Children's home run by First 4 Care Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 1 SC399586 Registered provider: First 4 Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to two children who may have learning disabilities and emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since May 2021. A new manager was appointed in December 2021, but they left as they did not pass their probation. Managers have been appointed, but they have not proven to be suitable prior to registration.

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Information about this children’s home

A restriction of accommodation notice was issued on 26 May 2022 until 11 August inclusively.

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Information about this children’s home

The two children living at the home moved out on 31 May 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 23 May 2022. During this inspection, the inspectors found significant breaches in regulations. These related to the safety and protection of children, the leadership and management arrangements, the fitness of the registered provider and the employment of staff. As a result, four compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, 13, 26 and 33.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection on 23 May 2022, a restriction of accommodation notice was issued. This was issued on 26 May 2022 until 11 August 2022 inclusively. On 29 June 2022, Ofsted issued a notice of proposal to cancel the registration of this home.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to assess the provider’s progress in meeting the four compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 2 On 31 May 2022, the two children living at the home were removed by the local authority as a direct result of the serious safeguarding concerns. The local authority’s own investigation concluded that: ‘[the responsible individual and managers] failed to safeguard the child concerned, and other children.’ It remains the case that, in view of the overall findings, Ofsted continues to have no confidence in the organisation’s ability to provide safe and competent care for children.

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This monitoring visit

A new responsible individual has been appointed and he has started to address some of the wider organisational concerns and shortfalls. These relate to safer recruitment, the induction of new staff, and staff training and development. This provides some reassurance that children will receive care from staff that are safe to work with children and have the necessary skills and experience. It does, however, remain untested at this home.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual, who was also the sole director and registered provider of the organisation, has stepped away from the operation of this home. However, Ofsted is not assured that this individual will not have any day-to-day involvement in the home. This is a significant concern due to the substantial safeguarding failings that Ofsted identified, while this individual was in charge.

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This monitoring visit

Following the significant incident relating to serious safeguarding concerns on 15 January 2022, an independent review was conducted. The review could not fully investigate the incident on 15 January 2022 as full disclosure of all the records and the full details of the ex-members of staff were not provided. Despite the outgoing registered provider knowing about the failings, she failed to provide the independent investigator with all the information that she held. Therefore, a full and thorough investigation has not been completed, and any lessons learned and actions to be taken forward have been compromised.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice for regulation 33 has been met, but a requirement under this has been made to help embed this practice. Compliance notices for regulation 12, 13 and 26 have not been met and these compliance notices have been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the full inspection were not reviewed. Therefore, these are repeated and will be assessed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2022 Full Inadequate 10/08/2021 Full Good 26/02/2020 Full Good 14/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)) 19 September

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)) 11 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet 11 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 5 their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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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

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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 19 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 6 * An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the responsible individual, who is involved in the carrying on of a home by that organisation satisfies the requirements in paragraph (6).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) and

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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 (4)(i) (5)(a) (7)(a)(b)) 19 September

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, "the appropriate person" is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer. 19 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 7 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 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. Makaton and Advanced Autism training needs to be facilitated for all staff to assist in their communication with the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 53 and 39, paragraphs 10.11 and 8.15)

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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: SC399586 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First 4 Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 St Wilfrids Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster DN4 6AA

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC399586 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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