Children's Home run by 247 Bluebell Care Limited in Luton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 1 Registered provider: 247 Bluebell 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 home provides care for up to three children who may have complex social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022

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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection in July 2023, the home was judged inadequate. Ofsted served two compliance notices. These were in relation to the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection in July, a further full inspection took place in September 2023. Inspectors identified sustained poor safeguarding practice and ineffective management oversight. The home was again judged inadequate. Ofsted served two further compliance notices. These were again in relation to the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to establish the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the notices and to review the repeated requirements raised at the full inspection in September 2023. The inspector found continued shortfalls in managers and staff providing safe and effective care. The inspector found that the provider has again failed to meet the steps stipulated in the compliance notices. Additional regulatory breaches were also identified.

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This monitoring visit

One child was currently living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of the home repeatedly fails to safeguard children. Managers fail to implement effective monitoring systems to enable them to identify shortfalls in Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 2 the quality of care provided to the child. Staff practice issues are not identified and are therefore not addressed. Managers do not sufficiently recognise or understand these shortfalls, and they do not have a plan to address these. This failure to rectify shortfalls means that the quality of care and the safety of children continue to be at risk.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments and the child’s care plan continue to not focus on or recognise significant risks for the child. They do not provide guidance to staff about how to care for children who are at risk of criminal exploitation and gang affiliation. Potential risks from the geographical area had been highlighted twice previously but were not included in the locality risk assessment. Additionally, leaders and managers had again failed to integrate this into a child’s risk assessment.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to adequately consider and respond to safeguarding information shared by police. This may compromise the ability of staff to provide safe and effective care for the child. Staff fail to demonstrate curiosity about these risks.

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This monitoring visit

The manager provides staff supervisions, however, key areas in respect of the management of the child’s risks are not discussed. This fails to provide effective support for staff. Additionally, this limits the leader’s and manager’s ability to understand and assess whether staff are making progress and understand their roles and responsibilities in providing care to children and keeping them safe. This exposes children to further risk.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have devised new tools to review and evaluate children’s care. However, these have yet to be embedded in practice or used effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have, however, completed online, needs-led training in gang affiliation and child criminal exploitation. Newer staff are also being trained to lead staff on duty alongside more experienced senior residential workers.

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This monitoring visit

There are repeated shortfalls relating to education. The child does not have an educational placement identified. Despite this, leaders and managers have not sufficiently challenged external professionals. The home has an educational planner for the child; however, the activities included are bland. The child said that they feel they should be at college and that they do not want to be learning at home. The failure to provide appropriate, engaging learning opportunities has the potential to compromise the child’s life chances.

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This monitoring visit

There are repeated shortfalls relating to care planning. Sections of the care plan document are blank; for example, the behaviour management section has not been completed. There is no clear strategy for staff to manage the child’s mobile phone and risks when they are out in the community. There is a lack of staff understanding about the use of a deprivation of liberty order and in turn, a lack of a clear plan to help the child reduce the restrictions they experience. This means staff do not have a clear understanding of how to support the child’s progress on a day-to-day basis. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 3 The child’s health needs are now known and recorded in their health plan. Staff have now received training in a specific area of healthcare and are able to articulate the action they would take in a health emergency.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have now ensured that internal fire risk assessments clearly state key information. Regular fire equipment checks are taking place.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have ensured that a complaint made by a child has been adequately recorded, evidencing the action taken and the outcome, alongside the consultation with the child.

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This monitoring visit

The outside area is now more welcoming. A trampoline has been purchased. The child chose some paint and has painted a fence. New furniture has been ordered. This makes the outside area more inviting for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the requirements raised at the last inspection have now been met. However, there are significant repeated breaches of regulations and the repeated failure to meet four compliance notices. Managers and staff have failed to demonstrate that they have the capacity to make the necessary improvements to ensure safe and effective care for children and meet regulatory requirements. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/09/2023 Full Inadequate 17/07/2023 Full Inadequate 25/04/2022 Full Good 25/11/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 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, The 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

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

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)(iii)(v)(b)) 9 November 2023

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage in a way 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; 9 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 6 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

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

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(viii)) 9 November 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 9 November 2023

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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: 2611991 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 247 Bluebell Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Aw House, 6-8 Stuart St, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 2SJ

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Inspectors

Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2611991 8 regulates and inspects 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

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

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