit took place to review the urgent notice. Limited progress had been made, with six of the nine requirements issued in September 2020 being reissued. The urgent variation to conditions of registration remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place in January 2021 to review the urgent notice. Limited progress had been made and, following the inspection, five requirements Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 2 were reissued and a second urgent notice to vary conditions of registration from three children to one child was issued.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 1 March 2021 to review the urgent notice to vary the conditions of registration of the home to care for one child. No children were living in the home at this point and the provider had redeployed staff to their other children’s home. Following this visit, the inspector reissued four requirements and the urgent variation to the condition of registration remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

After this monitoring visit, the inspector became aware of a dispute over the legal right to occupy the home. The registered person did not notify Ofsted of this dispute in a timely way. As a result of this information, the home was not suitable to provide care for children. On 25 March 2021, the inspector served the responsible individual with a notice of suspension.

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This monitoring visit

On 5 May 2021, a monitoring visit took place to review the notice of suspension. The responsible individual was unable to update inspectors on the legal proceedings with the owner of the home. Inspectors did not feel assured that the provider will resolve the ongoing dispute soon. Following this visit, inspectors reissued four requirements, and the suspension of registration remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors conducted a further monitoring visit on 15 June 2021 to review the notice of suspension. The legal dispute between the provider and the property owner remained unresolved. The provider had recruited a new member of staff who was working in the provider’s sister home with the two existing staff members. Following this visit, the notice of suspension and the four requirements were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

On 4 August 2021, a monitoring visit took place to review the notice of suspension. The provider has had an initial mediation meeting to resolve the legal dispute. The provider is unwilling to disclose the content and proposal to Ofsted until the mediation has concluded. The inspectors remain unassured that the house is available as a home for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

Despite this uncertainty, the provider has begun a programme of improvement to the house and garden. Soot, which had fallen from chimneys, has been cleaned and the redecoration of communal rooms downstairs is underway. The back garden is tidy but dustbins and bags of rubbish in front of the house remain uncollected.

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This monitoring visit

One member of staff is progressing with her level 3 qualification. She continues to remain out of the required timeframe. The responsible individual informed inspectors that she has interviewed a potential member of staff. The candidate was not appointable. There continues to be insufficient staff to meet the needs of a child living in this home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has provided further evidence to demonstrate his review of the behaviour management policy. He has also shown inspectors templates for auditing and alerts from the electronic recording system to review incidents. While Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 3 the registered manager has evidenced management systems he has in place, the effectiveness and impact cannot be assessed until children are in living in this home.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, the suspension and four requirements remain in place.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/11/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 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 care planning standard is that children— 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.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for all children to received well-planned care from the point of admission and that the registered person ensures that all staff follow children’s care plans. 30 September

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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 1 April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 30 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 5 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 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

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Requirement Due date

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

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff complete level 3 training within the required timeframes.

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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

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the registered person has sufficient oversight of all physical intervention paperwork. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); 30 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 6 or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for the registered person to notify Ofsted of notifiable events in a timely manner.

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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: Wrottesley Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 28, 28 Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton WV1 3HT

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Inspectors

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Mr Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2494881 7 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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