Vera Chilly Social Care

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Vera Chilly Social Care 1 Vera Chilly Social Care

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Registered provider: Vera Chilly Consultancy Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

Vera Chilly Consultancy Services Limited registered with Ofsted on 27 March 2024 to provide ring-fenced accommodation.

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provider

The same person holds the roles of registered service manager and nominated individual.

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provider

At the time of registration, the provider had one property offering supported accommodation for up to six children.

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provider

The monitoring visit was announced approximately one hour in advance. On the day of this visit, the provider had two properties offering supported accommodation for up to eight children. Three children from three different local authorities were placed with this provider.

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provider

The inspectors visited one property and spoke to the nominated individual/ registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

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

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit focused on the effectiveness of leaders and management in the organisation. In particular, it focused on how leaders and managers implement safe recruitment practice to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

One child has significant mental health needs. Several incidents have occurred involving this child, including incidents of self-harm with ligatures and police attendance following concerns for their welfare from a member of the public. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Vera Chilly Social Care 2 Despite the child’s needs, the staff are not trained to remove ligatures. In addition, Ofsted has not been notified of these incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has failed to provide the staff with adequate guidance on how they can best support the children who harm themselves. The manager has failed to ensure that the children’s risk assessments contain all their known behaviours and risk. Furthermore, the manager has failed to review and update the children’s risk assessments following significant incidents. This hinders the staff’s ability to promote the safety and well-being of the children, as the staff are not kept up to date with the children’s current and emerging needs.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager does not assure themselves that they and the staff can meet the needs of children before the children move in. The registered manager accepted referrals for two children to move into the accommodation without knowing relevant information about their needs, level of independence or risk factors.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have not been guided on how they can support children to develop their independence. The registered manager has failed to ensure that the children’s pathway plans are available. Consequently, staff are unable to tailor children’s key- work sessions to their specific support needs, as identified by their social worker.

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This monitoring visit

Staff recruitment compromises children’s welfare as this practice is poor. The provider has failed to maintain a system that demonstrates safe recruitment practice is followed. There was no information available to confirm that one member of staff, who has worked for the organisation since July 2024, had undertaken an interview, or that their Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and references had been checked. There was no evidence that another member of staff’s DBS had been checked or that their references had been sought.

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This monitoring visit

The support being offered to children is not in line with the service’s statement of purpose. One local authority believed that a mental health nurse was employed by the provider to support its child. This specialism is not outlined in the statement of purpose, nor are any health professionals employed by the provider to deliver this specialist healthcare or support. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Vera Chilly Social Care 3

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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

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)) 27 October 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; 27 October 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Vera Chilly Social Care 4 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. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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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, or

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 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. (Regulation 17 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(c)(d)) 27 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: Vera Chilly Social Care 5

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Vera Chilly Consultancy Services Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Suite 41 Wentworth House, High Street North, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 1JJ

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Vera Nnadozie

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Inspectors

Leah Stannard, Social Care Inspector Eileen Bultitude, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Vera Chilly Social Care 6 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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