Children's Home run by Forte Care Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 1 Registered provider: Forte Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home. Two children had lived in the home and moved on. The inspector spoke to one child during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 18 June 2025. A new manager had applied to register but withdrew their application in April 2026.

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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 and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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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: 2652817 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/08/2025 Full Good 27/08/2024 Full Good 02/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 3

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Summary of findings

Children’s experiences, progress and safety have been affected by serious failings and shortfalls in the care provided by staff and managers. In addition, the home’s leadership and management systems are ineffective.

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Summary of findings

Children living in the home have not been provided with good, consistent, therapeutic care, which has significantly affected their experiences and progress. Staff do not fully understand children’s needs and lack the skills and experience required to support children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not assess children’s needs or risks effectively. Care and support plans lack sufficient detail and do not guide staff practice, which undermines staff’s ability to respond appropriately to children’s vulnerabilities. This increases the risk of harm, and children are not adequately safeguarded. One child said they did not feel listened to or safe while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Significant shortfalls in care planning and in staff’s understanding of children’s needs mean that children have not received effective support in important areas of their lives. Staff have not consistently supported children’s education, health or emotional and mental health needs. As a result, children have not always had positive experiences and at times have felt unsafe, which has undermined their ability to feel secure and build trusting relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not supported or cared for by a stable and consistent staff team. High staff turnover and ineffective recruitment have led to a lack of continuity of care, which prevents children from developing trusting relationships with staff or receiving consistent, therapeutic support. This instability has had a detrimental impact on children’s emotional wellbeing and undermines their experiences and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not assess whether staff have the skills and capacity to meet children’s needs and keep them safe. Before children move into the home, information from multi-agency and family discussions is not sufficiently evaluated, leaving decisions about children coming to live at the home poorly informed. As a result, staff have been unable to meet children’s needs or safeguard them effectively, which has negatively affected them. Some children have had to move on from the home unexpectedly, causing distress and anxiety, and has led to a lack of stability and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s complaints are not always managed or responded to effectively. Complaints are not accurately recorded or consistently followed up, and the manager does not use a thorough approach to addressing children’s concerns. As a result, children do not feel valued or listened to. Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 4 Despite these significant shortfalls, some professionals and family members provided some positive feedback, particularly regarding the support provided when children have moved into and out of the home.

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

One child said that they did not feel safe living in the home and did not trust staff to protect them. Serious and persistent safeguarding failures have led to children being harmed and experiencing ongoing emotional distress. These safeguarding failings have severely undermined children’s sense of safety and security.

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

Leaders, managers and staff lack the skills, experience and professional curiosity needed to keep children safe. As a result, safeguarding incidents have occurred, and children have been harmed. These serious shortfalls demonstrate that safeguarding practice is ineffective and does not adequately protect children from harm.

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

Significant incidents involving children are not reported, recorded or appropriately addressed by staff and managers. Since the last inspection, serious safeguarding incidents have occurred in which staff failed to recognise children’s risks or take effective action to protect them. Furthermore, staff do not provide adequate support to children after incidents, leaving risks unmanaged and increasing the likelihood of further harm.

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

Staff and managers fail to assess and manage children’s risks effectively. Known risks are poorly understood, inaccurately recorded and not consistently reviewed, and clear strategies to guide staff practice are lacking. As a result, staff do not have up-to-date or sufficient guidance to respond to risks, leaving children unsafe and causing harm to their wellbeing.

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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that robust safer recruitment practices are in place. They do not consistently follow the home’s recruitment policies and procedures, so there is no assurance that only safe adults are employed. As a result, children may be exposed to unsafe care from unsuitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Poor leadership and management, along with a failure to take timely, effective action to improve the quality of children’s care, have significantly compromised children’s safety, experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff raised concerns about a lack of effective management support, which is indicative of a closed culture in the home. Staff said they feel unsafe and unsupported. As a result, poor practice goes unchallenged, learning is limited and children’s safety, experiences and wellbeing are negatively affected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff and leaders do not have a good understanding of professional boundaries within the home. Consequently, they do not always apply them effectively when working with Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 5 children. Although some support was put in place, further concerns have since been raised, indicating that these serious issues have not been addressed effectively. This has undermined children’s trust in leaders, weakened safeguarding arrangements and compromised children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Managers do not use effective systems to monitor and review children’s care or to gain a clear understanding of children’s day-to-day experiences. Significant incidents are not routinely evaluated or analysed, limiting leaders’ ability to identify risks, challenge poor practice and take effective action to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not consistently provide accurate or sufficient information to professionals or family members about the care that children receive. As a result, external professionals and families lack a clear understanding of children’s experiences and the risks they face. This limits effective oversight and compromises children’s safety and wellbeing. Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 6

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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

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

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe, and the actions they need to take to reduce children’s 28 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 7 vulnerabilities. This specifically relates to incidents in which staff did not follow the child’s plans effectively and left the child exposed to harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that when complaints are made by children and staff, that these are fully investigated in line with safeguarding and company policies and procedures, to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they review serious incidents so that they can take learning, identify shortfalls and ensure appropriate actions and support are put in place to safeguard children.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 28 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 8 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that monitoring and review systems used are effective in identifying shortfalls in the care that the child receives. This specifically relates to the manager’s lack of oversight, challenge and follow-up action when staff’s behaviour and actions do not meet the expected standards.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff working in the home have the skills, experience and knowledge to provide safe and consistent care to the child. Leaders and managers must ensure that the child’s views, wishes and feelings are used to make consistent improvements to the care the child receives.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that incidents are properly reported and investigated, and that professional curiosity is used to identify shortfalls in care. Where learning is identified from incidents, this must be shared with staff to support improvement and minimise the risk of the same thing happening again.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have completed the mandatory and specialist training needed to meet the child’s individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure they share accurate and sufficient information with professionals and families to ensure that they have effective oversight of children and their safety.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised 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. 28 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 9 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

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they carry out robust assessments when considering children moving into the home. They must ensure they consider and evaluate staff skills and experience to assure themselves that children’s needs can be met, to keep them safe.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; 28 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 10 help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that appropriate care and support plans are in place to meet the needs of children and promote their ability to thrive.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are actively involved in their plans and that their wishes and feelings influence their care.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; 28 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 11 regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff consistently seek the views, wishes and feelings of children to ensure that their care is tailored to meet their needs and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are actively involved in their plans and that their wishes and feelings influence their care.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are supported to build positive relationships with children so that their care needs can be met and they are kept safe. 28 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 28 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 12 The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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 2 (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they implement robust safer recruitment processes and that they have complete oversight to ensure that only safe adults are employed to care for children.

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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: 2652817 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 213 Station Road, Stechford, Birmingham B33 8BB

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Inspector

Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2652817 14 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 children looked after safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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