The London City Care and Support Services Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services Limited The London City Care and Support Services Limited

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Registered provider: The London City Care and Support Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

The London City Care and Support Services Limited registered on 16 August 2023 to provide non-ring-fenced supported accommodation. The same person registered to be the nominated individual and the registered service manager. At the time of registration, the provider had two properties offering supported accommodation for up to 10 children.

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provider

At the time of this visit, the provider had nine properties, offering supported accommodation for up to 35 children.

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provider

This monitoring visit was announced approximately one hour in advance. On the day of this visit, 15 children from seven different local authorities were placed with this provider.

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provider

The inspectors visited four properties and spoke to the nominated individual/ registered manager, the director, one house manager, three support workers and two children.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was arranged to address specific concerns received by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit focused on how leaders and managers safeguard children and how staff members are recruited, inducted, supervised and supported in their roles. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services Limited Leaders and managers’ procedures for determining staff suitability for employment are not thorough. Discrepancies in the information provided by staff and their referees have not been identified and followed up. One staff member started working without an up-to-date check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. One recruitment record did not include evidence of police clearance from abroad. The gaps in staff recruitment processes means staff have not been through stringent checks to ensure they are safe to work with children. Management monitoring had failed to identify and address the shortfalls in recruitment practice.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have been recruited within the last 12 months. Many staff have been recruited through the UK visa sponsorship scheme. The induction, supervision and support that staff receive are inconsistent. For example, there was no record to show if one member of staff received any induction. Their first supervision was 12 weeks after they started working for this organisation. Staff are inexperienced, poorly inducted and supervised. Lone working compounds the risk to children not being safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Poor management oversight has meant that the supported accommodation services are not operated within the conditions of registration and the statement of purpose. In a single occupancy premises, one child is unable to manage without two-to-one support at all times. This arrangement does not sit within the category of registration. The provider is also providing a residential family centre without being registered to provide this regulated service.

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This monitoring visit

The expansion of the service has been rapid. The nominated individual, who is also the registered service manager, has failed to oversee the expansion effectively. It is unclear if the nominated individual has decision-making powers or performs the functions equivalent to those of a director. The statement of purpose incorrectly stated that the director is the registered service manager.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted continues to monitor this provider. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services 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;

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Requirement Due date

implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)) 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met. 31 July 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services Limited In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

are protected from harm. (Regulation 5 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the following matters in respect of the supported accommodation undertaking—

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Requirement Due date

its purpose, including its ethos, core aims and function;

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation it offers;

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Requirement Due date

the services it provides for children it accommodates and supports;

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Requirement Due date

the characteristics of the children for whom it is intended the supported accommodation undertaking will provide accommodation and support, including the age range, number and sex of the children;

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Requirement Due date

the organisational structure, including management structure and staffing arrangements;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (4) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with—

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Requirement Due date

any other provision of these Regulations, or

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Requirement Due date

any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 9(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(h) (4) (5)(a)(b)) 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, “director” includes any individual who performs the functions of, or functions equivalent or similar to the functions of, a director, by whatever name called. (Regulation 11 (9)) 31 July 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services Limited Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the nominated individual has the decision-making powers that are equivalent to those of the director.

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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

Subject to paragraph (4), the registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual for the purposes of the provision of supported accommodation,

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person is satisfied that the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character,

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that the individual is to perform,

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform, and

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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 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work for the purposes of providing supported accommodation or, as the case may be, for the supported accommodation undertaking, despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 1 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of that Schedule are incomplete,

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 1,

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional, and 31 July 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services Limited the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 1, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. (Regulation 17 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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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

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 18 (1)(a) (4)(b)) 31 July 2024

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and/or to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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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: The London City Care and Support Services Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: The London City Care and Support Services Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 45 St Georges Walk, Croydon CR0 1YL

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Yvonne Urhobo

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Inspectors

Seka Graovac, Social Care Inspector Julie Cresswell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: The London City Care and Support Services 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

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