MEL Supported Living Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: MEL Supported Living Ltd 1 MEL Supported Living Ltd

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Registered provider: MEL Supported Living Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and managed by a private provider. The service provides two shared supported accommodation premises that are limited to accommodating looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this monitoring visit, this service provided supported accommodation for two children aged 16 to 17 years old.

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provider

The registered service manager, who is also the nominated individual and director, was registered with Ofsted when the service was registered in January 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to address specific concerns received by Ofsted relating to unsafe recruitment practices. The registered person has been unable to assure Ofsted that practices are safe. The inspector visited both premises addresses, spoke with the registered service manager, and spoke with staff and children.

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This monitoring visit

Safe recruitment practices are not in place. The registered service manager, who is also the nominated individual, has failed to ensure that staff are safely recruited or vetted, or suitable to work with and support children. Children are at risk of harm because of this significant shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have the skills or knowledge to keep children safe and meet their individual needs. They do not receive an induction or any training to equip them for their roles in supporting children. Staff have not completed relevant safeguarding or child protection training. The registered person has not implemented a workforce plan. There is no clear plan in place to ensure that staff are suitably skilled and monitored to enable them to deliver safe and effective support. This means staff are Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: MEL Supported Living Ltd 2 not equipped to understand their responsibilities in meeting children’s needs and keeping them safe.

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This monitoring visit

The registered person does not lead and manage the service in a way that puts children first and prioritises their safety and well-being. A child had been admitted to the service when their needs and risks were not suitable to be managed in the scope of supported accommodation. This is despite the child’s referral information stating that they were not suitable for supported accommodation. In admitting this child, the registered person placed them at risk of significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not know or understand children’s needs and risks. Only basic, initial referral information is available to staff. There are no support plans or risk assessments for staff to follow. On one occasion, staff and the registered person did not know a child’s full name. This is not safe or suitable practice. Children go out and staff do not know where they are going or who they are with. Staff do not follow a consistent approach and do not make sufficient attempts to determine whether children are safe because there are no plans in place for them to follow. This leaves children unsupported and unprotected. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: MEL Supported 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training, and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(c)(g))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that only children suitable for supported accommodation are admitted to the service and that children’s needs are reflected in their support plans. The registered person must also ensure that staff receive suitable induction and training to equip them to meet children’s needs. 14 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character, 14 April 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: MEL Supported Living Ltd 4 the individual has the experience, qualifications, and skills appropriate for the work that the individual is to perform,

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 1. (Regulation 17 (1) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that processes and procedures are in place for the safe recruitment of all staff. They must also ensure that all staff employed or working for the provider have all the necessary recruitment records in place and are suitable and safe to work with children.

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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

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

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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

understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(f)(i)(ii)(vi)) 14 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 14 April 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: MEL Supported Living Ltd 5 ensure that plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile, in relation to the supported accommodation undertaking, a plan (“the workforce plan”) which covers the following matters in respect of the recruitment and employment of all staff—

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Requirement Due date

the experience and qualifications of managers and other staff, and any further training required for those managers and staff;

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Requirement Due date

the processes and timescales for staff to complete induction, probation, and core training, including in safeguarding and health and safety;

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Requirement Due date

the process for managing and addressing poor performance;

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Requirement Due date

the process and timescales for supervision and monitoring of staff.

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Requirement Due date

keep the workforce plan under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the workforce plan available on request to the CIECSS. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e) (2)(a)(b)) 14 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: MEL Supported Living Ltd 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: MEL Supported Living Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 3 Mercia Drive, Birmingham, West Midlands B14 6TW

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Supported accommodation provider details

Nominated individual: Bonsinkosi Musimanga

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Bonsinkosi Musimanga

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Inspector

Tara Lovatt, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: MEL Supported Living Ltd 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 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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