Children's Home run by Guardian Homes (Midlands) Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 1 Registered provider: Guardian Homes (Midlands) Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection and were spoken to by inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 26 July 2024, when the home was registered. This was the home’s first inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s experiences and progress have been significantly affected by shortfalls in how they are cared for by staff and managers. This includes how they are helped and protected. The leadership and management of the home fail to keep children safe. There are immediate risks to the safety and well-being of the children living in the home. Consequently, Ofsted suspended the home’s registration immediately following the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers fail to ensure the home environment is safe. For example, the door alarm is broken and despite this being used to help safeguard children, no action has been taken to repair it. In addition, the manager has locked a fire escape door with a padlock. Fire extinguishers are locked away and are not accessible. This is despite one child having a known risk of fire-setting. This inaction and lack of oversight by leaders and managers have left children and staff at unnecessary risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff and managers have failed to ensure that children make adequate progress with their education. One child has attended one hour of education in a month. This has resulted in the child having an unhealthy routine, due to staff failing to implement clear boundaries and consistent parenting. There are no records of education meetings for this child or evidence that staff are encouraging the child to engage with any form of education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager does not provide staff with specific training to meet the individual needs of children. This includes specific mental health training. Managers and staff do not have the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet children’s mental health needs. Therefore, children are not able to access external support when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff and managers fail to conduct consistent or thorough room searches in line with children’s risk assessments. Inspectors found a razor blade in the window joint of a child’s bedroom. Staff were unaware of this, despite known risks in relation to the child harming themselves and going missing from home. The window restrictor in the child’s bedroom is broken, and the manager has known this for over a week. Children who harm themselves or go missing from home are not protected by staff or the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child is regularly taken to their favourite sports activity and staff regularly support them to see their family. This helps the child to feel valued and respected.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff fail to build trusting relationships with all children. One child said that they do not believe that staff can keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 3 Known risks for children are not fully considered before children move into the home. For example, risks have not been considered for one child relating to the location of the home or the suitability of the two children living in the home together.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff are not given clear direction about a child’s risk of fire-setting or possessing knives. The manager was not aware of any risks associated with fire, which shows their lack of oversight. The home’s fire risk assessment has not been updated to reflect this significant risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff and the manager do not take effective action to keep children safe. No clear boundaries are made in respect of a child’s free time, which results in them going missing. Staff do not always inform police when a child is missing, which has resulted in a child experiencing significant harm. During the inspection, the manager and responsible individual failed to draw up an adequate safety plan to keep the child safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Medication and petty cash have been taken from the manager’s office. They are now kept in a locked cupboard in a communal area. The lock is poor quality and could easily be broken. Logbooks and other confidential documents are stored in an unlocked cupboard in the children’s lounge. The manager and staff fail to recognise that children could cause serious harm to themselves by accessing controlled medication without adult supervision, due to their high levels of vulnerability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual and the registered manager have failed to provide effective oversight of the home. They fail to ensure that all staff understand expectations of what care they should provide for children. This has left less experienced staff to make decisions about children in crisis situations. The manager has failed to undertake effective learning following incidents and to address staff practice concerns relating to incidents. Some staff do not feel adequately supported by the manager or the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual and the registered manager’s limited understanding of regulations, safeguarding procedures and safety planning is resulting in children being at risk of further harm. For example, the responsible individual and registered manager were unable to identify that an unknown child entering the home without the knowledge of staff was a significant incident. Staff were unaware of the child’s presence. The responsible individual and manager took no action to ensure the safety of children living in the home or the safety of the child who stayed overnight in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers and staff fail to apply professional curiosity to better understand children’s needs. Children’s records are incomplete, which hinders oversight of incidents. Referrals to specialist services are not escalated by the manager, which causes delay in children accessing necessary support. Additionally, key information is not shared with external professionals when this could protect children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 4 Staff and managers do not follow all basic safety protocols outlined in the statement of purpose. Visitors are not recorded in the visitors book with a clear reason for their visit. For example, maintenance staff do not sign in. Therefore, children may be exposed to unnecessary risk .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective auditing processes carried out by the manager and responsible individual have failed to identify that safeguarding policies are not stored where all staff can access them. Safeguarding protocols to keep children safe have not been followed. Staff have not been able to identify when they should notify appropriate professionals when children are at risk of harm, or which professionals to contact. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

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 located so that children are effectively safeguarded.

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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. 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 6 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all identified risks for children are thoroughly assessed and clear safety plans are implemented. Staff must be trained and fully aware of safeguarding procedures.

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Requirement Due date

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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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— 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(e)(i)(ii)(iii)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager applying greater professional curiosity when exploring referrals to ensure that children’s needs are suitability matched with the knowledge and skills of staff. Reasons for accepting and refusing referrals should be clearly recorded, with information from external agencies used to inform decision-making.

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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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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 8 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager having a good understanding of the regulations and quality standards to inform safe practice and lead by example. Shortfalls in practice should be identified by effective manager audits. Staff must have access to training which helps them to protect children, with readily available support from managers when required.

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager reporting all serious incidents which meet the threshold guidance. 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 9 The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children having timely access to mental health services and the manager consistently reviewing the health needs of children. 30 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 10 support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that children have a clear education plan and children’s educational needs are consistently prioritised. Staff and managers must find creative ways of engaging children in education to prepare them for independence.

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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; 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 11 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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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

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that the home environment is adapted to meet children’s individual needs to keep them safe. The manager must escalate high priority repairs, such as replacing a child’s window restrictor and door sensors. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 12 After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children's home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire; (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all fire exits can be used in the event of a fire and that fire equipment is suitable. 30 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that children’s medication is securely stored where it can be only accessed by staff. 30 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that events in children’s lives are consistently documented and any failure by staff to complete accurate records is challenged. 30 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose; 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 13 the children’s guide;

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Requirement Due date

placement plans for children who are not looked after (see regulation 18);

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Requirement Due date

the policy for safeguarding children (see regulation 34);

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Requirement Due date

the policy for preventing bullying (see regulation 34);

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Requirement Due date

the missing child policy (see regulation 34);

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Requirement Due date

the behaviour management policy (see regulation 35);

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Requirement Due date

records of the use of measures of control, discipline or restraint (see regulation 35);

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Requirement Due date

children’s case records (see regulation 36);

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Requirement Due date

the procedure for considering complaints (see regulation 39); records of complaints (see regulation 39);

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Requirement Due date

the independent person’s reports (see regulation 44);

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Requirement Due date

quality of care reviews (see regulation 45);

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Requirement Due date

annual reviews of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home’s premises (see regulation 46). (Regulation 38 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i)(j)(k)(l)(m)(n)(o))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that staff have access to all safeguarding policies and children’s records are securely locked away.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all visitors to the home are recorded in the visitors book and the reasons for visits are recorded. 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 14

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This 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 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’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 15

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guardian Homes (Midlands) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 22 Carlton Avenue, Sutton Coldfield B74 3JJ

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Inspectors

Caoimhe Richards, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2771296 16 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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