Children's Home run by Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 1 SC423617

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The interim manager has been in post since 27 July 2024. The provider is in the process of recruiting a permanent manager. The home has not had a registered manager since June 2022.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last visited the home to undertake a full inspection on 24 and 25 July 2024. The inspector found serious and widespread failures in relation to keeping children safe and in the leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued a compliance notice under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the provider’s progress in regard to the compliance notice. The inspector found that the provider had taken sufficient action to address the steps outlined in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, the previous manager and some staff have left the home. The previous manager had suggested that they would write a letter to the children to say goodbye. However, this has not happened. One child’s emotional well-being has been affected because they did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to the manager. The child said that they feel unsupported by the new manager and staff, and, as a result, they said they feel alone.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is now stabilising, and staff report that they feel happier about how the home is being managed. They feel more supported in their roles and the home is using less agency staff. As a result, children are receiving better care which is more consistent. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 2 Staff have been supervised and managers have reviewed staff’s skills and experience. This has been incorporated into each staff member’s individual development plan.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have reviewed the training delivered to staff. They recognise that online training is not adequate to equip staff with the skills and knowledge they require to meet children’s needs. The responsible individual has sourced an external trainer. The trainer plans to deliver safeguarding children training face-to-face with staff. However, there is no training plan in place in relation to the individual needs of children. All staff have now received training around physical restraint. They have also attended a team meeting which focused on reporting and recording.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation’s therapist visits the home to support children’s emotional and mental well-being. They are also supporting staff development by encouraging staff to reflect on their practice.

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This monitoring visit

There have been improvements in the monitoring and oversight of the service. The provider has recruited a new independent visitor. The manager does have some oversight of the day-to-day care children receive. This is evident in their oversight of daily recordings and incident records. Shortfalls are identified and appropriate action is being taken to improve practice. However, management monitoring systems are not yet embedded or used consistently.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have provided the new manager with supervision. They have also undertaken an audit of the home. This identified some shortfalls in management oversight. However, it is not clear how the audit has been used to improve the manager’s oversight and monitoring of the home. It is also unclear whether senior managers have reviewed the home’s action plan.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment has improved and, in particular, children’s bedrooms. Each child’s personality and interests are evident in the decor of their bedroom. Some children have chosen colours and have helped staff to furnish each room in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, incidents in the home have reduced. The approach used by staff to de-escalate children’s behaviour is improving. The use of physical intervention has significantly reduced.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations and complaints made by children have been investigated. However, the recording of this information is not clear. Records also contain inaccuracies. Practice issues in relation to the previous manager have not been fully investigated. This compromises the external scrutiny of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Consultation with children is improving. The manager has considered children’s views in relation to how they want staff to respond to them, in particular when they are feeling upset or anxious. Staff have also done work with children about their Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 3 emotions and feelings. This has helped children to recognise and better communicate their feelings and emotions.

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This monitoring visit

Children are enjoying activities and trips away, such as trips to the beach and a weekend break. They have enjoyed trips to a theme park and a football stadium. One child has also joined a local football team, recently making their debut. Their social worker is positive about the changes in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements raised at the last inspection (with the exception of the requirement made under regulation 13) were not explored as part of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2024 Full Inadequate 10/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the children’s home is a safe, nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. 2 September 2024

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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

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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 6 the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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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

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any complaints made by children are taken seriously and responded to and that any action taken ensures that children feel listened to. In addition, that children are supported to understand and process their feelings of loss due to staff frequently leaving.

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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; 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 7 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 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)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff protect children from harm. They must understand their roles and responsibilities to protect children and take action to prevent children from being harmed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments contain accurate information about known risks and clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they speak to all children living in the home after incidents occur, to ascertain their views, wishes and feelings. They must ensure that children’s experiences are listened to, and that action is taken to ensure they are adequately supported.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the home’s safeguarding policy. This must include reviewing the approach to children’s complaints and allegations, as well as the quality of recording internal investigations of staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 8 The registered person must ensure that they take every precaution to prevent the risk of fire in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(c)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care children receive is continuously monitored. This includes developing consistent, effective monitoring and review systems, including consulting with children about their experiences.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff receive adequate training which equips them with the skills to meet the needs of the children they care for. They must ensure that the effectiveness of training in staff practice is monitored and evaluated.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 9 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(d)(f)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s needs must be thoroughly considered prior to them moving into the home. The needs of children already living in the home must be considered, as well as the stability and sufficiency of the staff team and their skills.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, managers and staff must ensure that they encourage positive relationships between children as soon as they move in. Children’s emerging needs should also be considered throughout their time living in the home. 2 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 10 how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is an effective behaviour management policy which is in children’s best interests. They must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities when responding to children’s behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a home with another individual or other individuals, otherwise than in a partnership, if that individual and each other individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

A partnership may only carry on a home if each partner satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the responsible individual, who is involved in the carrying on of a home by that organisation satisfies the requirements in paragraph (6); and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (2)(3)(4)(i)(5)(a)(7)(a)(b)) 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 11 The registered person must appoint a suitably experienced and qualified person to manage the home. They must also ensure that the appointed responsible individual has adequate oversight of the home and the skills to take effective action to improve the quality of care children receive.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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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

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(d)(e)(5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all serious events are notified to Ofsted and all other relevant professionals. They must ensure that they provide the full details of these events in a timely manner. 2 September 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording which is non stigmatizing. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 12 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC423617 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Summerfield Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4PR

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 14 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 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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