Children's Home run by Sunlight Children’s Care Limited in Derby

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 1 Registered Provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, there was one child living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and is registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 4 and 5 January 2023. Compliance notices were set as a result of shortfalls identified during the full inspection. At the monitoring visit on 20 February 2023, both compliance notices had been met. This monitoring visit has taken place following a serious incident during which a child was exposed to harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have failed to ensure that keys are safely stored away. An incident ensued where a child was able to use the keys to access the staff office and the safe, where car keys and other valuables were stored.

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This monitoring visit

Staff did not follow behaviour management plans. The child gaining access to the home’s office was a known risk. Staff did not use behaviour management techniques to prevent this from occurring, despite being trained in how to use these techniques. It was identified that both of the staff members on duty supporting this child, who has complex needs, were in their probationary period and had only worked at the home for a relatively short time. As a direct result of staff failings, the child was placed at risk. Staff were not able to manage the behaviour, resulting in the risks to the child and others significantly escalating.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of the home is poor. Records in relation to that incident have not been quality assured by the home’s manager. Inconsistencies have been identified in staff statements and the incident report. These inconsistencies have not been explored with staff to ensure that the records pertaining to that serious Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 2 incident are factually accurate. No ‘lessons learned’ exercises have been carried out with staff to prevent a recurrence.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments fail to give staff a clear understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities, including information in relation to new risks. For example, staff are currently supporting the child away from the home. However, the manager was not able to show evidence that the child’s risk assessment had been reviewed following the increased risk-taking behaviour presented by the child. This has the potential to place all people at increased risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not feel able to challenge poor practice. One staff member said in their statement that they did not feel able to report concerns when another staff member allowed a child to steer a moving car as the child leaned over from the passenger seat and held the wheel. This was allegedly due to previous concerns raised being dismissed by a senior support worker. This poor practice prevents staff from raising safeguarding concerns, consequently placing all at increased risk.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to identify concerns. A staff member recorded an incident of inappropriate boundaries in the home in the home’s daily record. While this incident was responded to appropriately at the time, it was not reported to managers. The home’s managers failed to spot this incident in the written records. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2023 Full Inadequate 11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 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

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

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)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff understand the child’s risk and how to keep them safe. It also relates to managers having adequate oversight of incidents to ensure lessons are learned and any 10 April 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 5 discrepancies in reports are identified and reviewed without delay.

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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 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the experience and skills to take appropriate action to keep children safe. It also relates to risk assessments being regularly updated to reflect any changes in the risks presented. 10 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. 10 April 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation (14) (1) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children’s local authority care plans are up to date. This requirement is repeated.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the language used by staff members when talking about children is done so in a respectful and positive manner. This recommendation is repeated. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, Page 38, paragraph 8.6)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 8SP

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Inspectors

Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591911 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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