Children's home run by Alpine4care Services Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 1 Registered provider: Alpine4care Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since registration in April 2023, there have been multiple changes in the leadership and management team. There is currently no manager appointed and the responsible individual is overseeing the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Significant shortfalls were identified at the last full inspection in relation to the leadership and management of the home. Consequently, a compliance notice under regulation 13 was issued. At the subsequent monitoring visit on 3 July 2024, the inspector judged that all aspects of the compliance notice were met.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2721798 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: 2721798 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

Due to the concerns about the care and safety of children, a decision was made by the regulator to issue a Restriction of Accommodation Notice. This notice prevents the provider from moving any further children into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Three children have left the home and two have come to live there since the full inspection. One child moved in a planned way. Two children’s placements ended early because of an increased risk of them going missing and becoming at risk of harm while missing from the home. For one child, their risk of being exploited was also increasing. This child was moved at short notice in order to safeguard them and another child following these risks increasing.

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Findings from the inspection

One child currently lives in the home. Managers accepted this young, vulnerable child into the home despite having a new manager and instability in staffing. This child did not have a risk of going missing when they came to live at the home, and developed this risk because staff were unable to prevent him from going missing with the other child. There have not been any further incidents of children going missing since the last child moved from the home, However, because of manager’s and staff’s lack of skills and experience to manage this child’s increasing risks, the child was placed at high risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

More positively, staff have supported the current child with their education by transporting the child a considerable distance to school every day. The child enjoys activities such as going to a local water park and trampolining. Staff have taken him to see his favourite football team. Participating in children’s interests and hobbies helps staff to build trust and strong relationships with children. However, it is notable that the child believes that he has formed strong attachments with staff that have worked in the home for only three weeks. This demonstrates the child’s vulnerability and complexity.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not have the skills and experience to manage children’s complex behaviours. Current staff are not clear about children’s risks and how to manage them. Staff do not always intervene and use approved strategies to de-escalate children’s complex behaviours when children become distressed. Managers have identified some shortfalls in practice and taken clear steps to address these. However, the shortfalls left children at risk of harm. It is of serious concern that managers have not ensured that staff have the skills, knowledge and experience to support children when they are in crisis.

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Findings from the inspection

Risks are not well known, documented or understood. Risk management plans do not provide staff with clear guidance and strategies to manage children’s risks. They do not guide staff on how to manage new and emerging risks. For example, plans Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 4 did not reflect how to manage the risk of one child going missing while on his scooter. In addition, staff were unclear about risks to the child living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Strategic managers have failed to implement consistent and effective management. Consequently, management oversight is poor and children do not receive good, consistent care. A manager last worked in the home on 25 September 2024 and left without notice. They had managed the home for four weeks. Since the full inspection in April 2024, four managers have worked in the home, the longest for eight weeks. The home has not had a manager registered with Ofsted since February 2024. Current staff say they are unclear about who they can consult for support and advice. One staff member said, ‘It would be nice to have a set manager, to be able to go to someone who we can be sure of.’

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Findings from the inspection

Children experience inconsistent care. This affects their ability to develop meaningful relationships with adults who care for them. Since the monitoring visit, a number of staff have left their roles and others have joined. Some staff were dismissed or left following concerns about their practice and inappropriate behaviour with children. Changes in staff and managers have left an inexperienced staff team and led to inconsistencies in care for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Monitoring systems are not used effectively to assess the care and experiences that children receive. Managers do not routinely monitor incidents and they do not always ensure that staff have an opportunity to talk with a manager following an incident.

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Findings from the inspection

Recording practice is poor and managers’ oversight is also poor. Staff do not record strategies to de-escalate children’s behaviours or the triggers for distressing behaviours. Managers fail to identify shortfalls in practice. This limits the ability of staff to reflect on their practice and is a missed opportunity for managers and staff to learn and to improve practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers do not always inform the regulator when serious incidents occur, and the police are called to manage children’s behaviours. This limits independent oversight of staff practice and does not promote an open and transparent relationship with the regulator.

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Findings from the inspection

The shortfalls highlighted are serious and widespread and demonstrate that safeguarding practice is not sufficiently robust and does not promote the safety and welfare of children. Poor oversight and a lack of effective action to improve the quality of care in the home has compromised the safety, experience and progress of the children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2023 Full Good 23/05/2023 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 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. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that risk management plans are up to date with all children’s known risks and new and emerging risks. The manager must ensure that staff are guided by clear strategies that safeguard children effectively. This also relates to ensuring that staff have the skills and experience to understand when a child’s risks are increasing and to intervene and take effective action in a timely manner. 30 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— 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 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 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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that there are sufficient skilled and experienced staff to promote the well- being and safety of children living in the home. That children are cared for by consistent managers and staff and that managers monitor all incidents, exercising professional curiosity. Additionally, that managers take effective action when shortfalls in children’s care and safety are identified in the independent visitor’s report.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)) 30 November

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 8 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers informing the regulator of serious incidents when police are called to manage a child’s behaviour. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Alpine4care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office Suite 4, Bermar House, Rumer Hill Road, Rumer Hill Business Estate, Cannock WS11 0ET

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2721798 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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