Children's Home run by V-CARE HOMES (UK) LIMITED in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 1 V-Care Homes (UK) 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 registered with Ofsted in August 2023 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in December 2023. A new manager has recently been appointed. They have not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 29 and 30 January 2024. As a result, a notice restricting accommodation in the home was issued on 2 February 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s compliance with the notice restricting accommodation and to assess any progress made since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no improvement to the care and protection of children since the last full inspection. Care planning for children continues to be poor. Consequently, children’s needs have not been met and they have remained unsettled in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s experiences and progress have not improved. Staff have not promoted children’s interests in specific educational subjects that the children identified at the last full inspection. Children have remained out of education and have not engaged in positive activities. This has impacted on their learning and development as well as their day-to-day experiences. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 2 Children’s care plans, behaviour support plans and risk management plans have not been updated. Therefore, staff do not have a clear understanding of the level of risks to children or the strategies required to manage and reduce these risks and behaviours. This further emphasises the provider’s lack of understanding about children’s needs, which also impacts on staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual and staff continue to demonstrate a lack of understanding about their safeguarding responsibilities. Ten days after the full inspection, microblades and razors were found in one child’s bedroom. It is unclear how the child accessed these items and what actions staff took to mitigate the risks around self-harming behaviour. Bedroom searches have not been carried out regularly since this incident, which further increases the child’s risk of self-harming. When this issue was raised with the responsible individual during this visit, they could not evidence that there are preventative measures in place to protect children from accessing sharp items that could put them at risk.

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This monitoring visit

Staff described children’s bedrooms as ‘messy’, ‘unhygienic’ and ‘looking like a prison’. However, since the last full inspection, no actions have been taken by staff or the responsible individual to support children to improve the conditions of their bedrooms to make them safe and homely.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not built positive relationships with children. As a result, the children continue to assault staff and demonstrate challenging behaviours. Staff continue to struggle to de-escalate incidents and manage behaviours without seeking police support. Staff are punitive in their responses when attempting to manage children’s behaviours. For example, one member of staff threatened to call the police if a child did not hand in their mobile phone.

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This monitoring visit

Children have continued to go missing from the home. Staff report the children missing to the police and placing authorities. However, staff do not make consistent efforts to contact and locate children to check on their welfare or encourage their safe return. This increases children’s risks when out in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Staff supervision is of poor quality and not provided by leaders or managers. A significant number of staff supervision records reviewed show that the minutes for each person were copied and identical to other people’s supervision notes recorded by a senior member of staff. This raises concerns about the supervisor’s integrity and their skills to provide good-quality supervision. Consequently, staff are not receiving the right support and guidance to provide safe care to children.

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This monitoring visit

Team meeting discussions take place on plans to improve the service. However, children’s risks and needs are not discussed in detail. This is a missed opportunity for staff to come together as a team to reflect on their practice and how to support children. Furthermore, staff do not put into practice the knowledge they acquire through training and team meetings. Consequently, poor practice has continued in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 3 Since the last inspection, a new responsible individual and manager have been employed. They acknowledge the serious shortfalls in the service and have developed a plan to improve the care and experiences of children. However, improvements have not been made quickly enough to protect children, and the new manager does not feel that the current staff have the skills required to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the lack of progress and serious concerns raised at this visit, a suspension notice was issued on 28 March 2024. All requirements from the full inspection are restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 4

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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

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; 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 premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 5 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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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)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand children’s risks and needs. Children’s risk assessments and safety plans must be accurate and followed by staff. This includes carrying out regular bedroom checks when there are concerns about children and ensuring that the home environment is safe.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there is a safeguarding culture that promotes children’s safety and well-being following incidents and allegations.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that missing-from-home protocols are followed and that they have clear oversight of missing-from-home episodes. They must also ensure that missing-from-home records include all relevant information.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that key-work sessions with children address their risks and needs, help to support positive change and reduce risks.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 6 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’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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;

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they lead in a positive way that promotes the best outcomes for children and supports staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they have sufficient knowledge of the Children’s Homes Regulations (2015) and appropriately follow safeguarding procedures when children make allegations.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand the whistle-blowing policies and procedures.

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 7 any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they inform the relevant professionals and the regulator of any serious incidents and allegations.

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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;

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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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that appropriate references are obtained, gaps in employment are explored and risk assessments are carried out if required. 25 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive effective training and regular supervision that focuses on children’s needs, risks and progress. 25 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 8 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they robustly assess children’s needs at the point of referral and continue to assess their needs while living in the home.

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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

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are given the opportunity to share their views in a way that is beneficial for them. 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 9 Leaders and managers must ensure that discussions take place with children following incidents to help staff to understand their experiences and provide them with the most appropriate support.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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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)(i)(ii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children who are not in education are supported to access and engage in suitable structured educational and social activities. 25 April 2024

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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. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is a clear record of admissions and discharges, as set out in Schedule 3. 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 10

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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: 2741744 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: V-Care Homes (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 to 20 Clements Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 1BA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shanmugha Subramani

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Inspector

Amena Begum, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2741744 12 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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