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 this visit, 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

The visit was carried out to monitor the restriction of accommodation notice and address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

No children have moved into the home since the previous visit on 7 January 2025. Leaders and managers have complied with the restriction notice issued on 12 November 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Three children were at the home at the time of this visit. One child was spending time with their family.

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This monitoring visit

The home was clean, tidy and well presented. Fire damaged furniture in the living room had been repaired and the carpet on the first-floor landing, which had also been affected by the fire, had been replaced.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers ensured that the fire risk assessment was reviewed and updated after the fire. Additionally, a fire brigade visit was planned to the home on 31 January 2025. This had not taken place at the time of the visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 2 Current staffing arrangements are insufficient. Leaders and managers are actively recruiting staff and have employed three therapeutic support workers and two team leaders.

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This monitoring visit

Following the monitoring visit, a case review was held on 3 February 2025. It was acknowledged that the provider had taken action to address the shortfalls identified at the visit on 7 January 2025. Additionally, it was noted that the provider had made efforts to recruit a staff team. However, due to the shortfalls in staffing levels there are insufficient staff to care for four children.

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This monitoring visit

It was agreed that the restriction of accommodation notice would be extended until 29 April 2025, to allow for new staff to be recruited and start work. This extension ensures that children in the home can build relationships with the new team and adjust to changes before another child is brought into the home.

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

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)) 24 December 2024

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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 9 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 4 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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)(d)(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 provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that staff liaise with partners 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 that staff receive training on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, to support them in their care role.

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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— 24 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 5 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 effectively consider how to meet the needs of children admitted into the home and how new admissions may impact on children already living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure children are supported to arrive at and leave the home in a planned and positive way.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children have been 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) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2718067 6  The registered person should ensure that following a 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 7

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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 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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