Children's home run by Birmingham City Council in Birmingham

Inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 A series of health and safety shortfalls place children and young people, staff and visitors at risk.  Fire safety is not robust and leaves children and young people vulnerable  Children and young people routinely have their liberty and movement restricted.  Building work and adaptions to the home are routinely carried out without suitable risk assessment of the environment.  Leadership and management is poor. Monitoring of the welfare and safeguarding of children and young people is ineffective.  Care planning is poor with a lack of written detail and inconsistent staff practice.  The lack of symbols, pictures and bespoke communication programmes compromise children and young people’s ability to express their views.  Children and young people are not enabled or encouraged to participate in any aspect of their care or the running of their home.  The management team has failed to meet a statutory requirement and a

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

several recommendations from the previous inspection, in particularly record keeping.

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The children's home strengths

 Children and young people are supported well in their transitions to new placements.  All children and young people have good support to ensure they school attendance remains 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 (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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who —

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Requirement Due date

(a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

(b) 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

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

(ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) 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

(vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 29/02/2016 (ix) 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;

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Requirement Due date

(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

(ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home;

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Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

(c) 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

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(i) 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

(ii) help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

(iii) 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.

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Requirement Due date

(v) help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

(vii) make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

(b) ensure that each child— 29/02/2016 (i) is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

(ii) has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

(iii) is given appropriate advocacy support;

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Requirement Due date

(c) keep the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

(d) ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

(ii) how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

(iii) what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

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Requirement Due date

(e) ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child.

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Requirement Due date

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the enjoyment and achievement standard so that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. The registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(i) develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

(ii) participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

(iii) make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and 29/02/2016 (b) that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard to ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe the registered person must ensure —

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Requirement Due date

(d) 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. 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person —

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Requirement Due date

(1) enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(a) 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

(f) 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

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

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Requirement Due date

(i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 29/02/2016 14: The care planning standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that children—

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Requirement Due date

(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

(c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

(f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing injury to any person (including the child); serious damage to the property of any person (including the child) and restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20.—(1) (a) (b) (c) (2)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

(a) the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

(b) children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

(c) any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

(i) is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

(iii) is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

(iv) allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. 29/02/2016 (Regulation 21)

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a disabled child accommodated in the home is provided with access to such aids and equipment as the child may require as a result of the child’s disability in order to facilitate the child’s communication with other persons. (Regulation 22(4)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23.—(1)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire and provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25.—(1) (a) (b)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision. (Regulation 33.—(4)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36.—(1) (b) (c)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure when the independent person is carrying out a visit; if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

(4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

(5) The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (2) (4) (a) 29/02/2016 (b) (5))

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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

(2) 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

(a) the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

(b) 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

(c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2) (a) (b) (c)) 29/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Keep all children's case records up to date. This is with particular regard to streamlining files and prioritising information in children and young people's short break and 'All About Me' plans. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62 paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

 Record information about the child in a way that will be helpful to the child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14)

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Recommendations

 Support children and their parents to understand the nature of records kept in the home and how to access them. Staff should understand their role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia and help them record significant life events. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to 16 children and young people with physical and/or learning disabilities. The home provides 10 long-term placements and six short-break placements. The home is operated by a local authority. The home is dual registered with the Commission for Quality Care.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

27/03/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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inadequate

Staff fail to provide individualised care to children and young people. Risk management and placement plans do not address their specific and individual needs. Requests for local authority placement plan updates go on for several months without escalation, leaving staff long periods without key information.

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inadequate

Care, such as feeding regimes and bed assessments are not consistent with other records. For example, short break care plans do not reflect or replicate the bedtime and feeding routines that are recorded by children and young people’s families.

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inadequate

Efforts to settle and familiarise children and young people on their shorts breaks are unsatisfactory. For example, their belongings remain unpacked and there are no personalised points of reference, such as a favourite toy, photos or pictures in their rooms to help them have a sense of belonging.

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inadequate

Staff fail to understand and do not reflect on the potential impact of some of the disproportionate and potentially dangerous methods to protect children and young people. For example, the use of raised handles and high sided beds is common practice and is not individually risk assessed. Managers, nurses and care staff say that these measures are carried out in the best interests of children and young people. However, staff do not consider alternative and less restrictive ways to keep children and young people safe.

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inadequate

Poor admission planning and the day-to-day supply and demand for short break beds mean some children and young people sleep in bedrooms with high and raised beds. There are no parental consents for the use of such equipment. As a result, children and young people have their liberty and freedom of movement restricted.

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inadequate

Children and young people’s safety is compromised because the physical environment is poorly maintained. A leaking roof in the main reception presents as a slipping hazard to children, young people, staff and visitors and this has been the case for a number of weeks.

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inadequate

Difficult to open, jammed or blocked fire exits and doors compromise children and young people’s safety. Recommendations regarding the change of use of rooms as identified in the home’s fire risk assessment have not been followed.

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inadequate

Children and young people are not safe because Care of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) procedures are not adhered to. Storage areas are left unlocked and are easy for children, young people and other individuals to enter. While symbol and picture signage for children and young people is generally poor; signs with symbols stating doors should be kept locked are displayed on cleaning and sluice rooms. This does not reinforce positive visual referencing to children and young people as these doors are consistently left open.

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inadequate

The absence of personal emergency evacuation plans leaves children and young people that are easily distressed by the sound of the fire alarm vulnerable. There is no formal plan which staff can implement to ensure their emotional well-being and safety.

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inadequate

Children and young people do not reach their full potential as staff do not use individually tailored communication programmes. As a result, there is no meaningful way to seek children and young people’s views. Managers and staff are not proactive in finding ways for children and young people to participate in the running of the home and most importantly their daily routines.

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inadequate

The lack of advocacy and independent review of children and young people’s care leaves them disempowered and vulnerable. They do not know the identity or role of the independent visitor. There is little evidence of this visitor carrying out meaningful research with or about the children and young people.

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inadequate

Information about how to complain or share concerns is unsatisfactory because information in the home is not displayed with symbols, pictures and photographs. This leaves children and young people without any meaningful methods to voice their concerns or understand their rights to complain. Children and young people living at the home receive few visits from individuals who are independent and the Rights and Participation team (RAP) no longer visit the young people. They are almost totally reliant on the manager and staff to represent their views and progress their concerns.

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inadequate

Staff are not actively encouraging children and young people to reach their full potential. Planned activities do not take into account children and young people’s preferences, interests, community contact and need to be active. The home does not make use of the facilities it has available; such as the sensory room. On this two day inspection children and young people were observed to be watching television for the majority of time.

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inadequate

Children do not have access to the internet in the main building to promote their learning. For example, one child was seen to talk excitedly about wanting to be an astronaut when he grows up. The child knew that there was a first British astronaut in space. The manager and staff missed an opportunity to encourage learning as they did not act on the discussion or allow the child to access the website upon request. All children and young people attend full time education. Staff work with families, transport and a range of schools to ensure good connections when children and young people come for short breaks and have to attend school. However, partnership working does not contribute to collaboration and improvements in communication programmes for children and young people.

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inadequate

Good practice and recording of children and young people’s transitions to a new placement are beginning to emerge. Staff have met this recommendation from the previous inspection. Children and young people use booklets and photos as visual points of reference to remind them of their transition and as a method for them to communicate this to others. Key worker sessions, using photographs and symbols support recent transitions.

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inadequate

The staff team’s lack of knowledge and awareness about the restriction of liberty means decisions are made without clear assessments of risk. For example, while managers and staff confirm they use high beds rails to prevent children and young people falling out bed; they do not understand the serious nature of using such adaptations without informed risk assessments and consent. Some children and young people obsessively turn light switches on and off, bang doors and try to leave their bedrooms when distressed at night. To account this the home’s action has been to raise light switches and door handles. There is little evidence of different approaches and balances to manage and improve such behaviours. Arrangements for the safe storage, administration and recording of medication are not rigorous. Poor recording, weak procedures and lack of security compromise children and young people’s safety. For example, on this inspection the medication

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inadequate

room door was left open with records on show. Children and young people’s medication was left in their bags on the dining room table. The manager and staff do not have access to all areas of the home. For example, the maintenance work store. The manager was not aware that the change of locks was due to theft of equipment and attempted break in’s to the store. These incidents of theft and attempted theft have not been reported to the police. Information sharing is poor; with only a few staff signing to say they have read risk assessments that have been carried out on children and young people. The manager has experience of liaising with safeguarding agencies during challenging times of child protection investigations which have taken place outside of the home. Children and young people do not go missing due to the secure environment and staff vigilance. There are no concerns about child sexual exploitation of the young people.

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inadequate

Monitoring by the manager and the independent visitor is ineffective and fails to pick up shortfalls. Statutory requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection, particularly with regards to recording, remain unmet. The registered manager lacks clarity about some of the care arrangements, delegated duties of staff, significant events and the needs of children and young people in the service. On several occasions the manager failed to give a clear account of the actions taken to ensure the safety of children and young people. For example, during the inspection the manager did not record any checks carried out on the fire exit doors. The manager was also uncertain about which children slept in rooms with high handles; or if risk assessments or parental consent was in place. This lack of leadership and insight leaves children and young people vulnerable as she does not have a consistent benchmark with which to monitor

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inadequate

and evaluate the service’s quality of care. There is a lack of collaboration with the nursing team. Nursing recording systems conflict with the recording requirements of registered manager. These tensions compromise effective monitoring of the operation and practices within the short break service. There is little research, learning or implementation of strategies that keep up with the positive developments in communication and behaviour management of children and young people with learning and/or physical disabilities. A lack of urgency in addressing shortfalls and driving improvement negatively impacts on resources, staff practice and opportunities for children and young people to reach their potential. This home does not therefore meet its statement of purpose. Records do not help staff understand or effectively meet the needs of children staying in the home. For example, there is a lack of child-centred and bespoke

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inadequate

communication programmes, care plans lack specific detail and do not promote consistent care. Records often give poor account of what care has been provided. Recording also gives little meaning to children and young people about their looked after journey and experiences. The registered manager has managed this home since March 2007. She has extensive experience and is suitably qualified to carry out her role with a Level 4 National Vocational Qualification in management. While staffing levels are not increased as required from the previous inspection; the discharge of several older young people has given a balance back to staffing in the home. All staff are qualified in caring for children and young people and the management team is keen to complete managerial training in addition to the registered manager. However, there are shortfalls in staff supervision, in relation to challenging ineffective staff practice and management oversight.

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inadequate

The registered manager’s view of the home’s strengths and weaknesses is limited. This leave, key weaknesses in care practice going unchallenged.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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