Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 1 Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager. The current manager was appointed on 1 September 2021. He is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 22 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 28 and 29 April 2021, Ofsted undertook a full inspection. The home was judged inadequate. In response to that visit, Ofsted issued a notice of restriction of accommodation.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 14 June 2021, 22 July 2021, 23 August 2021, 5 October 2021 and 9 November 2021, monitoring visits took place to monitor the notice of restriction of accommodation and review progress made since the full inspection. On 3 August 2021, a notice of decision to cancel the registration of the home was issued. On 5 January 2022 a monitoring visit took place and following that visit the notice of restriction of accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, the home was not judged.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No children have been living in the home since April 2021, when Ofsted issued the home with a notice of restriction of accommodation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector spoke to the responsible individual on the telephone to carry out this inspection. The responsible individual is newly appointed and was previously the service manager for the company.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since April 2021. The current manager started in post in September 2021. There has been significant delay in the manager submitting a completed application to Ofsted to be registered. The responsible individual told the inspector that the manager had submitted his application to register with Ofsted the day before the inspection. However, a completed application from the manager had not been received by Ofsted at the time of the inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider does not have a target date for the home to be operational. Staff already appointed to work in the home are working at the other children’s home operated by the organisation. The responsible individual told the inspector that they did not intend to admit children into the home until they had enough staff to work in both homes. This contradicts previous information given by the registered provider that they already had sufficient staff to operate both homes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has appointed a new independent person to visit the home monthly. The reports are now being sent to Ofsted. As this is a recent change, the impact this has on the manager’s ability to identify and make sustained changes is not yet known.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The other requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection were not looked at during this inspection, therefore, all are restated. Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/04/2021 Full Inadequate 10/03/2020 Full Inadequate 20/11/2019 Full Inadequate 19/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 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; and

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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; and

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff provide good-quality care. 15 November

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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— 15 November Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 5 that staff—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(iii)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff take the necessary action to protect children from harm.

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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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care 15 November Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 6 to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff are suitably trained, experienced and qualified to deliver care that is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose.

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff provide effectively planned care for children who move in and out of the home. 15 November

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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 registered person ensuring that the responsible individual oversees the management of the home and takes effective action to operate the home in line with the home’s statement of purpose and children’s homes regulations. 15 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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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 the registered manager ensuring that all information in respect of Schedule 2 is held on file. 15 November Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the design of the home provides those staff who sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham, Warwickshire B23 7YX

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1253623 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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