Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 1 SC463639 Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to five children with learning and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

This home has not had a registered manager since May 2021. The current manager has not submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home had a full inspection on 3 and 4 May 2022, after which the judgement of inadequate was made. Due to the significant shortfalls in the quality of care that children receive, compliance notices were raised under regulation 7 and regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit reviewed the action taken by the provider to meet those compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Four children continue to live in the home. No new children have moved in since the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have failed to demonstrate they suitably supervise children as stated in children’s plans. There has been another occasion when a child has alleged Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 2 potential harm. Managers and staff do not implement rigorous learning from previous incidents of a similar nature. The compliance notice for regulation 12 was not met and has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has not taken enough action to ensure they safeguard children. They have not demonstrated an ability to make sufficient improvements in the home and meet the compliance notice for regulation 12. A requirement under regulation 26 has been raised due to this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

Staff communication with children has improved significantly. There has been vast progress to provide children with aides to support effective communication. Staff have received training and now use appropriate communication aides to help children share their wishes and views in children’s meetings and in debriefs after restraint. Staff have implemented visual aids so that children know who will be caring for them each day. Children now have reward charts that are easily accessible to them and in a format in which they can understand their achievements. These improvements mean that staff and children can communicate more effectively, and children are able to help staff understand their needs. The compliance notice under regulation 7 was deemed met. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2022 Full Inadequate 25/05/2021 Full Good 08/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring curtains are hung properly to give children privacy, repairs required for the kitchen worktop and cupboard are completed, and mouldy shower seals and the broken bath panel are replaced. Any toileting accidents should be addressed promptly to avoid hazards and unpleasant smells. Investigations should take place to establish the cause of the downstairs toilet smelling like mould. The garden should be a child-friendly space for children to enjoy. 13 July 2022

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to— 13 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 5 take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring children attend all required health appointments.

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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— that staff—

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that they follow children’s care plans, and that they provide children with sufficient staff to meet their needs and protect them from harm.

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that managers and staff understand potential risk to children and that they follow risk assessments. 14 August 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. 13 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 6 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff receiving training in prevention of radicalisation and child criminal exploitation.

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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 ensuring children are informed of moving from the home. 13 July 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.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual understanding safeguarding and the responsibility to ensure children are protected from harm. 2 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 13 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 28 (1)(c)) 19 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 7 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)) 19 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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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)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff having supervision and appraisals as per the company policy. 13 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the policy clearly detailing the correct procedure for informing the local authority designated officer. 13 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— 13 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 8 HMCI;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider receiving a monthly report and this being shared with HMCI.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. (Regulation 45 (1)) 13 July 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: SC463639 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 181 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0EQ

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Inspector

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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