Children's Home run by Blue Kite Children Care Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 1 Registered provider: Blue Kite Children Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor the restriction of accommodation notice. Additionally, Ofsted was notified of an incident on 28 December 2024, when a child started several fires in the home. The management of this incident was also reviewed during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

On the day of the visit, three children were in the home. One child was away from the home spending time with their family.

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This monitoring visit

The communal areas of the home were clean and tidy. There was visible fire damage to the coffee table in the lounge and the carpet on the first-floor landing. Children’s bedrooms are generally well kept and personalised to reflect children’s interests. However, the radiator in one child’s bedroom was missing, meaning the child had no heating in their room.

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This monitoring visit

No children have moved into the home since the restriction of accommodation was issued on 12 November 2024.

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This monitoring visit

In response to the fire, leaders and managers have ensured that the risk management plan for the child who started the fire has been updated to reflect this Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 2 new risk. Furthermore, leaders, managers and staff have spoken to the child about the risks associated with starting fires.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the incident having occurred 10 days before this visit, leaders and managers had not reviewed the home’s fire risk assessments to identify where improvements to fire safety procedures are needed.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, damage to furniture caused by the fire has not been repaired or the items replaced without delay. For example, the burnt coffee table had not been removed from the living room and it was unclear when damage to the carpet would be repaired.

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This monitoring visit

Previous requirements and recommendations were not reviewed at this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Following a case review held on 14 January 2025, it was agreed that the restriction of accommodation notice would remain in place.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2024 Full Good 20/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/07/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 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 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 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

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

meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that furniture is in a good state of repair. In addition, that the external areas of the home, specifically the rear garden, are well maintained. 24 December 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; 24 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 4 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 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 who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(ix))

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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

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

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. 4 February 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 5 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that direct work is completed with children following safeguarding incidents.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the home’s risk assessments are reviewed and updated when there is a fire in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that fire services are consulted following a fire in the home.

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they use monitoring systems to regularly review the quality of care given to children. 9 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 6 Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that staff liaise with partner agencies to ensure that there is a multi- agency approach to meeting children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure staff receive training on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, to support them in their care roles.

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must consider effectively how to meet the needs of children admitted to the home and how new admissions may impact on children already living in the home. 24 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 7 Leaders and managers must ensure children are supported to move into or out of the home in a planned and positive way.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure serious incidents such as disclosures made by children are shared with Ofsted in a timely manner. 24 December 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children go missing, they are always offered an independent return home interview on their return. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported and encouraged to display positive behaviour, particularly around sharing food with other children living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should ensure that following the use of physical restraint, children have the opportunity to take part in a debrief about the incident with someone who was not involved in the restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.50)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Kite Children Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Midlands House Ltd, Gipsy Lane, Willenhall WV13 2HA

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 9 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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