Children's Home run by First Steps Care Ltd in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 1 Registered provider: First Steps Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home opened in September 2021 and is owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to four children who may have specific emotional needs and are likely to have experienced trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 8 February 2022. The manager who was in post at the previous inspection resigned. A new interim manager is in post but has not applied to register.

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This monitoring visit

On 1 and 2 February 2023, Ofsted carried out an assurance inspection. Serious and widespread concerns were identified in the protection of children and leadership and management. A compliance notice was issued in relation to regulation 12 and a notice to restrict the accommodation was issued, which ends on 27 April 2023.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place to monitor the progress in meeting the compliance notice. Significant shortfalls were identified at this inspection in relation to the protection of children. The compliance notice for regulation 12 was not met. A further compliance notice under regulation 12 has been issued.

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This monitoring visit

The same three children continue to live at the home. No children have moved in, and there are no plans for any children to move in. The provider has adhered to the notice restricting accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

Since the previous inspection, leadership arrangements remain unstable. The responsible individual has stepped down to act as the interim manager. They have not registered, and do not intend to register, with Ofsted. A new manager has very recently been recruited. They have not applied to register. A previous responsible Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 2 individual has become the responsible individual again. Under their leadership at the full inspection in June 2022, the effectiveness of leaders and managers was judged to be inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of the quality of care and the protection of children remain inconsistent and fail to protect children from harm. For example, the interim manager has overseen restraint records and some other safeguarding incidents. However, they do not oversee all serious safeguarding incidents that occur. They are not present in the home on a daily basis to oversee the care. Leaders and managers are not aware of the numbers of safeguarding incidents that occurred since the previous inspection. Monitoring and oversight by leaders and managers remains poor.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff continue to fail to manage children’s relationships and prevent them from harming one another. One child continues to state that they feel unsafe and wants to urgently leave. When serious incidents occur between children, staff are not effective in providing sufficient support to minimise harm. Managers fail to recognise this shortfall and take action to improve.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have the skills to meet children’s complex needs. Because children do not get the support and care they require, incidents occur in the home where they do not understand appropriate boundaries and behaviour. Due to this lack of support, managers are failing children in their ability to understand healthy relationships. This is having a negative impact on all children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

When incidents occur where children have expressed that they want to hurt themselves, staff reassure children in the moment. Social workers are kept up to date with how children are. However, there is a lack of ongoing specialist care and support to help children’s emotional well-being improve. Staff and managers do not provide care that helps identify and address children’s emotional health and well- being needs. This prevents children from making progress emotionally.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not providing children with care that meets their needs. For example, during incidents where children are in distress, staff use strategies such as ignoring children. This is not a nurturing and caring response. The interim manager recognises this is not meeting children’s emotional needs, but has failed to take action to address this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are taking some action to improve; however, this is not effective in ensuring that children’s welfare is promoted. For example, staff have completed a safeguarding workshop, safeguarding training and medication training. Managers have provided staff with new guidance to improve the care to children. Despite this, improvements are not enough to ensure that children are always protected from harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 3 The responsible individual has started holding safeguarding meetings with managers to ensure there are regular reviews of the care. Leaders and managers also completed a safeguarding audit. However, the audit did not include a review of serious incidents important for children. For example, incidents where children have harmed one another, medication errors, emotional health and well-being crises, and self-harm were not included in the audit. Important aspects of the protection of

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This monitoring visit

children are still not understood by managers.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child has been held to keep them safe on two occasions. Recording of these incidents has improved. In one of these incidents, the staff team did not follow the child’s plans to help reduce the risk. Staff responses to the child lacked in skill. The interim manager identified this in their oversight, but action has not yet been taken to change this culture.

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This monitoring visit

There has been one allegation since the previous inspection. The interim manager shared the information clearly with the local authority designated officer and with the child’s local authority. They completed a thorough investigation to ensure that children are effectively safeguarded. However, they did not notify Ofsted as required.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the monitoring visit, four requirements from the previous inspection are met. Twelve requirements have been made again. A requirement was also issued under regulation 27. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 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 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 6 make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children are supported to understand how to make a complaint or provide feedback if they wish to, and that this is listened to by managers. Children should have access to the children’s guide and be supported to provide feedback on their care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 7 understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (a)(i)(viii)(ix)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff listen to children and care for them in a nurturing way, providing reassurance if children are worried, and any issues of bullying should be promptly responded to so that children are safeguarded.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there are plans in place to keep children safe, that staff follow these plans and take action to protect children from harm, and that they and staff clearly understand and follow 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 8 safeguarding procedures.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

and 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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff are skilled and trained to sufficiently meet children’s needs and that they monitor the quality of care in the home, and use this to develop children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 17 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

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. 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they have sufficient enough information to understand and assess how to meet a child’s needs before they are moved in to the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that suitable facilities are provided within the children’s home for any child accommodated there to meet privately at any reasonable time with the child’s parents, friends, relatives or any of the following persons—

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Requirement Due date

a solicitor or other adviser or advocate acting for the child;

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Requirement Due date

an officer of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service appointed for the child;

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Requirement Due date

a person authorised by the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

a person appointed pursuant to section 23ZB (independent visitors for children looked after by a local authority) of the Children Act 1989(25);

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Requirement Due date

a person authorised in accordance with section 80(2) of the Children Act 1989 by the Secretary of State to conduct an inspection in relation to the home and the children there; 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 10 a person appointed under the Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England)Regulations 2006(26);

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Requirement Due date

an independent person visiting the home under regulation 44.

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Requirement Due date

The facilities may be at a different address if a certificate under section 51 of the Children Act 1989(27) is in force in relation to the home.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home—

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Requirement Due date

a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private; and

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Requirement Due date

facilities to send and receive post and, if the necessary facilities are provided for the use of children, electronic mail, in private. (Regulation 22 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i) (2) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children have access to private conversations with their social worker and with others via phone at all times, and that they do not have to request access to be able to make such calls.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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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. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 17 April 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; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 11 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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of 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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they acquire checks under schedule 2 prior to employees commencing working for their service.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

children’s case records (see regulation 36);

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Requirement Due date

other records (see regulation 37). (Regulation 38 (i)(j))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the online system used for storing plans, and incidents records, ensuring that this can be quickly and easily accessed and that a robust plan is in place in the event that staff are unable to access the online system. The registered person should ensure that staff and managers make use of their recording system so that records are accessible as needed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 17 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 12 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that Ofsted is notified of serious incidents.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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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

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 13 particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there are visits taking place from an independent visitor monthly, and that in these visits the visitor properly reviews the care in the home and consults with professionals and children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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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

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they evaluate and review the quality of care for children..

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 17 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 14 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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they suitability consider the hazards in the locality of the home when completing their area risk assessment.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 17 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2636996 15

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Steps Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kemp House, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Inspector

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2636996 16 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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