Children's home run by YCPG Services Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 1 SC392492

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DMR Services Ltd

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager. A new manager has been recruited and they plan to submit their application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

On 17 August 2023, Ofsted carried out an assurance inspection of the children’s home. Serious and widespread concerns were identified in safeguarding practice and in the leadership and management of the home. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulations 6, 12, 13 and 26.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the safety and well-being of children and to review the provider’s progress in relation to the compliance notices issued under regulations 6, 12 and 26. The regulation 13 compliance notice was not reviewed during this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have taken appropriate action to improve systems that help to keep children safe. For example, clear risk assessment and missing-from-care protocols are now in place to provide adults with effective guidance to minimise the risks for children. Staff undertake appropriate direct work with children, which helps with children’s understanding of risk. As a result of this effective work, children and adults communicate more effectively, resulting in no reported missing-from-care incidents since Ofsted’s last visit to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the home environment. Most of the home presents as a warm and inviting environment. Communal rooms are light and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 2 welcoming, providing comfort and plenty of space for children and adults to relax together.

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This monitoring visit

Robust daily monitoring is in place to ensure that cleaning duties are completed promptly. Adults complete a walk around the home and highlight any issues to management and maintenance if required. Despite these improvements, some areas of the home require further improvement. For example, large amounts of dirty laundry was piled up in children’s bedrooms and a bedroom blind was in need of repair. The new manager has added this to their action plan.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has an action plan in place that highlights their own development needs with clear timeframes for completion. This includes further management training for the entire management team. The home has a clear management structure in place to support the day-to-day running of the home.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, Ofsted has deemed the compliance notices under regulation 6, 12 and 26 to be met. One further recommendation has been raised.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2023 Full Good 08/07/2021 Full Good 21/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 3

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that 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 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that in the absence of a manager, there is a suitably qualified person in charge who can oversee the day-to-day management of the home. The registered person must ensure that there are effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care that children receive. The registered person must ensure that staff have training to meet children’s specific needs. 29 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 29 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 4 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Requirement 40 (4)(e)) 29 October 2023

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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

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. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are consulted with regularly on their views about the home’s 29 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 5 care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand children’s barriers to learning. Staff must ensure that children are provided with structure and routine when they are not in education. 29 October 2023

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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.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person 29 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 6 intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that copies if children’s local authority plans are on file. In addition, records must show the actions taken by staff when caring for children. 29 October 2023

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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)(b)(i)(ii)) 29 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 7 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home, where appropriate, and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school holidays and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. This includes ensuring that bedrooms are free of large piles of dirty laundry and window blinds are effective to promote privacy and dignity, providing a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: DMR Services Ltd Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 8 Registered provider address: D M R Services, 102 Queslett Road, Streetley, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham B74 2EZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Joanna Mountford

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Inspectors

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC392492 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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