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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Registered provider: Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 let to associated trauma and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager position is vacant.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted completed an interim inspection on 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

On 24 January 2022, a monitoring visit took place to review the notice of suspension and to monitor progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that managers had complied with the suspension notice. However, managers had failed to prioritise making the necessary improvements. Consequently, none of the compliance notices were found to be met. Compliance notices in relation to the protection of children and leadership and management of the home were issued again. The registration of the home remained suspended.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit, on 10 March 2022, was to monitor the home's compliance with the notice of suspension. Additionally, it was to monitor the progress in meeting the actions set out in the compliance notices. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC038500 2 At the time of the visit, there were no children living in the home. However, managers had not taken sufficient action to meet the steps 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

Leaders and managers continue to fail to recognise poor risk management practice, which limits improvement and would continue to compromise children’s welfare and safety. For example, the policies in place fail to demonstrate how children would be supported in the event of them going missing from home. In addition, the home’s no-smoking policy states that staff should request to ‘pat down’ children if they do not hand in smoking materials. This raises concerns about the ability of staff and managers to safeguard children effectively from the risk of harm and to implement effective actions to promote children’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

The risk assessments and risk management strategies continue to be inadequate. Managers are unable to demonstrate that they have a system in place to ensure that children’s risk assessments clearly evaluate the risks posed to children. In addition, they do not give details of the strategies needed to reduce risk or when risk assessments should be reviewed. A lack of clarity regarding risk management processes would compromise the welfare and safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

The impact of poor safeguarding arrangements on children’s welfare has not been fully explored by managers and staff. The reflective work that has taken place with staff has been limited and not all staff have participated. Consequently, not all staff have enhanced their understanding of how to promote the safety and welfare of children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff have the knowledge and understanding to protect children from harm. There has been continued delay by managers to ensure that staff complete training to help raise their awareness in areas such as radicalisation and equality and diversity. This does not provide assurances that all staff have the knowledge necessary to safeguard children from the risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to establish clear systems for the on-going monitoring of the home and the oversight of the care and safety of children. Consequently, managers are unable to demonstrate how they will assure themselves that the care of children is safe and that the care is supporting the children’s overall progression. Inadequate oversight of the operation of the home could compromise children’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not identify shortfalls in support for staff. Consequently, staff do not receive regular supervision to help them understand their roles and responsibilities or to develop their practice. In addition, when there have been concerns about staff practice, managers have failed to implement strategies to address the concerns. This does not ensure improvement of the quality of care provided at the home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC038500 3 Leaders and managers have begun to implement systems to support children. For example, managers have introduced learning packs to support children if they are not in education and/or if they struggle to regulate their emotions. However, there has been no consultation with staff about how these would be put into practice. This demonstrates a lack of planning and 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

Managers and leaders have made improvements to the home environment. The home has benefited from redecoration. It has been painted, new carpets have been fitted throughout, and soft furnishings have been bought for communal rooms. In addition, all children’s bedrooms have had new furniture, and welcome boxes have been made, which include sensory toys and colouring books. The manager still has plans for further development, with refurbishment work taking place in the laundry room and games room. This improved environment would help children to feel welcomed to the home and ensure that children live in a suitable environment.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of inspection, the responsible individual notified Ofsted that there were insufficient staff to be able to provide care for children. Ofsted were informed that there are no plans to reopen the home until recruitment is completed.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, a notice to suspend the home’s registration was issued. In addition, compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 have been issued again. Ofsted will undertake a further unannounced visit to monitor the home’s progress. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC038500 4

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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 5

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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 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. 19 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC038500 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 April 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; 19 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC038500 7 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))

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Requirement Due date

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 effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 April 2022

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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, 19 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC038500 8 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.

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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. 19 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 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 Patrick McIntosh, 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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