Jennens House

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 1 Jennens House

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is privately owned and run. The primary purpose of the centre is to support local authorities, courts, parents and children by providing fair and evidence-based parenting assessments.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre is registered to accommodate up to seven families. Families usually stay at the centre for 12 weeks. A range of assessment methods are used.

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Information about this residential family centre

The residential family centre was registered on 6 October 2021. There is an acting manager in post who is not registered.

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Inspection date: 2 November 2022

Date of previous inspection: 16 August 2022

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This monitoring visit

This residential family centre was judged inadequate at the full inspection that took place on 16 and 17 August 2022. Due to concerns identified during the full inspection, Ofsted issued a notice of restriction of accommodation. Ofsted also issued three compliance notices, under regulations 13 (amendment), 15 and 22 of the Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002.

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This monitoring visit

Following a monitoring visit on 14 September 2022, the three compliance notices were deemed not to have been met. Following the visit, the provider notified Ofsted of its intention to voluntarily cancel its registration. The provider will cease to operate on 20 December 2022.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the restriction of accommodation notice. The restriction of accommodation notice has been adhered to and no new families have moved into the centre. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 2 At the time of the visit, only one family was living in the centre. The inspectors found serious and widespread failures in relation to the safeguarding and management arrangements at the centre. These shortfalls have had a detrimental impact on the safety and welfare of the one remaining family and those families who have left the centre since the last visit.

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This monitoring visit

The managers have failed to lead and manage the residential family centre in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in its statement of purpose. Managers cannot demonstrate that the care provided meets the individual needs of children and parents or promotes their safety and welfare effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of the risk assessments is poor and assessments do not reflect all known risks. For example, one family’s risk assessment had not been updated despite there being increased concerns about the care being provided to the child by their parent.

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This monitoring visit

Placement plans continue to be inadequate and lack the required level of detail in relation to children’s and parents’ health needs. Staff do not review or update plans on a regular basis. For example, plans do not include advice or guidance given to the parents by health professionals. This lack of detail does not ensure that children’s and parents’ health needs are met. In addition, one family’s plan had not been updated since September 2022, despite there being a change in their assessment.

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This monitoring visit

Assessment reports continue to fail to provide clear and detailed insight into the abilities of the families. Assessments do not consider risk factors and fail to put in place clear conclusions and recommendations. For example, during the visit, inspectors noted that one family had returned to the community with an assessment that did not address or answer the assessment requirements set out by the local authority. The poor quality of assessments leaves children and parents vulnerable and prevents local authorities from being fully informed of concerns and safeguarding issues.

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This monitoring visit

Management monitoring systems are not effective. The manager has not identified and/or acted on the quality of the case recordings. Supervision logs and observation logs do not correlate with each other or provide a clear and accurate account of events. This has the potential to undermine the quality of evidence on which assessments are based.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that all staff have been safely recruited. For example, managers were unable to evidence that recruitment checks for the agency staff have been carried out.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a decline in the cleanliness of the centre. During the visit, inspectors noted that a baby bath filled with dirty water was going to be used by a parent. Staff had either not noticed or not acted on this. Furthermore, during the inspection, a parent and child were sitting in the dark, due to the room not having a light that worked. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 3 A fire risk assessment has been undertaken which identified actions required to improve the safety of the centre. However, only two of the nine actions have been met. The manager was not aware of the actions set out in the fire risk assessment. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 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, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as (“the statement of purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6) the registered person shall ensure that the residential family centre is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 4 (1) (5)) 23 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall make arrangements for the recording, handling, safe keeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the residential family centre. (Regulation 11 (2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the staff following the medication policy. 23 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall, before providing a family with accommodation in the residential family centre, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon as possible thereafter, draw up in consultation with the placing authority a written plan (in these Regulations referred to as (“the placement plan”) setting out, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

the facilities and services to be provided during the course of the placement;

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Requirement Due date

the objectives and intended outcome of the placement.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall keep under review and revise the placement plan as necessary.

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Requirement Due date

In preparing or reviewing the placement plan the registered person shall, so far as practicable— 23 December 2022 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 5 seek and take account of the views of the members of the family;

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Requirement Due date

take account of any relevant assessment or other report relating to any member of the family which may be provided by the placing authority. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s and parents’ placement plans are reflective of their needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

All assessment or monitoring of parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare must be carried out in accordance with appropriate and generally recognised methods for such assessment and, in particular, having due regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State relating to the assessment of children in need (7) and their parents under section 7(1) of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970(8).

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Requirement Due date

The methods of assessment or monitoring must be capable of evaluating the parents’ capacity to change.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that conclusions or recommendations are made as a result of the assessment or monitoring and that—

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Requirement Due date

such conclusions or recommendations are objective and based on verifiable evidence; and

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Requirement Due date

the evidence on which they are based is capable of being presented in a manner that is clear, accessible and appropriate to the persons who will need to consider them. (Regulation 13A (1) (2) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to parents receiving evidence-based assessments. 23 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless— 23 December 2022 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 6 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2. (Regulation 16 (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff are safely recruited.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (Regulation 19 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to parents’ and children’s records being clear and up to date. 23 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the physical design and layout of the premises to be used as the residential family centre meet the needs of families;

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Requirement Due date

the premises to be used as the residential family centre are of sound construction and kept in a good state of repair externally and internally;

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Requirement Due date

all parts of the residential family centre are kept clean and reasonably decorated. (Regulation 21 (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the physical environment is safe for families. 23 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall after consultation with the fire authority—

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Requirement Due date

make adequate arrangements— including the provision of suitable fire equipment; (Regulation 22 (1) (a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the centre having appropriate fire safety measures in place. 23 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

improving, 23 December 2022 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 7 the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. (Regulation 23 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager has an effective monitoring system in place.

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Requirement Due date

Where the registered provider is an individual but is not in day-to-day charge of the residential family centre, he shall visit the residential family centre in accordance with this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

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Requirement Due date

an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

The person carrying out the visit shall—

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Requirement Due date

interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and persons working at the residential family centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the residential family centre. (Regulation 25 (1) (2)(c) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to improving the quality of visits by the registered provider and their written report. 23 December 2022

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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 residential family centre 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 residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: J.A.C.S Specialist Ltd

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 66-68 Wednesbury Road, Walsall WS1 3RR

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jennens House 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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