Children's Home run by Young Birch Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 1

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Young Birch Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered for up to three children aged eight to 17 years with social and/or emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 17 May 2021.

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This monitoring visit

The home was registered on the 7 April 2021 and was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 3 August 2021, following concerns relating to the admission procedures for children, safeguarding arrangements for children and the management oversight to the quality of care for children. As a result of this full inspection, a suspension notice, three compliance notices and nine requirements were raised.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to check that the provider was complying to the suspension notice and to check the action that has been taken to fulfil the compliance notices issued on the 4 August 2021.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the provider has continued to comply with the suspension notice. However, managers have failed to ensure that all the steps set out in the compliance notice have been met. As a result, two compliance notices have been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, managers shared with the inspector that they recognised that the manager, who has subsequently resigned, did not have the necessary skills to manage a children’s home effectively. The provider has recruited a new manager, who has the necessary skills and is currently in the safer recruitment process. This means there is currently no manager in post. Because of this, the suspension notice will remain in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 2 Managers has made some progress. For example, there is now an initial referral document. This ensures that prior to admission of a child, managers will have all background information relating to the risks of the child. The impact risk assessment will now be completed by the registered manager, with support from the responsible individual. This shows there is management oversight to the admission process for admitting children. As a result, the compliance notice for regulation 14 has been

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This monitoring visit

The managers are in the process of organising some training, and there is some training organised which the staff are yet to complete. In addition, there is no registered manager in post. As a result of this, the compliance notice for regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) have not been met and these have been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have implemented new monitoring systems, which will ensure that there is management oversight to the safeguarding arrangement of children and to the quality of care that is provided to children. Some of these monitoring systems are yet to be implemented, and the effectiveness of these monitoring systems is yet to be tested. Because of this, six requirements have not been met and have been reinstated.

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This monitoring visit

The provider shared with the inspectors that they are not in the position where the suspension notice can be lifted. This is because they recognise that the registered manager is not in post. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 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 provider escalating concerns to local authorities about the care planning arrangements for children. 17 October 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.

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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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 17 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 5 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; 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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the registered manager and the staff have an understanding of their roles and responsibilities relating to the safeguarding arrangements for children.

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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 child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(h)) 17 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 6 This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that staff receive adequate training that is effective for them to carry out their roles and responsibilities in caring for children.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the manager receives an appropriate induction to the home and that staff receive regular supervision. 17 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that an appropriately trained individual oversees the use of physical 17 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 7 interventions and that all children and staff receive debriefs following the use of any interventions.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that they have all statutory documentation for children and that the needs of the children are reflected in the home’s care planning documents. 17 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that unauthorised absence records accurately detail the time and date of when the child went missing and when they then returned to the home. Furthermore, ensure that all significant incident records accurately reflect the action taken by staff and what they have done to minimise the incident. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 8

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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: Young Birch Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Station Avenue, Tile Hill, Coventry CV4 9HS

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Inspectors

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2618755 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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