Children's Home run by 5ab Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 1 Registered provider: 5ab 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 home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified.

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Inspection date: 26 October 2023

Date of last inspection: 19 September 2023

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Inspection date: 26 October 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 26 October 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Outcome from the inspection

 Staff do not actively protect children from harm and understand potential risk in the home.  Staff do not have the necessary skills to recognise signs that children are at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

This visit took place in response to Ofsted being notified of a serious allegation that has occurred at the setting, which is under investigation by appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegation were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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Findings from the inspection

Management oversight of the allegation was clear, with collaborative work between the registered manager and both children’s local authorities. Although the manager experienced some delays in gaining a response from the police, this has not impacted the decision-making around children’s placements.

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Findings from the inspection

However, the inspector’s review of incidents, as part of this inspection, found management oversight during the registered manager’s absence, by a covering manager and the responsible individual, to be poor.

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Findings from the inspection

Children had spent prolonged periods unsupervised in one child’s bedroom smoking cannabis. Staff failed to take effective action, despite knowing the risk of harm to both children. Furthermore, the covering manager gave no direction to staff to prevent a reoccurrence of these behaviours.

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Findings from the inspection

One child, who has moved out of the home in response to the serious allegation, has had a high number of missing-from-home episodes since the full inspection. When children go missing from the home, staff follow the children’s plans and search for them. However, staff lack professional curiosity and did not explore concerns about the potential of a child being exploited while they were missing from home, despite the child disclosing that they were with an adult of concern.

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Findings from the inspection

The management of these incidents demonstrates that staff do not have the necessary skills to recognise signs that children are at risk of harm. This impacts on the staff’s ability to manage the children’s relationships and prevent them from harming each other. Two children have made serious allegations against another child. Children have reported that these incidents happened while they were in the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 3 home. Consequently, children have reported that they have come to harm, and one child has subsequently moved out of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

A compliance notice under Regulation 12 has been issued because of these serious shortfalls. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to children’s risk assessments not reflecting their actual risk, the poor recording of incidents that occurred between children and to staff not taking effective action during incidents of concern. 7 December 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— 7 December 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 6 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record 7 December 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 7 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that consequences are recorded in line with the regulation and that management oversight is recorded and clear.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive and provides clean bedroom space, even when children don’t want to help tidy their own personal space. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported in raising issues and making complaints. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should ensure that staff recognise and address different types of abuse, such as social manipulation and bullying in relationships in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.16)  The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both

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Recommendations

practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)  The registered person should ensure that records kept electronically include information detailed in Regulation 36; specifically, that records are signed and dated by the author. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Jones Hunt Ltd, 71 Knowl Piece, Wilbury Way, Hitchin SG4 0TY

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Inspector

Mark Dickinson, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2703722 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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