Children's Home run by Almond Care Children’s Services Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Almond Care Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It offers care for one child who may require support with social and emotional difficulties and/or has a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. They were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This home was deemed to be inadequate at its last full inspection on 3 June 2025. Following the inspection, Ofsted served three compliance notices in relation to the suitability of the responsible individual (RI), the help and protection of children, and leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to establish the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the three compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit identified that the provider has taken insufficient action to meet all steps set out in two of the three compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection the RI has submitted her resignation to Ofsted. A newly appointed operations manager has been recruited to replace the position. This compliance notice is therefore met. Leaders and managers have started to address some of the serious shortfalls identified at the last inspection. However, despite recent efforts, progress has been limited, and key areas of non-compliance persist. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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This monitoring visit

One child remains living in the home. Since the last inspection, there has been one missing-from-home incident. The child appears to be more settled at home, taking part in more activities and benefiting from healthier routines.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have commissioned a mental health nurse to support the child. This professional is also supporting staff to better understand and respond to mental health needs. While this intervention is showing some positive impact, it does not address broader issues, such as inadequate leadership and skills development of the wider staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s risk assessment and behaviour support plan are merged into one document. This document is not effective. It remains overly lengthy, repetitive and lacks clarity. Information is poorly structured, and key safety messages are not clearly conveyed. Leaders acknowledge that the plan is not fit for purpose. As a result, the documentation does not adequately support staff in managing risks and safety planning effectively.

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This monitoring visit

A review of physical interventions, safeguarding incidents and staff skills, knowledge and training has been completed by the operations manager. This identified that staff do not yet have the knowledge or experience necessary to meet the individual needs of the child. This review prompted the introduction of the mental health nurse, which is a positive step forward.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff have taken part in a reflective practice discussion with a consultant. This particularly focused on a significant missing-from-care event. The purpose was to share learning and improve practice. Further safeguarding training is scheduled with the designated safeguarding officer but has not yet taken place. Safeguarding training remains insufficient. Staff have not completed any updated online safeguarding activity or behaviour management training aligned to the needs of child currently living in the home, as per the provider’s action plan. Therefore, leaders have not yet been able to fully evaluate staff skills in this area.

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This monitoring visit

The professional supervision of staff remains inconsistent. While some discussions have included training and safeguarding themes, this is not embedded practice for everyone. The manager has not received supervision since the last inspection, despite an inadequate judgement.

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This monitoring visit

Four members of staff are under investigation for misconduct. Some have been asked to work elsewhere during this time. This has created tension among the staff team and created a shortage of staff. While the provider has managed to maintain staffing ratios for one child, they have recognised the need to recruit additional staff who are both qualified and experienced to upskill the current workforce.

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This monitoring visit

Several requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection were outside the scope of this visit and were not reviewed. These are restated and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/06/2025 Full Inadequate 18/03/2025 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 with 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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that risk management plans are reviewed, revised and remain updated and that they identify all known and emerging risks. Leaders and managers must also ensure that 25 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments and behaviour support plans identify the strategies staff are to follow to manage and reduce risks to the child.

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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 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff provide children the quality of care outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive training that meets the individual needs of the child living in the home and that staff’s understanding and application of the learning in practice are evaluated.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must conduct a review to ensure that all staff have supervision and appraisals in line with the provider’s policy and procedures and take action to ensure 25 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

that any identified practice and development opportunities are identified and supported.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(1)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that children receive emotional and mental health support in a timely manner. 25 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to complaints. Leaders and managers must ensure that all complaints are recorded and investigated and that actions and outcomes are shared with the necessary people. 25 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children 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 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)(b) (2)(a)) 25 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not met and has been restated. In particular, ensure that leaders thoroughly assess whether the staff have the training and skills to meet the children’s needs before placing children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff receiving induction and regular supervision to help them to work with children. Additionally, staff must receive annual appraisals to review their learning and professional development needs. 25 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the registered manager ensuring that the statement of purpose is accurate, updated and submitted to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) within 28 days. 25 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should be considered when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 2661513 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Almond Care Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Barling Way, Nuneaton CV10 7RH

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Inspectors

Tazim Akhtar, Social Care Inspector Rachael Sprigg, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2661513 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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