Children's Home run by Child First Residential Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 1 Registered provider: Child First Residential Limited

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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 private company. It provides care for up to two children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an interim manager in post who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last visited the home to complete a full inspection on 25 and 26 July 2022. The inspector found significant shortfalls in the help and protection of children. As a result, the home was judged inadequate. A compliance notice under regulation 12, (the protection of children standard) was issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress since the previous inspection. The inspector found that the compliance notice in relation to regulation 12 was not met. Therefore, this was re-issued. The inspector found serious concerns in relation to the leadership and management of the home. As a result, a compliance notice was also issued in relation to regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

Two children live at this home. One child said they are unhappy living at the home and do not feel safe. The quality of the relationships between children and staff varies. Children do not like the restrictions in place to keep them safe. However, managers and staff have not supported children to understand the reasons for these restrictions. Therefore, children feel frustrated and helpless. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 2 Risk assessments still do not identify risk. They do not fully consider the signs and indicators that a child may go missing from care. It is unclear in some risk assessments when managers and staff update them. Children’s risk assessments do not define the roles and responsibilities of staff. This contributes to a disorganised approach to keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments do not consider activities outside of the home, including when activities take place with children together. The risk assessments do not consider the practicalities and supervision levels, in particular in relation to the care of a child who is subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Order. This means that staff are not always given clear guidance on how to manage known risks.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not responded adequately to allegations and complaints by children. They do not follow reporting and recording procedures correctly. During one incident, a child disclosed to staff a concern about a staff member’s conduct. They spoke of how they felt uncomfortable about the staff member’s behaviour. Managers failed to follow child protection procedures. In particular, they did not report this concern to the local authority designated officer. In addition, leaders did not investigate the staff member in question thoroughly. They do not demonstrate enough professional curiosity. This compromises children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

On another occasion, managers failed to investigate and explore a child’s complaint about staff conduct. The manager did not address these concerns with the staff, and the child did not receive an outcome from their complaint. Investigation into these shortfalls has not been adequately undertaken. As a result, concerns children may have about their care are not listened to and taken seriously.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight and monitoring of the home remain inadequate. Monitoring systems do not support managers to identify the shortfalls in the care and protection of children. Management audits have been carried out by senior staff who are not always demonstrating the skills they can do these effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to respond effectively when staff raise complaints. One staff member complained about bullying and intimidating behaviour by another staff member. The responsible individual investigated the complaint but failed to do so adequately. The recording of the investigation was poor. The investigation did not evidence that matters had been fully explored. In addition, the investigation resulted in one staff member receiving a verbal warning. However, there was no detailed record of this.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have positive relationships with some external professionals, such as the police. The police have visited the home and designed a package of support for children. This includes education around child sexual exploitation. There is also a staff training plan in place to upskill the staff team. However, the effectiveness of this is not yet known. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 3 Eight requirements and two recommendations issued at the last inspection remain unmet. In addition a new requirement has been issued under regulation 34. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2022 Full Inadequate 09/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that staff respond to children with sensitivity and in line with the underpinning model of practice identified in the home’s statement of purpose. Records, including managers’ comments about records, should also reflect this approach. 13 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

engage with them; and 13 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 6 take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that staff make balanced decisions about what is in children’s best interests, which will sometimes be contrary to what children want. The provider must make this clear with placing local authorities and escalate in a timely way if necessary to ensure children’s best interests are served.

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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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; 13 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 7 help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should ensure that children develop positive relationships with others and are supported to recognise situations where they may be vulnerable to those who may take advantage of them. This does not remove the responsibility of adults to keep children safe. Staff should also help children to understand expectations about behaviour, to effect a change in children’s social and emotional abilities.

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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;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that there are clear risk assessments and protocols that include effective strategies for staff to follow relating to children’s risks and behaviour. In addition, staff must help children to understand 13 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 8 how to keep safe, thereby reducing the need for legal restrictions on them. In addition, the provider must ensure that staff recognise warning signs and triggers for children’s behaviour which may lead them to be at risk of harm. Finally, the provider must ensure that staff support children to develop safe relationships with each other that mean they do not increase their own risk of harm.

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure the home is led in such a way as to meet the aims and underpinning approach set out in the statement of purpose. In addition, the provider must also ensure that staff have the skills needed to manage the presenting behaviour and needs of children in the home. For example, staff must have the skills to manage effectively and reduce incidents of children going missing. Finally, the provider must use monitoring and review systems to ensure practice and care in the home are developed. This should include challenging staff practice after incidents, supporting staff to reflect on incidents and share learning, and ensuring that records are accurate and well written, with children in mind. 13 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 9 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

In particular, the provider must ensure that children’s plans are clear and that staff know to follow them. In addition, the provider must work to ensure that children have positive, well-planned transitions from the home when the time comes to move on. 13 November 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

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy for the prevention of bullying in the home, which must in 13 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 10 particular set out the procedure for dealing with an allegation of bullying.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f) (3) (6))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should review and revise the home’s safeguarding policy to ensure that it is fit for purpose in relation to safeguarding children.

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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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that rotas are accurate and clearly reflect who has worked in the home and when.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 13 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that they include the views of staff in their regular review of the quality of care. The provider must also ensure that resulting actions accurately reflect all areas of development in the home. 13 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 11

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Recommendations

 The registered provider must ensure that notifications of relevant incidents to Ofsted are made without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered provider must ensure that records of supervision sessions reflect the discussion in those meetings and contain clear actions and timescales for those actions to be completed. (Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: 2610371 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Child First Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 11 Hollyhedge Road, West Bromwich B71 3BP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rajinder Kudhail

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2610371 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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