Children's home run by Prosperity Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 1 Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since November 2024. An acting manager is in post. The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual.

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Information about this children's home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector was not able to speak to the child as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not safeguarded and their welfare is not promoted.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2024 Full Good 19/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child moved out of the home. This was not managed in a positive way to support each child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers did not carefully consider the individual needs of each child or compile a robust assessment and plan to consider the conflicting needs of each child. This led to incidents escalating quickly. Furthermore, staff have not been able to manage the needs of the children as they do not have the skills and experience to work with children to minimise the risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have experienced a lack of clear structure, routines and boundaries. Neither child has made progress while living in the home. One child has not engaged in education since moving into the home and there has been a deterioration in the other child’s attendance at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have not experienced consistent care due to several staff leaving the home. Staff’s inexperience and not knowing the children well have been contributing factors in the escalation of incidents. The police have been called on several occasions to manage behavioural incidents as staff have been unable to de-escalate children’s behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not ensure that children have healthy routines and age-appropriate boundaries. Children are not supported to have a clear and supportive structure to their day. This impacts on their progress and welfare. Although health appointments have been made for children, staff do not ensure that children are supported to understand and manage their emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The condition of the home is poor and there are a large number of maintenance issues, which need to be rectified. There is a burn mark on a child’s window ledge and on the child’s plastic window frame; however, the manager and staff are unable to confirm how this damage occurred. This does not provide a nurturing environment for children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been concerns for one child’s safety when visiting family. On occasions, his whereabouts have been unknown. When missing on one occasion, the child sustained a significant injury, which required a prolonged stay in hospital. Safeguarding practice is ineffective to manage the risks posed to the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been several altercations between the children living in the home. Children have sustained injuries due to the incidents. Staff have been unable to manage the behaviours and effectively protect the children from harm. Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 4 Leaders, managers and staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. As a result, risks for children have escalated since living in the home. One child’s incidents of going missing from the home have increased and, sometimes, staff have been unaware that the child is missing. This has led to a delay in staff taking effective action. This does not demonstrate effective safeguarding practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

During family time, which was supported by staff, a child sustained injuries from a family member. Staff failed to take action to step in to protect the child and records of the incident did not include an accurate account of the events. This shortfall does not promote the child’s safety and welfare.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff have failed to ensure that children’s mobile phones are monitored. The lack of safeguards for children’s phone use, despite known risks, has placed children at risk of harm. Staff have not been aware of children’s contact with people who may pose a risk to them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff have not ensured that there are appropriate checks of children’s bedrooms. There have been incidents of children being found with knives, and a hammer was found in one child’s bedroom. The hammer was used to damage the home’s vehicle. Staff were not aware of how children came to possess these items and did not take appropriate action to minimise these risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management arrangements in the home are inadequate. The registered manager resigned in November 2024, after which an interim manager was appointed. A new manager has recently been recruited by the provider. Additionally, there have been several changes in the responsible individual role. This ongoing instability has resulted in a lack of consistent leadership, contributing to serious safeguarding failings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management arrangements have not been effective. Poor care planning by leaders and managers has meant that staff have been unable to meet the children’s needs or safeguard them from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight in the home is not effective and has failed to identify and address the shortfalls found during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A previous requirement was made due to shortfalls in the quality of care reported. This requirement is restated as consistent improvements have not been made, and the report fails to meet the regulation. Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 5

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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;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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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 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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(d)) 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 6 Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children and take effective action to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that staff are able to manage and support children's relationships to prevent children harming each other.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that home’s condition is maintained and provide a safe and nurturing space for children to live.

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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

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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's workforce provides continuity of care to 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; and

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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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that there is a suitably qualified and experienced manager and responsible individual in post to manage and oversee the home at 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 7 all times.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that there is a stable staff team in place and that all staff working in the home have the knowledge, skills and experience to provide care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that children's records are reviewed and maintained to include all accurate and relevant information, and that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed as part of management evaluation.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that they are able to meet the needs of children moving into the home, and ensure that a robust assessment and plan is in place to consider any conflicting needs for children who may live together. 8 August 2025

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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; 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 8 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 each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child's education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to maximise the child's achievement; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child's relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that children's records are maintained, updated and include accurate information. 8 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 staff— 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 9 meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child's age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b)) Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 10 Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that staff have the skills to manage children's relationships and effectively manage incidents of bullying behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that children are supported to understand and manage their emotions to prevent harm to others.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 11 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This 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’. Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 12

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s services

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Prosperity Children’s Services Ltd, 8 Mercury Rise, Altham Business Park, Altham, Accrington BB5 5BY

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Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Samantha Kean, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2694962 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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