Children's Home run by Aston Children’s Care Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 1 SC453726 Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children, aged between eight and 18 years, with complex behaviours due to childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 7 September 2021. As a result of the inspection, five compliance notices were raised, under regulations 11, 12, 13 (two notices) and 32. A notice restricting the number of children who can live in the home was also issued.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 6 October 2021. This was to review the action taken to meet three of the compliance notices, under regulations 11, 13 (in relation to ensuring there are sufficient staff to meet the needs of children) and 32. Inspectors found that compliance notices for regulations 11 and 13 were met. However, regulation 32 had not been met and this compliance notice was reissued.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 18 October 2021, to review action taken to meet compliance notices under regulations 12, 13 (in relation to staff training, staff qualifications and monitoring) and 32. Inspectors found that the compliance notice for regulation 12 was met. However, two compliance notices, under regulation 13 and regulation 32, were not met and were therefore reissued. In addition, a further compliance notice was issued under regulation 26.

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This monitoring visit

A further full inspection was undertaken on 16 and 17 November 2021 and the home was judged to be requires improvement to be good. Following this inspection, compliance notices were issued under regulation 26 and regulation 32, as managers had not taken sufficient action to meet these compliance notices. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 2 The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the action taken by the responsible individual to meet the compliance notices issued under regulation 26 and regulation 32.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has now implemented changes to ensure the recruitment of staff is more robust. New recruitment procedures are being implemented and staff responsible for recruitment have received training in safer recruitment. Shortfalls raised in three out of four staff recruitment files have been rectified. However, one file omits some information about exact employment dates and the verification of why the person left a previous employer.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices under regulation 26 and regulation 32 are therefore met.

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This monitoring visit

The notice restricting the number of children who can live in the home is no longer in force. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2021 Full Inadequate 15/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 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—

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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.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the provider only admits children into the home when they fully understand their needs and can confidently meet those needs.

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Requirement Due date

Due to the restriction notice, this was not reviewed at the inspection. This requirement is therefore restated. 19 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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 28 (1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers being subject to the appropriate checks to ensure they are considered to be safe to work with children. 30 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 30 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 5 The requirements are that—

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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 ensuring that staff are safely recruited as required.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 19 December2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy for the prevention of bullying in the home, which must in particular set out the procedure for dealing with an allegation of bullying. (Regulation 34 (3)) 28 December 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.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 1 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 6 (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the quality of care review report being a true reflection of the quality of care afforded to children, including children’s and professionals’ feedback and an effective and measurable action plan.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint, to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: SC453726 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 181 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0EQ

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Inspector

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453726 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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