Children's Home run by SOLID GLOBAL LIMITED in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 1

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides accommodation and therapeutic care for two children who are affected by mental ill health. It is owned and operated by a small private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in January 2022. A new manager has been appointed and intends to apply to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was in response to the independent visitor’s report stating they had been unable to contact the provider or access the home. Ofsted had not received a response from managers when the regulator queried this issue. The visit was to check if the home was operating and if any children were living there.

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This monitoring visit

One child has recently moved into the home. They are subject to a deprivation of liberty order. They had a planned transition with staff visiting and getting to know them before they moved in.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2022. A new manager has been in post for four weeks and intends to register with Ofsted. However, it is not clear how the provider has satisfied themselves that the new manager has the appropriate skills, experience and qualification required by regulation. For example, it is not clear that the manager has two years’ relevant childcare experience, one year’s supervisory experience, or that they hold a relevant childcare qualification. In addition, the responsible individual did not notify Ofsted of the appointment of a new manager.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight and monitoring of the home is inadequate. Existing monitoring systems have failed to identify shortfalls in staff training, safer recruitment, health and safety and some aspects of the quality of care in the home. The independent person who undertakes visits to the home each month has more recently been unable to gain access to the home. As a result, they have not been Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 2 able to monitor the service in accordance with regulatory requirements. Shortfalls in the effectiveness of the management oversight of the home have the potential to compromise children’s safety, welfare and progress.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to ensure that the environment is maintained to a safe standard. For example, the inspector found a bottle of bleach in the child’s bathroom. This risk to a child with self-harming behaviours has not been considered. Furthermore, the fire protection system has not been serviced. Avoidable hazards in the physical environment of the home could pose a risk to the child’s health and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment records lack the required detail, such as proof of qualifications and previous employer references. For example, a new member of staff had been working overseas until last year. There had been no attempt to undertake a criminal record check/good conduct certificate for that country. Shortfalls in recruitment practice increase the risk of unsuitable adults being employed to care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff have the skills and experience to meet children’s needs. For example, a child is subject to a deprivation of liberty order because of concerns about her challenging behaviour, including physical aggression towards others. However, the child has moved in when staff have either not received training in the behaviour management model detailed in the home’s statement of purpose, or this training has expired. Similarly, not all staff have undertaken training in the home’s therapeutic model of care. These shortfalls potentially impact on children’s safety, experiences and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have undertaken a relevant childcare qualification within the timescales set out in regulation, or that they are enrolled on a course in a timely way to help them to do this. The absence of a workforce development plan also contributes to shortfalls in staff development and planning around this.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed and sent to Ofsted. The information about staffing is out of date, which is misleading to those who read it.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not undertaken a review of the quality of care for over 12 months. They have not considered the strengths and weaknesses of the service, nor have they compiled a plan for improvement in the next reporting period. This lack of oversight, review and planning means managers have not considered how to improve the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s location risk assessment contains out-of-date information and reflects a lack of awareness of risk factors in the community. This means that staff do not always understand potential risks to children in the area or how to respond should the need arise. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 3 Managers do not keep a register of children who live or have lived in the home. It is unclear where children have arrived from and where they have moved to. The manager took action to address this during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

In response to the serious failings found in respect of safeguarding children and the leadership and management of the home, a notice restricting the accommodation of this home’s registration has been issued on the 8 July 2022. One compliance notice is also issued. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/06/2021 Full Good 28/09/2018 Interim Not judged 05/06/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes 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)(iii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to requiring the registered person to ensure that health and safety checks and annual servicing is completed, and that staff have the training and knowledge to understand and identify risk to children. 14 Aug 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

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; 14 Aug 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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; and

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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) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the training identified in the statement of purpose and that leaders and managers have systems in place to monitor, review and develop the quality of care in the home.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b) 14 Aug 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; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 14 Aug 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— 14 Aug 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 7 the person is of integrity and good character;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i) (2)(a)(b))

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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 that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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; 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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 14 Aug 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 8 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff have a full employment history explored and that oversees checks are undertaken where relevant. Additionally, that staff complete an appropriate qualification within timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to keeping a register of children who come to live at the home. 14 Aug 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.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that a visit is facilitated each month and a report sent to Ofsted. 14 Aug 2022

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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. 14 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 9 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a))

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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).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 14 Aug 2022

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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 where a looked after child is placed in a home from a different local authority area, that the local authority in which the home is situated is notified that an out of borough child has been placed in a home in their area. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, Page 11, paragraph 2.6).

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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: 1259178 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solid Global Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite G, Eldon House, 24 Central Square, High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 6RY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Octovus Muchemenye

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Inspector

James Tallis, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1259178 11 regulates and inspects 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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