Rubi Living Ltd.

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 1 Rubi Living Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider owns and operates this supported accommodation service. The service can accommodate up to seven children living in solo accommodation and up to 58 children living in 21 shared premises that are not limited to looked-after children and care leavers. At the time of the visit, 20 children and 18 young people aged 18 and over were being supported.

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provider

The service manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2023.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring visit in response to third-party concerns about staff’s ability to manage risk and keep children safe. In addition, this information alerted Ofsted to the possibility that the provider was accommodating children who should not be living in supported accommodation. Following this visit, a notice restricting accommodation, to prevent new admissions, was issued. In addition, two compliance notices were also issued.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager, who is also the nominated individual, has not ensured that the needs of all children living here can be met in line with the supported accommodation regulations and the provider’s conditions of registration. A failure to undertake a thorough assessment of children’s needs before admission has resulted in children being admitted whose needs cannot be met in supported accommodation. These decisions have placed children and staff at unnecessary risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There have been several incidents of concern since the service was registered in November 2023. These include incidents of children going missing from care, linked to gang affiliation, a police seizure of illegal substances and an incident where a Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 2 member of staff was held hostage overnight. Records relating to incidents are lacking in detail. This makes if difficult to be assured that effective action was taken and that the risk to children and staff was minimised. In addition, the service manager has failed to keep Ofsted informed when significant incidents involving children have occurred. This prevents Ofsted as the regulator from having effective oversight of the service and assessing the risks to children.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans and risk assessments are inadequate. Those reviewed do not provide an accurate or up-to-date picture of children’s known and emerging needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. In some cases, there has been a concerning delay in developing these plans. As a result, children’s needs are not met, and children’s risks and behaviours are not managed effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not ensure that children are supported to maintain a clean and pleasant living environment. One child’s bedroom was extremely untidy and dirty, containing bottles and glasses of urine and smelling strongly of cannabis. These concerns had been previously raised with Ofsted following a serious incident involving a police search. It is of concern that staff have not taken any action to improve the child’s living environment.

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This monitoring visit

The procedures for managing and investigating complaints are ineffective. There is no evidence to show that concerns raised by the police, which include risk management, the condition of a child’s bedroom and staff sleeping while on duty, have been investigated. This, along with the shortfalls identified at this visit, raises significant concerns about the manager’s oversight and ability to promote suitable standards of safe and effective support for children.

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This monitoring visit

Since registering, the provider has grown significantly, adding 13 premises to the 11 originally registered. Systems for maintaining oversight and monitoring service delivery do not reflect this growth. As a result, the registered service manager does not have sufficient oversight to ensure that shortfalls are identified and addressed quickly. This is evident in the number of serious concerns identified at this visit. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 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

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)(f)) 19 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

*The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

have their individual needs met. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)) 19 January 2025

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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. 19 January 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 4 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. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe;

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Requirement Due date

support children to maintain appropriate and safe relationships with family, friends and other people who are important to them;

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Requirement Due date

understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(f)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 19 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment. 19 January 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces;

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Requirement Due date

are designed, furnished and maintained to remove avoidable hazards which could pose a health and safety risk to children;

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Requirement Due date

comply with all relevant statutory provisions dealing with health and safety or fire safety matters. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any 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 or child criminal exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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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

The registered person must ensure that a notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

any other individuals or organisations who or which have been notified;

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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

is made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(f) (4)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 19 January 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 6 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints and representations made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint or representation takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 31 (1) (2) (3)) 19 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that the registered service manager can effectively supervise the management of all the settings in the service, taking into consideration the breadth, scope and geographical reach of the service being offered. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, page 50)

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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: Rubi Living Ltd 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Nominated individual: Kennedy Sigobodhla

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Kennedy Sigobodhla

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Rubi Living Ltd 8 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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