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 for two children with 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. On 14 June 2021 and 22 July 2021, monitoring visits took place to monitor the notice of restriction. This had been adhered to and remains in place. 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 provider has interviewed a manager, a deputy manager and two senior staff. However, the provider has not confirmed their start dates and is awaiting some safer recruitment checks to be verified. Recruitment for additional care staff is ongoing. This means the management and staffing arrangements continue to be insufficient, and it would be unsafe for children to be admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home is undergoing refurbishment. Bedrooms and communal areas are being redecorated and furnished. The provider proposes to ensure that all carpets and flooring is replaced, along with the furniture and soft furnishings. At the time of the visit, work was underway.

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This monitoring visit

The provider does not ensure that routine weekly fire monitoring checks are undertaken in line with the home’s policy and procedures. For example, no Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 2 monitoring checks had been recorded since April 2021. This lack of monitoring by the provider compromises the health and safety of anyone working, visiting or living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

It was unclear at the visit whether the independent visitor had undertaken a visit for the months of April and May 2021. The responsible individual and the service manager could not confirm if the visits had taken place. The quality of the reports provided was poor and inaccurate. This does not satisfy Ofsted that the independent scrutiny of the home by the independent person is sufficient.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has implemented an action plan to address identified shortfalls. This work is ongoing. The senior leadership team meets weekly to monitor the progress made against the action plan.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, one requirement was raised. The requirements raised at the last visits were not monitored as part of this visit as their dates had not expired.

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Recent inspection history

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; and

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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; and

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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; and

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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. 3 September 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. 3 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 4 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

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; 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. (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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home’s conditions and the unaddressed health and safety issues in the home. 3 September 2021

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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 3 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 5 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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (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 for children who move in and out of the home. 3 September 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 are protected. 3 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 6 After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that fire drills and practices take place regularly. 3 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

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. 3 September 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. 3 September 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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1) (2)(a)(b)) 3 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1253623 7 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.

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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

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. 3 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to monthly independent reports being sent to Ofsted. 3 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. (Regulation 45 (1)) 3 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the location risk assessment being updated and reviewed. 3 September 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, Warwickshire 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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