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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC467264 1 SC467264 Registered provider: N H Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. The home 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

A manager was appointed on 27 September 2021 and is in the process of submitting their registration to Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection completed 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.

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This monitoring visit

On 19 August 2021, a monitoring visit identified that the compliance notice under regulation 12 was met. There were still shortfalls in the management and staffing arrangements, including the independent person’s oversight. As a result, the compliance notice under regulation 13 was reissued.

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This monitoring visit

On 27 September 2021, a monitoring visit found that improvement has been made. However, the compliance notice under regulation 13 was reissued.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit, the completion date for the reissued compliance notice had not lapsed. Therefore, the primary purpose of this monitoring visit was to ensure that the suspension notice has been adhered to and to review progress made. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC467264 2 Little progress has been made since the last visit. A further six requirements under regulations 16, 26, 28, 32, 33 and 45 have been raised. The manager and responsible individual’s poor oversight and implementation of their own development plan raises concerns about their skills and ability to make and sustain the required improvements.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit on 27 September 2021, the responsible individual advised that they intend to have a full staff team in place in four to six weeks. However, only three staff have been recruited. These staff have not yet started in post and they still need to complete the required training. The lack of suitable trained staff means that it would be unsafe for children to be admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

When recruiting the new staff, managers only partially complete the internal recruitment documentation. This means that the manager’s assessment of the suitability of an individual to be appointed is not recorded. This does not demonstrate an effective and robust approach to the recruitment of new staff.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that a job description is in place for staff working at the home. The manager stated that the job description is in a draft format. This means that staff have been recruited prior to a formal decision being made about the skills staff need to undertake their role and responsibilities. This shows that leaders do not have the ability to provide safe and effective care to children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have met with the police as part of their ongoing review of the home’s location risk assessment. This information-sharing has identified crime hotspots near to the home. Managers have not used this information to update the statement of purpose in relation to the suitability of the home for some children.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s statement of purpose is not an accurate reflection of the home. This is because the manager intends to vary the registration conditions of the home, but has not formally made this request to Ofsted. This disorganised approach does not assure Ofsted that the manager has the requisite skills to carry out his role effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s quality of care review report does not monitor, review and evaluate the care planning and quality of care provided to children. The manager advised the inspector that children’s care records have been archived and, therefore, it is not possible to fully complete the review process. Ofsted is not assured by this explanation.

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This monitoring visit

The notice of suspension remains in place. As the date for the compliance notice has not yet lapsed, this has been restated and will be reviewed at a later point. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC467264 3

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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

*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 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

This is a repeat requirement, and specifically relates to ensuring that there are sufficient trained and experienced staff to care for children, and that the appointed manager is in day-to-day charge of the home and demonstrates that they and senior managers understand and act on areas of development in a timely manner. 12 December 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. (Regulation 16 (1)) 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC467264 5 A responsible individual must—

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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 responsible individual providing effective oversight of the home, and the manager ensuring that children can be safely and effectively cared for. 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the manager has the required capacity, skills and knowledge to lead the home in line with the home’s statement of purpose. 12 December 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. (Regulation 32 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that all staff have been recruited in accordance with their own internal recruitment procedure. 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities. (Regulation 33 (1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that there is a job description in place for all staff recruited. 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)) 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC467264 6 This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the manager’s six-monthly review has reviewed the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC467264 7

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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

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC467264 8 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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