Children's Home run by Care and Management Services Ltd in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC470457 Inspector Michelle Moss Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Care And Management Services Limited Registered person address Park Business Centre Hastingwood Industrial Park Wood Lane Brimingham B24 9QR Responsible individual Roslyn Ann Clift Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection N/A 2 of 10 Inspection date 15/07/2014

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Previous inspection N/A Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care adequate Keeping children and young people safe adequate Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive the help and support they need to promote their well-being at every stage of their placement. This is made possible by the staff ensuring young people are given sufficient attention to ensure that their needs are met.

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Overall effectiveness

Young receive support that is helping them feel safe. The home has gone through a period of change with a previous Registered Manager leaving and a number of changes in staff. This has created some instability in staffing, which in turn has affected staff morale and the need to use bank and agency staff to provide necessary cover. The home is in a period of transition with a number of new staff being currently recruited. The home has a new manager who has submitted an application to Ofsted to be the home’s new Registered Manager.

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Overall effectiveness

The new manager understands the home’s strengths and the weaknesses and is using a development plan to bring about the necessary action to address shortfalls.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people and other professionals talk positively about the home. Young people feel well cared for and professionals respect the work of the staff. This extends to staff pursuing every available avenue to ensure young people are able to gain access to meaningful education, which will help to enhance their learning opportunities. 3 of 10 There are a few shortfalls in regulations, although these do not directly impact on young people’s day-to-day well-being. The vast majority of shortfalls are around the attention to detail in records. For instance, some staff recruitment records are missing some information. Specific records required to be used in the case of a physical restraint or sanction, fail to hold all necessary details to enable staff to record key facts. Although care plans hold a lot of detail they are not always explicit about what needs to change to improve a young person’s circumstances and well-

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Overall effectiveness

being. Some aspects of the complaints procedures are missing information and although the staff team receive training this does not extend to considering the specific needs of the young people at the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Regulation 34 reports fail to capture the views of young people and other stakeholders. However, Regulation 33 reports regularly secure these views. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the employment of staff as listed under schedule 2 (Regulation 26.2(d) and Schedule 2) 29/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children’s home, a written record is made in a volume which includes the details listed under Regulation 17 (Regulation 17B (3)(f)(h) and 4(b)) 29/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure consultation with young people, their parents and placing authorities forms part of the review on the quality of care (Regulation 34 (1) & (3)) 29/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the complaints procedure includes the name, address and telephone number of HMCI (Regulation 24 (4)(a)) 29/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure a sufficient number of suitable qualified, competent and experienced persons work at the children’s home (Regulation 25 (1)(b)) 29/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure all staff receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal (Regulation 27 (4)(b)) 29/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

11 ensure that the children’s home is conducted so as 29/08/2014 5 of 10 (2001) to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated. In particular, by ensuring assessments and care planning fully cover safeguarding and welfare matters (Regulation 11 (1)(a))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure all parts of the home used by young people are in good structural repair. In particular, ensuring the lock on the patio door is repaired. (Regulation 31 (20(b)) 29/08/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure there is an easily accessible procedure in place so that young people a able to make representations and complaints about the care provided by the home generally or about their treatment by individual staff (Children Act 1989 Volume 5, Statutory guidance chapter 2.30)  ensure information about the young person is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the young person when they access their files now or the future. In particular, evidencing the progress, achievements and attainme over time. (NMS 22.5) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people form positive and caring relationships with staff and use this nurturing relationship to feel safe and secure. Nevertheless, young people sometimes have limited awareness of the risks associated with unhealthy and unsafe lifestyle choices. As a consequence, their physical and mental health can on occasions become compromised. To overcome these difficulties staff encourage young people to access inclusive health services in the wider community and engage with specialist services that are more responsive to changes in emotional health needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people sometimes lack the confidence and self-esteem to make sufficient and sustained progress in their learning and development. This is despite the encouragement and support from staff that positively reinforces the importance of learning on a daily basis.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are not always self-motivated to contribute to the community in which they live and learn. However, staff will attempt to encourage young people to make a valuable contribution and in doing so, start to help strengthen their confidence, so that they build up the resilience to overcome their difficulties.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people build life skills through taking part in shopping and cooking. This is helping them acquire practical skills to better prepare them for adult life.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff attempt to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people. However, a period of staff instability has meant that working together in a cohesive manner has not always been achieved in the past few months. As a consequence, developing comprehensive care plans and assessments for the young people have not come to fruition. For example, care plans fail to capture the measurable difference the home is making to improve their physical, educational and emotional well-being. This extends to weekly reports failing to show progress between periods of time, that help to show the positive impact the home is making across all aspects of well-being.

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Quality of care adequate

Arrangements for the storage and safe administration of medication are well established. Where young people are reluctant to take their prescribed medication in accordance with their doctor’s instructions, the staff team will ensure they refer their concerns to the appropriate health professionals.

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Quality of care adequate

The voices of the young people are integral to everyday practice with opportunities to talk individually through key working sessions to being able to participate in young 7 of 10 people’s meetings. This is validated by the young people, who talk fondly about the staff and feel that they understand them well and are sensitive to their needs. One young person spoke about staff being respectful when they needed sometime alone and being available when they felt the need to talk.

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Quality of care adequate

Professionals that have regular contact with the home hold the home in high regard. They report the manager is fully committed to effective communication and consults them regularly. For example, it is reported that the manager has been a strong advocate for young people to ensure they are being given meaningful opportunities to access appropriate education.

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Quality of care adequate

In the main, young people know their rights and have good insight into how to exercise them. However, the home’s complaint’s procedure for young people is missing details which inform them about external agencies such as Ofsted, including the address and telephone number. Also, the form designed to be used by young people to make a complaint lacks transparency over what young people can raise as a concern. As a result of these shortfalls, the home fails to have a robust complaint’s procedure which is child focused.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

There are measures in place to consider the circumstances in which a young person can place themselves at risk. This extends to holding a chronology of significant events which can be quickly shared with other professionals to ensure best interest decisions can quickly be made. Nevertheless, there is a weakness in not having carefully set out risk assessments that alert the staff to the control measures necessary so that young people’s safety continues to be safeguarded.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The Staff team apply effective communication to help de-escalate and defuse situations. These measures result in a low level of physical intervention being necessary. However, the book that is required to record the details of any restraint is missing key information. For example, it doesn’t describe the methods used by staff and the effectiveness of the measure. It also fails to record whether the staff team debrief young people or that members of the leadership team equally debrief staff. Nevertheless young people are able to make their views known in the records. There are similar shortfalls noticeable in the book which records sanctions which have been imposed by staff. As a consequence of these shortfalls, there is no comprehensive written volume which holds all the essential information required; although details can be found in other records such as the individualised behavioural plans.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The number of young people going missing from care since being placed at the home is overall low. There are measures in place to identify and respond to individual levels of vulnerability and presenting risks. The leadership also ensures they are engaging with other agencies so that any emerging risks are quickly addressed and measures put in place to secure maximum protection. 8 of 10 Recruitment practice is variable, resulting in some inconsistencies in the checks which are meant to protect young people. For instance, there are some cases where a full employment history has not been secured and the identity of the applicant has not been checked. These weaknesses in the attention to detail mean not all potential avenues that ensure young people are safeguarded are actively pursued.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The vast majority of the physical environment is safe and takes into account the needs and characteristics of young people. The home has arrangements in place to ensure health and safety issues relating to the accommodation are identified and addressed. This extends to fire safety. Nevertheless, at the time of the inspection there was a broken door lock on a patio door which meant the security of the young people was compromised.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home has not had a Registered Manager since April 2014. There is currently a new Registered Manager’s application being processed by Ofsted, which was submitted within the 28 days of the new manager being appointed. The new manager has a clear vision in how they see the service improving. There is a clear understanding about where there are weaknesses and equally of the home’s strengths. These are clearly captured in a development plan.

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Leadership and management adequate

The new manager has a sound knowledge and commitment to ensuring that the young people’s welfare and well-being is the heart of their decision making. There is a commitment to involving young people, families and other stakeholders into the development of the service through everyday interaction. However, this does not extended to the Regulation 34 reports. This leaves young people’s participation in the processes of assessment and decision-making absence in formal reporting. Although other elements quality assurance, such as regulation 33 reports are better at actively secure the views and opinions of young people, families and professionals.

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Leadership and management adequate

The confidence among staff is variable and staff retention has been an area of concern. However, regular bank staff who are employed by the organisation are being used to give young people reasonable levels of continuity of care. Young people report not experiencing any significant impact in their care as a result of the reduced numbers of permanent staff. Despite these measures, there have been odd occasions where agency staff have also been used. This has meant on at least one occasion waking night staff cover has been provided by an agency staff. In these instances young people are not having continuity of care secured.

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Leadership and management adequate

There is a good balance of experience among staff, with members of staff being qualified to the required National Vocational Qualification. Staff are equally afforded on-going training which extends to attachment and child development. However training is not always matched to the presenting needs of the young people at the 9 of 10 home. For example, not all staff receive specific training around self-harming and the impact of bullying. This means staff only have limited insight into the impact that risks associated with bullying and self-harming can have on young people's physical, emotional and psychological health.

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Leadership and management adequate

The vast majority of staff are supported through regular supervision. This enables them to reflect on their support and care of young people and to be able to review their own personal development. Nevertheless, there have been a small number of instances where staff have not had regular supervision and therefore not benefitted from this structured support.

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Leadership and management adequate

The staff are knowledgeable about when social workers are required to visit young people and when their statutory reviews are due. This enables staff to chase up on any overdue visits or reviews and in doing so, ensuring young people’s progress remains closely monitored by key professionals.

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Leadership and management adequate

When young people first come to the home, excellent work is done to ensure placement plans are drawn together. However, the updating of these records once young people become established in their placement is less robust. There is a lack of rigorous evidence gathered to show the progress young people are making. Also, there is a shortfall in ensuring carefully designed risk assessments are applied so that preventive measures match presenting risks and in turn help to keep young people safe.

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Leadership and management adequate

This is the home’s first inspection since registration and therefore there are no previous requirements or recommendations requiring follow up.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home has a clear, accessible and comprehensive Statement of Purpose that sets out its aims and objectives. This holds a clear vision in how the home aims to ensure young people are being supported to feel safe, protected and well cared for. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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