Children's home run by Care2Care Children’s Home Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624784 1 Registered provider: Care2Care Children’s Home Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2021. The registered manager post has been vacant since December 2023. There is an interim manager overseeing the home.

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Inspection date: 7 January 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 7 January 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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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 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: 2624784 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection. Progress has been made against the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home in a planned way. Managers now ensure that they have sufficient knowledge around the child’s individual support needs to inform detailed pre-placement assessments. As part of this process, managers now review staff’s skills and experience to assess whether they can meet the child’s needs. The child is settled in the home and has developed good relationships with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Another child moved from the home because of their changing needs. Leaders and managers worked closely with the child’s social worker to support the child’s move. The child enjoyed a holiday with staff before leaving.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers act quickly to safeguard children. They notify appropriate external professionals when the child is at risk of harm, including when they are missing from the home. Staff regularly talk to the child about how to keep themselves safe. This is an effective approach to safeguarding.

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Findings from the inspection

Overall, children’s records are of good quality, however, the manager had not carried out a timely review of one risk assessment. Staff did not have accurate information about the current risk or clear guidance on how to reduce this for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been three changes of manager at the home. A previous interim manager is now overseeing the home while a permanent manager and deputy manager are recruited. Inconsistent leadership has, at times, left staff feeling uncertain and unsupported.

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Findings from the inspection

The new responsible individual regularly visits the home. Leadership is becoming more stable, with positive support available for managers.

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Findings from the inspection

The development of the home is a strong focus for leaders and managers, who have proposed plans to improve the child’s support. This includes a change to staff working patterns to provide greater consistency in the child’s day-to-day routines. Leaders and managers understand the impact this change is having on staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff receive effective support to learn and develop in their roles, through training, regular supervision and discussions in team meetings. Leaders and managers work with staff to continually improve the quality of care at the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624784 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/07/2023 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Good 02/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624784 4

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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; 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments are updated in a timely way so that staff have accurate information to help them to minimise harm to children. 28 February 2025

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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. 28 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624784 5 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they employ a permanent person to manage the home, and that the person submits an application to register. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624784 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care2Care Children’s Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Room 147, 981 Great West Road, Brentford TW8 9DN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony McKenzie

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Inspector

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624784 7 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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