Children's Home run by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in Dudley

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 1 SC038500

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Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted completed an interim inspection 16 December 2021 following concerns raised with Ofsted about the quality of care provided to children. Following this inspection, Ofsted served two compliance notices in relation to the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. In addition, a decision was made to suspend the home’s registration.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the suspension notice and evaluate the progress the provider has made towards meeting the actions set out in the compliance notices. At the time of the visit, there were no children living in the home. During this visit, the inspector found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the actions set out in the two compliance notices. These have been reissued and the suspension of the home’s registration remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management remains poor. For example, there continues to be no restrictions on the home’s internet and the support plans for children place the emphasis on the child being responsible for online safety. Leaders and managers have failed to recognise poor risk management practice, which limits the scope for improvement and would continue to compromise children’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding arrangements remain inadequate. Staff have completed additional training to identify and understand risk to children. This includes missing-from-care Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 2 and sexual exploitation training. However, learning is not embedded into practice. For example, the newly created missing-from-care plan states that children should be followed for only 10 to 15 minutes. This raises the question whether staff understand risk or the training that they have received. This plan in practice would leave children vulnerable to the risk of harm. Leaders and managers fail to ensure that staff have the knowledge and understanding to protect children from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Systems to support children living in the home have not improved. For example, there is no clear guidance for staff about how to support children who are not attending formal education and which techniques should be used to support children if needed. This demonstrates a lack of planning and thought about how children’s needs can be met. This does not assure Ofsted that managers have systems in place to ensure that effective care is provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have begun to make improvements to the condition of the home. The roller shutter in the kitchen has been removed and children’s bedrooms have been repainted. However, some aspects of the environment still require attention. For example, not all of the children’s bedrooms have curtains, and stains on carpets remain. Leaders and managers have not yet demonstrated sufficient improvement, and children would not be provided with suitable living conditions if they were to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers lack professional curiosity. There has been limited reflection on the shortfalls raised at the previous inspection. For example, the managers have changed staff practice and kitchen doors are no longer locked. However, managers have failed to identify and address the routine of locking the landing door without good reason. This places unnecessary restrictions on children to move freely in the home. This practice remains a concern and has not been addressed effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring and review systems in place remain poor. Managers of the home have not ensured that they have followed the timescales set by their action plan. This demonstrates a lack of planning and the ability to improve the quality of care provided at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The notice to suspend the registration of this home remains. The provider has not yet demonstrated sufficient improvement through the action plan, and children may be at risk of harm if they were to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 have been issued again. The registration of the home is still suspended. Ofsted will continue to monitor progress and review all remaining requirements and the two compliance notices at the next unannounced visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/12/2021 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/08/2019 Full Good 18/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 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 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;

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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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. 11 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 5 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that they support children to keep safe. 11 March 2022

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)) 11 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 6 This particularly refers to staff ensuring that risk assessments are up to date.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive refresher mandatory training.

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Requirement Due date

It also refers to the registered manager ensuring that they use internal monitoring systems more effectively. 11 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them 11 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 7 safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that staff do not lock internal doors in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the missing child policy") setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the registered manager ensuring that the staff adequately respond to missing-from-home incidents, and that the manager evaluates the effectiveness of each response.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (3)(a)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that all relevant information is contained in behaviour management records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 8 *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: SC038500 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Council House, Priory Road, Dudley DY1 1HF

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Inspectors

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Ricky D’Arcy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 10 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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