Children's Home run by Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 1 SC378187

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Platinum Services for Children (residential care) Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a small independent organisation and has been registered since 2008. The home provides care for up to two children who need support with their emotional and behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since February 2019 and manages both this home and a sister home within the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

On 30 November and 1 December 2021, Ofsted carried out a full inspection. The home was judged to be inadequate, and two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

On 17 January 2022, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit to the home. The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices. The inspector found that the provider had not met the steps set out in the compliance notices. Ofsted reissued the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

On 21 and 22 March 2022, Ofsted undertook a full inspection. The home was judged to be inadequate for a second time. The inspector found that the provider had not met the steps set out in the compliance notices issued following the monitoring visit on 17 January 2022. Ofsted reissued the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13. An additional compliance notice was issued under regulation 29 (continuing professional development: registered person and responsible individual).

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This monitoring visit

On 8 April 2022, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit. The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices. The inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 2 found that the provider had not met the steps set out in the compliance notices and reissued the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 for the fourth time.

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This monitoring visit

On 4 May 2022, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit. The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices. The inspector found that the provider had not met the steps set out in the compliance notices and reissued the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 for the fifth time. The compliance notice for regulation 29 was also not met. All three were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers continue to fail to make the necessary improvements to ensure that children are protected from harm. Inspectors found significant and widespread concerns. Risks have increased for children. Leaders and managers do not fully demonstrate that they understand how to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff fail to ensure that the home is set up to keep children safe. For example, when there are known concerns about self-harm, staff do not check on the environment to make sure that there is nothing which continues to pose a risk of harm to the child. This shortfall was raised at the previous inspection and it remains a concern. This leaves children at ongoing risk of harm without this support.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers still fail to protect children who are at risk of online harm, exploitation and abuse. For example, staff do not have suitable guidance about how to keep children safe where there are known risks posed to them online. Additionally, staff fail to share important information with each other about what social platforms children are accessing. This puts children at significant risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to take sufficient action since the risk for one child has significantly increased. For example, one child is going missing from home more often. Staff act promptly to follow missing-from-home protocols when this occurs. However, leaders and managers have failed to recognise the potential risk to the child and take effective action to engage professionals and specialist support. In addition, they have not reviewed their own safety planning for the child in response to the increased risk. The child told the inspector they will continue to go missing as they do not feel safe.

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This monitoring visit

Children are not supported to develop positive relationships with one another. For example, children have expressed difficulties in living with one another since January 2022. However, leaders and managers have failed to arrange any meaningful support for children to help to address this issue. More recently, this has escalated into an altercation between children. This impacts negatively on children’s experiences and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not take effective action to address poor and unsafe practice. The registered manager does not have effective oversight of records in the home, including incident records. When incidents occur, staff do not receive a Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 3 debrief from leaders and managers. These shortfalls result in continued inadequate management oversight of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring and reviewing systems in the home remain poor. The registered manager has introduced a system to help him understand what is happening in the home and to identify shortfalls in children’s care. However, this has not been updated for several months, and there is no action taken when shortfalls are identified. Senior leaders fail to provide sufficient support to the registered manager when there are shortfalls in his skills. Leaders and managers repeatedly fail to meet compliance notices. This demonstrates widespread failings in the leadership and management throughout the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, a notice to restrict accommodation has been issued. This prevents any further children moving into the home. A notice of proposal to cancel the provider’s registration was issued on 16 May 2022.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2022 Full Inadequate 30/11/2021 Full Inadequate 26/11/2019 Full Good 02/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that any safeguarding incidents are referred on to other professionals if there are concerns for the safety of children.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that the registered person challenges the local authority, where necessary, if return home interviews are not completed for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 29 May 2022

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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. 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the home environment is clean, tidy and homely for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 6 This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that, as far as possible, children receive regular dental, optician and other health checks, as required, and that where there are gaps in meeting this need for children, medical advice and other ways of meeting children’s health needs are sought to support them.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit 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; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(v)(ix)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff understand children’s complex needs based on their experiences and that they support them with their behaviour based on this understanding, using a nurturing approach to their care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that positive relationships between children in the home are actively 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 7 encouraged and that when issues arise, staff work together to resolve these to help children live together.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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

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 premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff follow risk assessments, assess risk and identify and remove hazards.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 29 May 2022

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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

promotes their welfare. 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person having a system in place to be able to monitor the quality of care and have a clear understanding of how to improve the care offered to the children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered person ensuring that they have clear oversight of incidents and demonstrate their oversight and improvement.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that actions outlined as required by fire experts to manage the risk of fire in the home are taken to ensure that the environment is safe from the risk of fire.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 29 May 2022

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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)) 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 9 This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 29 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

*If the registered provider is an organisation, the organisation must ensure that the responsible individual undertakes such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the responsible individual has the skills needed for supervising the management of the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (2) (4))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that both the responsible individual and the registered manager demonstrate the skills to oversee the care of the children in the home and the practice of the registered manager effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 29 May 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.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 10 that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there is written explanation for all gaps in employment for staff and that where any staff member has previously worked with children or vulnerable adults, verification of their reasons for leaving, such employment, is sought.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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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)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff have appraisals of their performance completed with them at least annually.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 29 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the risk assessment relating to the location of the 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 11 premises considers and mitigates for the risk posed by the adjacent children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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: SC378187 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platinum Services for Children (residential care) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Union House, 111 New Union Street, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 2NT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leonard Pattinson

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Inspectors

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378187 13 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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