Setting 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

This service has met all the statutory requirements and the majority of recommendations for the previous inspection. Significant improvement has a direct positive impact on the safety and protection of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team have worked hard to bring consistency to staff practice and care. Recording is clear, concise and gives better insight into how well young people are doing. Care planning drives effective and early intervention for young people when they arrive at the home. Safeguarding is also robust. Leadership is strong and focused.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good progress. They are more confident and assertive. Improved social skills and confidence enable young people to enjoy good quality relationships with staff and make friends in the local community.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s health improves as a result of coming to the home. For example, some young people now receive dental care, after years of self-neglect, due to the encouragement and rewards provided by staff. Staff value the importance of looking after young people’s emotional and mental health. They give practical and emotional support to young people with self-injurious behaviour. They understand the value of talking with therapies.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good relationships with external agencies mean staff and young people can identify and contact individuals with whom they have strong relationships. Young people develop greater emotional resilience due to the quality of their relationships both inside and outside the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff demonstrate a good commitment to working in partnership. Developments in working with the police, drug agencies and youth offending services improve the effectiveness of the home. Professionals are very positive about partnership working. Their comments include ‘Every time I arrive I get a little mini-handover. Fabulous. Proactive. Definitely improved.’ and ‘Proactive – they contact me. Every time I go there they are open and welcome you. Very good at information sharing.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good working relationships between the staff, young people and the police lead to early and positive intervention with regards to anti-social behaviours. For example, new young people quickly understand that having friends congregate outside the home is not acceptable. Neighbours’ concerns are quickly resolved due to working together with staff and local police.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Working together with youth offending workers and drugs’ workers provide greater consistency to young people’s safety. Information sharing mean young people now attend their youth offending programmes. Youth offending workers, staff and young people sometimes meet together. This results in a more stringent approach to enable young people to understand the impact of their offending and risk taking behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Boundaries are clearer and routinely communicated with young people. For example, partnership working with youth offending workers, health and fire safety departments reiterate the dangers of and consequences for smoking in bedrooms. Sanctions are clear and consistently applied should young people choose not to adhere to rules within the home and expectations from their offending programmes. Young people’s behaviour has improved since the changes in regimes in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff respond well to admitting and then immediately safeguarding young people who come to the home in emergency circumstances. Effective and immediate partnership working mean staff are quick to respond to and intervene in behaviours, such as going missing and indicators of child sexual exploitation. Some young people have remained at the home longer than expected and the staff are successful keeping these young people safe. They build positive relationships and this has enabled a more stable transition onto specialist placements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working with families, social workers and new placement ensure young people also move on positively from the home. Farewell parties help young people manage transitions from the home and say positive farewells. This area in the home is much improved and provides positive outcomes for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Better organisation and re-structuring of young people’s files improve the effectiveness of the home. Initial information is powerful and straight to the point. An action plan clearly identifies areas of risk and action for staff to follow to keep young people safe. This approach is essential in combatting missing from care episodes and child sexual exploitation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is now a good combination of essential and child focused information. Staff can quickly access essential information about day to day care and gain an understanding of the individuality of each young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements in care planning now directs staff practice and provides greater consistency in the quality of care for young people. These improvements show an excellent commitment to driving improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recording in the home is improving as staff focus on the quality of key working in the first instance and then how they record. Feedback from young people is good; they are pleased with how their discussions have been ‘captured’ by the manager and staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This emerging child-centred approach to recording young people’s experiences and achievement is good within the timescale since the last inspection. The manager acknowledges there is still some work to be done in this area. The recommendation from the previous inspection is repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager continues to embrace the on-going changes due to the privatisation of the children’s home. Communication with the new providers, staff and young people keeps everyone abreast and informed about the changes. The registered manager works hard to share information in order to bring a sense of stability to the home during this period of change.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff are keen to establish clear routines and expectations for education to ensure patterns of intermittent attendance do not occur. However, attendance remains a challenge for some young people. Staff work hard in partnership with education services to arrange early education placements for young people who are recently admitted to the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manage and staff drive significant and strategic improvement throughout the service. Staff now have a sounder understanding of policies and procedures. Stripping back staff practice and going back to basics streamlines recording processes. The manager is forward thinking and outward looking. These qualities contribute to continuing improvements to ensure child care is contemporary and reflective of the changing social care and safeguarding landscape.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home is registered to care for five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose states children can be of either gender and between the ages of 13 - 17 years. The home offers long-term care to children.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/10/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

21/01/2014 CH - Interim Inadequate Progress

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Aim to support full time attendance at school unless the child's relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28, paragraph 15.4)

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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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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

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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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