Children's Home run by Motivations Activity Projects Ltd in Sandwell

Unique reference number SC457013 Inspector Carole Moore Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Motivations Activity Projects Ltd Registered person address Powell Studios 33 Powell Street Birmingham B1 3DH Responsible individual Sean Joseph Dunne Registered manager Clifford Alexander Faulder Date of last inspection 19/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 24/07/2014

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Previous inspection satisfactory progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is privately owned. Care is provided for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 16/05/2013 Full good

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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

4 (2001) ensure the registered person shall compile in relation to the children's home a written statement which shall consist of the matters listed in schedule 1 as per the new regulations (Regulation 4 (1)) 18/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) ensure where a children's home has a website, the registered person ensures that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children cared for in the children's home. (Regulation 4 (2A)) 18/08/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take 4 of 10 account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. This relates to redecorating the hall stairs and landing and updating the upstairs shower room (NMS 10.3)  ensure the learning and development programme is evaluated for effectiveness at least annually (NMS 18.2)  ensure staff appraisals take into account any views of children placed (NMS 19.6)  ensure there is careful selection and vetting of staff with particularly reference to verifying references by telephone (NMS 16.1)  ensure the written development plan involves staff and young people and is a working document.(NMS 15.2) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are making good progress in this home. They are developing emotional resilience through regular discussions in one-to-one sessions with staff and the young people's meetings. They are increasingly, developing their confidence, self-esteem and are able to voice their views regarding issues affecting their lives. Young people enjoy good relationships with staff and get on well with them. They feel that they are listened to and are safe and secure. This results in young people feeling secure enough to express their wishes, and worries in constructive ways. This includes the ability to talk through problems reasonably, negotiate and find acceptable solutions. Young people are also increasingly gaining an understanding about the reasons why they are in care. This enables them gradually to make progress in all aspects of their development.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people learn to appreciate the significance of differing values and cultures and to have respect for other people. This is because staff promote a positive ethos that fully embrace diversity and difference.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Individual health needs are assessed and met. All young people are registered with community based health services to access day-to-day support. This ensures that no health difficulties are going undetected. Young people are also able to access the child and mental health services (CAMHS) to address any emotional health difficulties. Young people eat healthily and take exercise and they usually follow the advice of staff so that they live healthy life styles.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from seeing their family. This enables them to maintain and improve their relationships with the people who are important in their lives. They look forward to seeing their family and spending time with them. Staff work really hard to ensure that young people find seeing their families a positive and enjoyable experience.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are encouraged to acquire practical skills around the home such as keeping their rooms tidy, helping with the cooking and generally looking after the environment. This means young people develop life skills and as a result, young people develop a sense of achievement and pride.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are making real progress in attending school compared with their attendance when they were first placed. With the support and encouragement of staff, young people have learnt the importance of education and have shown a real commitment in attending school and sitting exams. As a result they have good reports and have made real achievements and are preparing for the transition to college. 6 of 10

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Quality of care good

The quality of care provided at the home is good. This is achieved through a committed staff team who have a thorough awareness of the differing needs of the young people and how to respond to their complex needs. Placement plans are informative and contain clear information for any new staff. A high level of detail is included within these plans and they clearly show a wide range of information about how the young person should be cared for. Placement plans link up to other plans, such as education and health plans, to ensure a continuity of care is achieved across the provision. Plans are updated on a regular basis to ensure that the correct information is in place.

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Quality of care good

Staff actively promote young people’s education, learning and development. Staff ensure that the daily routine supports young people’s participation in education and school attendance. Young people have easy access to books, computer, board games and other educational resources. Staff have good links with local education services and work effectively to support and further improve educational outcomes for young people living at the home.

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Quality of care good

The quality of care provided in this home is having a positive impact on young people’s development and progress. The staff team build strong relationships with all professionals, working effectively in partnership with them and young people’s families. This means young people receive the right support tailored to meet their individual needs. Stakeholders speak positively about the care and support that young people receive, for example: 'There has been excellent communication,' 'They know the child really well.' 'I have seen the Young Person really blossom by the dedication of the care team.'

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Quality of care good

Young people are encouraged to keep good levels of contact with family and friends. All young people’s contact arrangements are fully detailed and agreed in their care plans. The safety of young people and their welfare is always promoted. Young people benefit from direct face-to-face visits and telephone calls. Extending contact to include a short holiday with a family member supervised by staff is a real innovative way to further promote good quality contact. As a result, this helps to maintain continuity of all relationships in young people’s lives in order to maintain their identity.

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Quality of care good

Young people are supported by staff who are committed to promoting diversity and equality. Staff have a good understanding of the individuality, social, cultural and religious backgrounds of young people. Some young people enjoy activities which reflect their own interests and talents. For example: attending clubs and swimming, also, staff and young people go on outings and holidays.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a homely and comfortable environment that is decorated and 7 of 10 furnished to a reasonable standard. Each young person has their own bedroom which they are happy with. They are supported to personalise their bedrooms which helps to reflect their individual identities and personalities. There is a programme of maintenance within the home; however the hall, stairs and landing require attention as well as the upstairs shower room.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people receive high levels of supervision in order to maintain their overall safety and well-being. Care and individual behaviour management plans are of good quality, identifying risks and protective factors for individual young people. These are known by staff so that risks are addressed as part of daily living with each young person. As a result, young people are taking fewer risks and are learning how to keep themselves safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in a safe place and staff work hard to protect them from harm. Staff are caring, knowledgeable and well trained in safeguarding. They are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, including issues in relation to young people’s personal circumstances, and know what they need to do to protect young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff promote positive behaviour through effective communication with a clear expectation on young people about their behaviour. They consistently apply rewards and praise for positive behaviour. Young people understand the rules of the home and they feel that the staff are very fair and reasonable when it comes to helping them with their behaviour. Restraints and sanctions are used as and when appropriate. When used, clear records are maintained and the views of young people sought and recorded. Monitoring of restraints is good. Each incident involving a restraint is reviewed by the staff team and they look to see how best to prevent it occurring again.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Some young people do on occasions go missing, thus increasing their vulnerability. Staff are familiar with the steps to take when such events occur and work closely with the placing authorities and the police to promote their safety and encourage young people to return to the home swiftly. When young people do return, they are encouraged to discuss with staff or their social worker the circumstances of their absence and to consider the risks associated with their behaviour. This further safeguards young people from harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people benefit from the home being physically safe and secure. The environment is maintained well and regular safety checks ensure that equipment and utilities work safely. Fire prevention equipment is in place and serviced according to professional guidance. Internal fire drills and fire equipment checks are regularly undertaken to ensure everyone can respond appropriately in an emergency. 8 of 10 The recruitment and selection of people working at the home is usually thorough. However two files indicated that references had been verified by telephone on the front administration sheet but was not adequately evidenced in the recruitment file itself. There are also suitable systems in place to ensure that visitors to the home are suitably checked and supervised.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has only recently been promoted within the organisation to Responsible Individual and Head of Care. The deputy manager has been promoted to acting manager and will be applying for the permanent post. She is experienced and has almost completed her Level 5 diploma in management.

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Leadership and management good

There is a new independent Regulation 33 visitor who is experienced, thorough and well prepared to challenge. The manager also undertakes her own regular monitoring and there is clear evidence that she challenges staff practice when required. The Regulation 34 reports are sent into Ofsted at the required intervals.

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Leadership and management good

The Statement of Purpose has not been reviewed in relation to the new requirements and the statement of purpose is currently not on the Home's website. The manager has started to consider the location of the home and identify any risks. The children's guide is of a good quality and provides young people with information that is important for them to know and understand. The home has a development plan in place. However the development plan is not a working document as such and would benefit from input from staff and young people with clearer aims and objectives and indicate when these have been achieved.

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Leadership and management good

There is a positive commitment to professional development, with staff regularly updating their core training to refresh their knowledge and understanding. This ensures they possess the competences and skills to meet young people’s diverse needs. However the learning and development programme is not currently evaluated for its effectiveness on an annual basis.

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Leadership and management good

The manager ensures that the staffing levels are sufficient in the home and adapts the rota in order to meet the individual needs of the young people. The home are currently recruiting female staff to complement the existing staff team. The home has a diverse staff group that uses individual staff experiences to develop young people's knowledge. The strength of the home is the enthusiastic, competent and consistent staff team led by a manager who is totally committed to putting the best interests of the young people at the heart of their work, enabling them to provide good care and support.

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Leadership and management good

The staff team continually reflect on practice to ensure the best outcomes for young people. Staff have regular supervision and meetings where they can reflect on events 9 of 10 and air their views. All staff feel really well supported and new staff feel well prepared for their role. Appraisals take place yearly and staff benefit from this process in terms of their overall professional development. However, currently young people's views are not taken into account when appraisals are undertaken. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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