Children's Home run by A and R Guardian Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 1 Registered provider: A&R Guardian Services 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 was registered with Ofsted in August 2021. It provides care for two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2022. A new manager has recently commenced in post but is yet to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection on 12 and 13 September 2022. Serious and widespread failures were identified in the leadership and management of the home and the safeguarding and care provided to children. As a result, the experiences of children were poor, and children were not making progress. Compliance notices were issued in relation to the protection of children and the leadership and management standards.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 1 November 2022 to review the progress that leaders and managers had made in meeting the compliance notices. No progress had been made. Due to significant concerns regarding the leadership and management of the home and the safeguarding of children, Ofsted suspended the registration of the home with immediate effect from 2 November 2022 to 25 January 2023 inclusively.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 13 December 2022 to review compliance with the suspension of registration, and consider any progress made in meeting the statutory requirements. At this monitoring visit, no progress was evident. The responsible individual has been dismissed for failing to have sufficient oversight of the home. All 13 requirements raised at the September 2022 inspection remained unmet and were Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 2 restated. Following this inspection, one additional requirement was made. The registration of the home remained suspended.

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to review compliance with the suspension notice and to review any progress in meeting the requirements. A new manager commenced in post on 9 January 2023, so is yet to have an impact on the home.

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This monitoring visit

One senior support worker has resigned and left her post. The current staff team consists of one senior and two support workers. The manager stated that he requires six members of staff to care for one child. Currently, there is insufficient staff in post to admit a child safely.

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This monitoring visit

Despite shortfalls identified in safer recruitment at the inspections in September and December 2022, managers and leaders continue not to follow safer recruitment processes to ensure that staff are safe to work with children. The recruitment of staff remains a significant concern. For example, the director’s husband has been offered a support worker’s post without an application, interview or any of the required recruitment checks taking place. Another individual has commenced some induction training, with no interview or appropriate checks completed. Shortfalls were identified in both the new responsible individual and manager’s recruitment process.

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This monitoring visit

Ten of the previous requirements raised remain unmet or untested and are, therefore, reinstated. Following this inspection, Ofsted suspended the home’s registration for the second time on 26 January 2023 to 19 April 2023 inclusively. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2022 Full Inadequate 09/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5 (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when the needs of children are not met by others, they effectively escalate their concerns. 24 February 2023

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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

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to the efforts to help children reduce or stop smoking. 24 February 2023

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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— 24 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 5 that staff—

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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; 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children have a detailed, up-to-date risk assessment in place that staff follow. The registered person must ensure that effective action is taken when there are concerns about the safety or welfare of children.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that the day-to-day care is managed in a way that does not present additional risks to children.

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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 24 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 6 promotes their welfare.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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)(b)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children receive care as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that monitoring systems are in place and are effective, and that shortfalls are recognised and effectively responded to.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); 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 (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the register provider must assure themselves that the responsible individual has been safely recruited.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring the individual is of integrity and good character and able to perform the role effectively. 24 February 2023

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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; 24 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 7 if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff are safely recruited, and that full checks are made in accordance with Schedule 2.

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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 ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff have a thorough induction and probation process in place. Staff must have a job description and must receive regular supervision. 24 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 24 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 8 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all physical interventions are recorded and subject to the required checks.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must record all consequences issued to children and review their effectiveness. Staff should use consequences as a way of promoting positive behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e)) 24 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 9 The registered provider must notify Ofsted without delay of any incident they are required to. The registered provider must ensure that all relevant information is shared in this notification.

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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.

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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

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that when completing the review of the quality of care, they consult with all relevant individuals and identify an action plan in order to improve the quality of care. 24 February 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns home from a period of missing, that an independent return home interview takes place within the required timeframes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that children are in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age. Where a child in not in full-time education, staff should support children with home learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.18)  The registered person should support and encourage children to view and contribute to their records in a way that reflects their views. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 10 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: 2645675 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A&R Guardian Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Eastgate House Office 3 First Floor, 19-23 Humberstone Road, Leicester, Leicestershire LE5 3GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Quinn

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645675 12 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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