Children's Home run by Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd in Dudley

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 1 SC483958

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Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 11 September 2023. A new manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 4 January 2024

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. Inspector has 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: SC483958 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was conducted in response to a safeguarding notification submitted to Ofsted, which related to a serious safeguarding incident concerning a staff member’s conduct.

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Findings from the inspection

The inspector was aware during this inspection of a police investigation into serious allegations about a member of staff. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered, where appropriate alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgement.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the previous inspection, two children have moved out of the home, and two children have moved in. At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. Children’s care planning arrangements are well considered. One child said that they like living in their home, and they know staff will do something if they feel unsafe.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since 11 September 2023. A new manager was appointed immediately after the previous registered manager resigned. The new manager has submitted their application to register with Ofsted. She wants the best for the children and provides a homely environment for them to live in. However, there are areas of the leadership and management of the home that require improvement.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have been successful in identifying the early signs of changes in children’s behaviour that could lead to children causing harm to themselves and others. Staff have been successful in looking beyond the child’s presenting behaviours and minimising serious incidents from happening. As a result, there has been a reduction in significant events, missing-from-care incidents and physical interventions since the previous inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior managers work closely with external professionals and are effective in responding to safeguarding concerns. They ensure that disclosure and barring referrals are completed and the outcomes of internal reviews are shared with external professionals. This promotes an effective multi-agency approach to the safeguarding arrangements for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s experiences of moving out of the home are positive. One child had a party organised for them before they moved to their semi-independence home. This shows that staff celebrate positive endings to help children remember their time at this home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 3 Children receive support with their educational needs. One child is attending full time and is making progress towards their educational targets. The other child is not in full-time education. The manager has been successful in finding an educational placement that support this child’s educational needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Children enjoy a wide range of leisure activities with staff and other children. For example, children enjoy trampolining, swimming, football, go-karting, bowling and playing pool. This supports their overall development and helps them develop positive relationships with staff and other children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to keep in touch with people who are important to them. The manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of the children’s relationships with their families and support children well when they have overnight stays. This has resulted in children enjoying extended overnight stays with their family members during the holiday period.

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Findings from the inspection

The management oversight of significant incidents requires improvement. The manager does not capture any lessons learned following significant and missing- from-care incidents and physical interventions. As a result, the manager’s evaluation of these incidents does not consider any learning that informs their future practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior managers did not respond in a timely manner to the shortfalls identified in their own internal review relating to a serious safeguarding incident. In addition, the internal review has not captured managers’ reflection and learning in order to improve their practice. For example, the internal review found shortfalls in the safer recruitment and vetting checks for staff. Following this shortfall being identified, the manager commenced a new staff member’s employment without all the suitable safer recruitment and vetting checks. This undermines the effectiveness of the internal review.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not always undergone safer recruitment and vetting checks in line with the organisation’s internal policy. For example, gaps in employment and reasons for leaving previous childcare employment are not fully explored, and overseas checks are not always sought. This means that some staff have not undergone the suitable safer recruitment and vetting checks required to care for vulnerable children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2023 Full Good 27/04/2022 Full Good 03/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the requirement that management oversight must capture their learning in order to inform future practice. 31 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 31 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 6 (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the requirement that all staff must undergo safer recruitment and vetting checks in line with the organisation’s internal policy and regulation. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Queen Street, Wellington, Telford TF1 1EH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Laurence O’Dwyer

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC483958 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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