Jennens House

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 1 Jennens House 66-68 Wednesbury Road, Walsall WS1 3RR

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is privately owned and run. The primary purpose of the centre is to support local authorities, courts, parents and children in the provision of fair and evidence-based parenting assessments.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre is registered to accommodate up to seven families. Families usually stay at the centre for 12 weeks for their assessment. A range of assessment methods are used.

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Information about this residential family centre

The residential family centre was registered on 6 October 2021. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this residential family centre

Date of previous inspection: 19 and 20 January 2022

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This monitoring visit

This residential family centre was judged inadequate at the full inspection that took place on 19 and 20 January 2022. Due to the concerns identified during the full inspection, Ofsted issued a notice of suspension. Ofsted also issued five compliance notices under regulations 10, 11, 12, 13 and 13 (amendment) of the Residential Family Centres Regulations 2002.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the visit was to review the suspension notice and the progress made against the five compliance notices raised at the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The suspension notice has been adhered to and no families have lived at the centre. The actions set out in the compliance notices under regulations 10, 11 and 13 have been met.

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This monitoring visit

A new format for health plans for children and their parents has been created by the managers. The effectiveness of these plans is untested, as the service is not Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 2 currently open. The managers have also made links with external health professionals in order to enhance the support available to families who may need it.

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This monitoring visit

The managers have developed and implemented a medication policy. The policy is designed to support the staff in ensuring that medication arrangements are safe for children and their parents. This includes a system for booking medication into the centre, as well as having clear guidelines in place for staff should there be an omission of medication. Although these changes are untested, they are an example of the improvements being made by the provider to ensure the quality of care for children and their parents.

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This monitoring visit

During the inspection, the inspector found that the management team had reviewed and updated its placement plan documents. The documents are now in place to provide parents with an understanding of the aims and expectations of their assessments.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to provide a clear structure that details the levels of supervision used at the centre to safely monitor families. For example, high levels of monitoring are in place at the start of a family’s assessment. However, there is not a clear structure in place to determine when and how supervision levels should be reduced or increased based on an assessment of risk. This potentially places vulnerable children and families at risk of potential harm should supervisions levels not be appropriate.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding procedures are not robustly implemented to ensure that children are protected when an allegation of potential abuse occurs. Managers have not provided staff with clear guidance or training about reporting, recording and responding to safeguarding incidents within the residential family centre. This training is necessary to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities for safeguarding children.

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This monitoring visit

Following the imposition of the notice of suspension, all families moved out of the centre. However, three assessments which were already underway were shared with the relevant local authorities. These assessments were of poor quality and did not provide accurate or relevant insights into the abilities of families to keep children safe. Although the assessments were ended prematurely, the conclusions and recommendation shared with local authorities, based on the time families were in the centre, were not of the expected quality to support the decision-making about children’s futures.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has not undertaken a review of the skills and ability of staff and managers to undertake their roles and responsibilities. Specifically, it is not yet clear that staff and managers have the skills and knowledge to undertake and quality assure assessment of families. This has the potential to compromise the safety of children. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 3 Since the last inspection, staff have completed training that includes medication, health and safety, and safeguarding. However, there continue to be significant gaps in the training needs of staff. For example, staff have not completed required training such as attachment theory, the protection of vulnerable adults, reporting and recording, mental health, and assessment skills. This means that staff do not have the skills and knowledge to support parents, undertake robust assessment or

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised at the last inspection were not reviewed and have been restated. Following this monitoring inspection, the compliance notices in relation to regulations 12 and 13A have been reissued and the notice of suspension remains in place. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 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, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as "the statement of purpose") which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6) the registered person shall ensure that the residential family centre is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 4 (1) (5)) 12 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person shall not manage a residential family centre unless he is fit to do so.

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Requirement Due date

A person is not fit to manage a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the residential family centre, the statement of purpose, and the number and needs of the residents—

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Requirement Due date

he has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary to manage the centre. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the manager has the skills to have sufficient oversight of the families living at the centre. 12 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect; and 12 April 2022 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 5 sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

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Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (2)(1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that the parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

All assessment or monitoring of parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare must be carried out in accordance with appropriate and generally recognised methods for such assessment and, in particular, having due regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State relating to the assessment of children in need(7) and their parents under section 7(1) of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970(8).

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Requirement Due date

The methods of assessment or monitoring must be capable of evaluating the parents’ capacity to change.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that conclusions or recommendations are made as a result of the assessment or monitoring and that—

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Requirement Due date

such conclusions or recommendations are objective and based on verifiable evidence; and

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Requirement Due date

the evidence on which they are based is capable of being presented in a manner that is clear, accessible and appropriate to the persons who will need to consider them. (Regulation 13A (1) (2) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to parents receiving evidence-based assessments. 12 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that there is, having regard to— 12 April 2022 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 6 the statement of purpose of the residential family centre, its size and the numbers and needs of its residents; and

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents,

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Requirement Due date

a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Regulation 15 (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the residential family centre has a sufficient staff team to meet the needs of the families.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2. (Regulation 16 (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff are safely recruited. 12 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

improving the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. (Regulation 23 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager has an effective monitoring system in place. 12 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

Where the registered provider is an individual, but is not in day to day charge of the residential family centre, he shall visit the residential family centre in accordance with this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

The person carrying out the visit shall—

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Requirement Due date

interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and persons working at the residential family centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the residential family centre. (Regulation 25 (1) (4)(a)) 12 April 2022 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that the quality of visits by the registered provider improves, including improving the written report.

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Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall without delay notify the parent accommodated in the residential family centre with a child of any significant incident affecting the child’s welfare unless to do so is not reasonably practicable or would place the child’s welfare at risk. (Regulation 26 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager notifying Ofsted of significant events. 12 April 2022

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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 residential family centre 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 residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: J.A.C.S Specialist Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 66-68 Wednesbury Road, Walsall WS1 3RR

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 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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