Children's Home run by Purple Ash Limited in Leicester

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 1 Purple Ash 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 privately run and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 1 July 2023. A new manager has been appointed; however, they are not registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 15 and 16 August 2023. Following the inspection, several requirements and the compliance notice remained unmet. The compliance notice for regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) was restated for the third time. Safeguarding concerns were escalated to a compliance notice for regulation 12 (the protection of children standard).

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This monitoring visit

This visit found that progress has been made and that both compliance notices have been met. Managers and staff continue to embed the positive changes into care practice and the leadership and management of the home. Several statutory requirements set at the last inspection were also found to be met.

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This monitoring visit

A new responsible individual has been appointed since the last visit. This has provided the manager with the required direction, support and guidance. Leaders and managers understand the areas that require ongoing improvement, and they are committed to making improvements. Managers and staff are now working effectively as a team, and this is leading to more positive outcomes for children. Managers and staff want to make a positive difference to children’s lives. They have a plan to get this home on a firm improvement trajectory. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 2 Staff take the correct action if they have any concerns about a child’s safety. The staff provide children with the support, nurture and care they need following an incident and quickly inform external professionals. Leaders and managers now have oversight of incidents, which helps them to identify any practice issues and if Ofsted

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This monitoring visit

needs to be notified. These processes are now in place but there has been insufficient time to assess if the changes are embedded in practice and can be maintained.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of written reports has significantly improved. These are thoroughly documented and contain all required information. Debriefs are carried out with children and staff so that any learning to prevent further incidents can be identified. Responses to managing children’s behaviour have shifted from being reactive to more proactive, in supporting children at an earlier stage. This helps to manage complex situations before they escalate.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now following missing-from-home protocols. There have been three occasions where missing-from-care procedures commenced following a child not returning to the home on time. On each occasion, the child was quickly located. During this time, staff attempted to keep in contact with the child and were in regular communication with relevant professionals. The manager ensured that the child spoke to a professional when they returned home. These changes in practice show the commitment of the manager and staff to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities when children are away from the home.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a strong emphasis on staff development and training to ensure that all staff have a robust knowledge of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. This is reinforced by good-quality supervision and team meetings, where staff knowledge is assessed to ensure a thorough understanding of safeguarding procedures to further develop their knowledge and awareness of safeguarding.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken steps to improve the consistency of care that children receive. There has been increased management presence in the home, with a member of the management team on each shift. This has strengthened managers’ understanding of the needs of the home, increased staff confidence, enabled managers to set clear expectations, lead by example and motivate the team. As a result, the team is stabilising, and staff retention is improving.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are aware of how to keep children safe. Children’s plans and assessments provide thorough guidance to staff in managing risks. The team around the child, together with the child, is involved in reviewing important documents. There are now clear protocols in place for managing children’s health emergencies and ensuring that medical advice is sought without delay. Concerns are escalated to ensure that children receive appropriate medical treatment.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that children know how to make complaints about their care. Children’s wishes and views have been sought through questionnaires and key- Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 3 work sessions. Staff will act on children’s wishes and views when needed. For example, when a child informed staff that ‘the vibe of staff has changed’ and that ‘staff don’t seem to be happy anymore’, managers ensured that this was explored with the child and provided reassurance. As a result, children feel listened to and valued.

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This monitoring visit

Medication systems and processes have improved. Staff receive the necessary training and assessments to ensure that they are confident and competent in this area. Records are now clear and easy to follow. The manager has implemented weekly medication audits and there have been no errors since the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2023 Full Inadequate 16/05/2023 Full Inadequate 17/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 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 with 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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk management plans reflect the needs of children, include guidance on how 25 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 6 staff should respond to risks and staff adhering to the agreed plans and assessments. It also relates to ensuring that staff understand their role and responsibility in safeguarding 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

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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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers embedding monitoring systems in the home to improve the quality of care. 25 September

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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.

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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

that arrangements are in place to— 25 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 7 manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that children’s care plans are accurate and up to date.

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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: 2691652 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Midlands House, Gipsy Lane WV13 2HA

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2691652 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 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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