Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 1 Registered provider: Resicare Alliance Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider is a privately owned company. The home provides care for up to 10 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements

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Inspection date: 16 October 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: emergency suspension

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 2 consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance visit. Consequently, we served the organisation an emergency suspension notice. Social workers supported children to move to alternative homes by 17 October 2024.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection took place due in response to an increase in concerning themes in safeguarding notifications. Additionally, concerns were highlighted in the independent visitor’s report and via a complaint shared with Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is unpleasant in some areas, for example, the hallway leading to the boy’s bedrooms has a pungent smell of urine. The smell emanated from a bathroom that was saturated in urine and one child’s bedroom. In other places, the home smells of raw sewage due to ongoing issues with the soil pipes. One bathroom, close to the boy’s bedrooms, was blocked. These areas are unsuitable for children. The majority of staff appeared unaffected by the strong smell and poor quality environment.

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Findings from the inspection

The majority of staff are unable to meet children’s basic care needs, resulting in neglectful care. Children are not consistently supported with self-care, which means they are left in soiled clothing and have unwashed hair. When children have needed warmth and encouragement, some staff have shown them apathy or ridiculed them. Staff have failed to support children to have nutritious diets, and some children have gone to bed hungry.

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Findings from the inspection

The supervision of children is mostly poor. One child was able to access hazardous cleaning products on two occasions. There are further concerns being investigated about poor supervision of children during the night. Fire escapes have been blocked to restrict children’s movements. Staff have also left the home, without telling managers, when they are supposed to be caring for children.

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Findings from the inspection

There are concerns about the administration of controlled drugs being administered too frequently which may have gone unnoticed for several weeks. At the time of the inspection this was being investigated.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are trained in therapeutic approaches. Despite this, few of their interactions with children are nurturing and engaging. Concerns about staff practice have been raised and are being investigated. Some children present as distressed when specific staff leave the home. The registered manager describes the children’s emotional well-being to have deteriorated which they escalated to senior managers in the organisation.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to recognise a poor safeguarding culture in this home and have therefore not taken action to improve. Some staff who originally worked in the organisation’s other homes were transferred to this home when concerns about their practice have been raised. The assessment of potential risk posed to children living in this home from these staff is poor. Particularly when Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 4 additional concerns about their practice are raised about the care of children in this home. This has put children at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager appropriately escalates known concerns to the local authority and is often advised to complete internal investigations. The pace of investigations is slow; most staff continue to work with children while investigations are being completed.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been 11 incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection. Staff have acted proportionately in some instances, trying to stop children from harming themselves. On other occasions, staff did not follow children’s plans or failed to recognise children’s needs, which caused them distress. The registered manager has identified that incident records are not always a true reflection of events.

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Findings from the inspection

There are communication barriers between staff and children. Staff are not consistently using communication tools with children, despite these being readily available. The registered manager has identified that the communication barrier is stressful for children and causes them to become ‘triggered’. It is unclear how staff are capturing children’s views, wishes and feelings.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager has made efforts to address shortfalls and safeguarding concerns with staff and senior managers, but this has not led to impactful change. There is a lack of response from senior managers to the increasing concerns. Action plans recently devised to address shortfalls are in their infancy and improvements were not visible during the inspection, despite the presence of several managers.

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Findings from the inspection

Leadership and management of this home is significantly poor, they fail to provide children with a suitable home to live in which meets their needs. Leaders do not demonstrate they understand the poor quality of care provided. Quality assurance systems are ineffective. Despite a large number of shortfalls, and the manager sharing they are not sufficiently staffed to meet the needs of children, the provider had planned to move a further two children into the home around the time of this inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Due to the widespread and significant concerns found during this inspection, we have issued a notice of proposal to cancel the home’s registration. If enforced, this will prevent the home from operating as a children’s home moving forward. In the meantime, the home’s registration is currently suspended, and no children are living there. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 6

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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 within 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)(b)) 25 November

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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— 25 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 7 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect; 25 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 8 provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record 25 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 9 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii) (c)(iv)) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Resicare Alliance Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 147 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

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Inspectors

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Ashley Arkless, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2747336 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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