Children's home run by Birmingham City Council in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The majority of requirements from the previous inspection are met. Developments promote good quality of care and progress for children and young people. The registered manager’s work to meet all requirements and recommendations is ongoing and so far has resulted in improved communication and care planning processes. There is still long term work to be done and the manager and staff continue to work consistently towards these improvements. The manager and staff work hard to meet the requirement to improve standards in the physical environment. Staff continue to decorate bedrooms. Independent and charity-funded work on the new activities’ room was due to commence the week after this inspection. However the manager and staff still await the local authority’s property services department to complete more major work. For example new flooring is not scheduled until the end of March 2016 and requirement in relation to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the physical environment is repeated. Advances in communication lead to children and young people having greater participation in their care and the running of the service. Staff now prepare a child- friendly monthly summary for each child and young person. The format, which includes photos, gives children and young people regular insight into their achievements, reviews their progress and shows what staff have done to support them. Professionals’ comments such as, ‘Very interactive - with staff always asking what children and young people want to do’, and show how important participation and consultation is to the manager and staff. Children and young people now chair and record some of their own meetings. They discuss a range of topics including healthy eating and how they feel when the fire alarm goes off. Meaningful and interactive meetings promote children and young people’s personal awareness, they learn how to better engage with peers

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and can talk to staff about staying safe in the home. Improved visual referencing and signage around the home helps children and young people to make sense of their surroundings, manage behaviour and help with routines. On this inspection children and young people routinely referred to creatively displayed information to show their favourite activities and favourite visitors such as the local police officer. Visual referencing also includes prompts for staff. For example, a red triangle on the notice board with children and young people photographs denotes to staff who needs support should there be a fire at the home. Improvements in communication processes are ongoing. Developments continue as a member of staff embarks on sign language training and, on completion, will be able to train all other staff. This steady and purposeful improvement shows the manager is committed to develop an all-inclusive communicative community,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

where all children and young people can be understood and express their views. Young people’s files are much more organised. Streamlining of care plans now mean the day-to-day care of children and young people is effectively drawn together. An individual ‘handover profile’ for each young person provides good attention to detail and the individuality of each child and young person shines through. Effective risk management, focused healthcare and development targets ensure care and safety is at the forefront when children and young people come for their short breaks. Monthly summaries provide regular review of children and young people’s progress and achievements, and evaluates staff practice. This reflective practice drives improvement as staff routinely look at the impact of their work. Supervision is now regular in order to support staff in their development and to further monitor staff practice. Transition planning and tracking is now detailed and clearly shows young people’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

journeys as they move on to their new adult placements. Young people become more comfortable with this challenging yet exciting transition in their lives because working together between young people, parents, staff and social workers is effective. Developments in communication and strong relationships with staff mean children and young people settle well on their short break stays. Their medical and health needs are well managed with good communication with families. They stay in the same bedroom and are part of a familiar peer group so they enjoy can enjoy friendships and cope well with group activities. Children and young people make good progress. They grow in confidence and become more independent as a result of the varied activities on offer. The home is well resourced with play equipment and children and young people thoroughly enjoy the arts and crafts available in the home. Trips out to the park, bowling and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

plane spotting at the airport are also firm favourites. Organisation of transport and effective working relationships with schools support children and young people to attend and enjoy education. Staff also make concerted efforts to contact schools in order to share and replicate the communication passports that are used in school and will contribute to the on- going drive for improvement in communication at the service. The registered manager uses her clear understanding of child protection and safeguarding procedures to work in partnership with social workers. She works well with families and competently raises challenging issues with parents in order to promote safety. Safeguarding is placed firmly at the centre of staff practice. The manager and staff show their commitment to children and young people’s welfare as they sensitively respond to emergency admissions to the home. The manager and staff are also able to learn from challenges. Serious incidents are

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

effectively managed as the manager explores reasons for behaviours and then strategically promotes effective risk management. Attention to detail results in close scrutiny and intricate changes to children and young people’s routines and improvement in their sense of wellbeing. For example the order of a morning bathing routine and type of breakfast cereal means some young people are less anxious and more comfortable with going to school after their short break stay. The registered manager is measured and strategic in her approach and makes steady and meaningful progress. She uses feedback from independent monitoring visits to drive improvement. For example the manager is developing an easy- reference guide to promote consistency in policy reading by the staff team and more effective operation of the home. The registered manager believes that outcomes are best built on firm foundations. She uses research and training in autism and courses such as ‘Enablement not

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Disablement’ to develop a meaningful short break service for children, young people and their families. Excellent role modelling, including the good use of sign language, motivates staff. This purposeful improvement ensures staff meet the main aims and objectives of the service’s statement purpose. Managers and staff are developing strategies to help children and young people learn more about growing up and maintaining a balance between independence and taking risks. For example, there is an on-going piece of work to enable girls to understand changes in adolescence such as menstruation. Looking at how to keep money safe when shopping promotes better safety for other young people. This is emerging good practice, with still some work to be done in the long term and this recommendation repeated. Developments such as children and young people’s handover sheets, monthly summaries and signage around the home show good progress. Ongoing work for

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

children and young people to be able to reflect on and understand their experiences and history still needs to embed across the culture of the service. Recording formats also need to extend across the turnover of all children and young people using the short break service.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority short breaks service registers up to seven short break placements for children with learning disabilities at any one time. The service usually provides and repeats short break stays over seven nights during a seven week period. There is usually a combination of four Monday to Friday night stays and a three night weekend stay. The service also provides more individually arranged and often shorter stays in order to meet the needs of children, young people and their families. The home’s statement of purpose states children can be of either gender, between the ages of 5 - 18 years and with a range of learning disabilities including Autism and often with associated physical, sensory and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/09/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 is required to —

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Requirement Due date

(2) (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home 30/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

22: Contact and access to communications:

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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)) 30/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 43, paragraph 9.9)  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)  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.

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Recommendations

(The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62 paragraph 14.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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