Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 1 SC467264

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N H 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 own this home. It is registered to care for up to four children aged eight to 17 who have social and/or emotional needs.

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Information about this children's home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children's home

We last visited this setting on 7 and 8 July 2021 to carry out a full inspection. The report is published on the Ofsted website

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This monitoring visit

This children's home was judged inadequate at the full inspection that took place on 7 and 8 July 2021. As a result of the inspection Ofsted issued a notice of suspension and compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the visit was to review the notice of suspension and the progress made against the two compliance notices raised at the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The suspension notice has been adhered to and no children are living in the home. Since the full inspection progress has been made and the compliance notice under regulation 12 has been met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed a new systems and processes when assessing the suitability of children who may be placed in the home. This includes assessing the child’s compatibility against children already living in the home, staffing arrangements and appropriateness of the home’s location. These systems are Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 2 designed to support the acting manager to make informed decisions about who lives in the home and promote placement stability.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has now completed safer recruitment training. The introduction of a comprehensive vetting process will assist ensure that the provider employs suitable adults to work in the home. At the time of the inspection no staff had been recruited therefore this process remains untested.

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This monitoring visit

A new staff supervision document has been developed to promote reflect practice and to give a focus to any emerging safeguarding concerns. On the spot formal discussions have also been introduced which will allow the manager to capture staff practice issues as they unfold. It is intended that this will help to develop and skilled and experienced staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made steps in implementing a new monitoring and reviewing system. A monthly management audit tool has been introduced which is designed to support the manager in scrutinising staff practices and supporting staff development. Although these changes are untested, they are an example of the improvements being made by the provider to monitor the quality of care for children.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no registered manager in the home since August 2020. The home has had several changes of manager since this time. The recruitment of a manager is currently underway, but there are no defined timescales for when this will be concluded. It is a concern that the home has been without a registered manager for 12 months.

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This monitoring visit

The previous staff team have been permanently re-located to other children’s homes operated by the provider. At the time of this visit, there were no staff recruited to work in this home. The recruitment of staff is currently underway, but there are no defined timescales for when this will be concluded.

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This monitoring visit

The absence of a manager and staff team mean that it would be unsafe for children to be admitted to this home. The notice of suspension of registration remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

A staff training and development plan had been devised by the responsible individual. As no staff have been recruited, this training has yet to commence. It is not clear as to the timescales for when staff will have undertaken the required training.

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This monitoring visit

The independent person’s visit to the home have continued to lack rigor. As a result, they provide managers with limited information to support the development of the service. The responsible individual and director told the inspector that they were unhappy with the quality of the independent person’s reports. Despite this, they had not challenged the independent person about the report. This does not demonstrate that managers are proactive and skilled in leading the home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 3 An updated assessment of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home has been completed. This assessment better reflects risk factors in the local area. Leaders intend to gather further information to inform this assessment and will use that additional information to inform the planning for any children who move into the home in the future.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement raised under regulation 5 at the las inspection was not fully considered at this inspection and has therefore been re-stated.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/07/2021 Full Inadequate 02/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that they escalate concerns to the local authority relating to the needs of children. 27 September

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 27 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 5 child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f))

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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 permanent manager is recruited to manage the home 27 September

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 27 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that the review of the location of the home includes the plans and strategies for managing the known risks. ('Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 6

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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 address: 69, Steward Street Business Lofts, Steward Street, Birmingham B18 7AF

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC467264 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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