Athena Supported Accommodation (North-East) Limited

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited ForeverCare (North-East) Limited

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Registered provider: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and managed by a private provider. The service provides up to 20 placements in self-contained units which are available for the sole use of one person and are limited to accommodating looked after children and care leavers.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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provider

On 12 April 2024, Ofsted issued a notice suspending the registration of the provider and a notice suspending the registration of the service manager.

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This monitoring visit

On 8 April 2024, the registered service manager notified Ofsted of the death of a child. As required, a safeguarding notification was submitted to Ofsted under Regulation 27 of The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023.

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This monitoring visit

On 9 April 2024, Ofsted served a notice restricting accommodation at this supported accommodation provision while investigations continued, to ensure that no further children were admitted.

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This monitoring visit

On 11 and 12 April 2024, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit and identified significant regulatory shortfalls with regard to the protection of children and leadership and management of the service. Ofsted issued a notice suspending the registration of the provider and a notice suspending the registration of the service manager. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the provider’s compliance with the suspension notices and the restriction notice. In addition, Ofsted considered progress that the provider has made against regulatory shortfalls identified during the last monitoring visit. The visit included discussions with the nominated individual and allocated social workers for children who were previously living at this supported

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This monitoring visit

Children now have alternative support arrangements. The provider has worked with placing authorities to support children’s transitions to these new arrangements. Children’s placing authorities told Ofsted that the provider is no longer responsible for the support or accommodation of their children. The provider told Ofsted that they have not admitted any new children into their provision. As a result, Ofsted is satisfied that the provider has complied with the notice restricting accommodation and the notice suspending the service.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken steps to allocate the registered service manager’s responsibilities to other staff from the senior leadership team. Ofsted is satisfied that the service manager and provider have complied with the notice of suspension issued to the registered service manager.

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This monitoring visit

The provider shared a draft action plan which detailed brief information about how it intended to meet the regulatory shortfalls identified at the monitoring visit on 11 and 12 April 2024. At the time of this monitoring visit, the plan had not been finalised. As a result, inspectors were unable to validate the degree of progress made to date. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited

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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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including 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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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 supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(c)(f)) 17 May 2024 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(f)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 17 May 2024 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment.

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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

only use devices for monitoring or surveillance in communal areas and then only if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(c)(i)) 17 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs.

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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 plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;

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Requirement Due date

keep the child’s support under review, taking into consideration the plans for support, and relevant plans, to ensure that the child’s needs continue to be met and that the child is kept safe; and

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Requirement Due date

engage and work with the accommodating authority if the registered person has concerns or if the child’s support needs to be changed, including where that change may mean that the child requires more intensive support. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c)(f)) 17 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that the supported accommodation undertaking is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 9 (4)) 17 May 2024 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited An individual may only be registered as a registered service manager if—

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Requirement Due date

the number of premises used as supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

the geographical scope of the premises used as supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

the supported accommodation undertaking’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

the number of children accommodated by the supported accommodation undertaking; and

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of accommodation provided by the supported accommodation undertaking,

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate skills to manage the supported accommodation undertaking effectively. (Regulation 12 (b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 17 May 2024

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s compliance with a notice of suspension issued to the service manager, a notice of suspension issued to the provider and a notice of restriction issued to the provider. Ofsted also considered progress towards requirements raised in the previous monitoring visit.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Hallgate House, 9 Grange Terrace, Sunderland SR2 7DF

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Gavyn Rodgers

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Inspectors

Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector (lead) Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: ForeverCare (North-East) Limited 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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