Setting in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged as requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges 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 from the previous inspection. Improvements mean that children and young people no longer worry about bullying and they live more harmoniously. Improvement in relationships between children, young people and staff go hand in hand with better engagement with activities. This is particularly evident now that all the children and young people go out for a meal. They now mix with each other and are able to select the staff whom they feel most comfortable with.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good quality relationships with staff and greater stability enable children and young people to grow in confidence. Improved attendance at school enhances their self-esteem and drive to reach their potential.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding is robust because partnership working is strong and focused. Developments in working with the police, drug agencies and youth offending services improve the effectiveness of the home. Children and young people are safer because they go missing less frequently, no longer take drugs, talk with staff and focus their time on education and sporting interests.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people are safer because staff are quick and effective in immediately safeguarding children and young people who are admitted to the home in emergency circumstances. Effective and immediate partnership working means that children and young people receive a robust response when they go missing and gravitate towards associations linked to child sexual exploitation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good insight into the vulnerabilities of children and young people, and regular multi-agency meetings monitor ongoing concerns about individual children’s and young people’s risks of child sexual exploitation. Robust protocols instigate immediate police help when certain children or young people go missing. Regular attendance at and contribution to community forums keep the manager and staff up to date with risks in the local community. Information sharing enables staff to advise practically and to intervene when children or young people pick up poor associations or gravitate towards more risky areas in the community. Children’s and young people’s safety is paramount, and staff challenge the police assertively when they feel that responses are not robust. This significant improvement in managing going missing behaviours ensures that children and young people feel safe. They experience a strong sense of care because they know

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

that staff will look for them, visit known addresses and share information with the police.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding concerns regarding allegations against staff are quickly referred to the local authority designated officer. Timely interventions mean that children and young people are listened to and that children’s and young people’s and staff’s safety is protected.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements in partnership working extend to and have a positive impact on relationships with children’s and young people’s social workers. Children and young people make progress because staff work with and challenge social workers to drive care planning targets, such as finding fostering placements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people are more empowered because staff are good advocates for them. For example, they fight to obtain appropriate interpreting services so that children and young people can understand their rights and be meaningfully involved in plans for their futures. Staff value the role of an independent mentor and understand that this support is essential in reassuring children and young people as they return to family life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people enjoy stability because boundaries are clearer and are routinely communicated by staff. Closer partnership working with youth offending workers results in children and young people attending their programmes. Consistent input from staff and youth offending workers means that children and young people take more responsibility for their actions. They understand the impact of their offending and risk-taking behaviours and are able to keep themselves and others safer as a result.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working with families, social workers and new placements ensures that children and young people move on positively from the home. Children and young people have greater clarity regarding plans for the future, which include returning home to live with family, fostering placements and supported living for older young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recording is clearer, more child- and young person-centred and shows the significant progress that children and young people are now making. Developments include good consultation with children and young people as they decide on the format for their records.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care planning drives effective and early intervention for children and young people when they arrive at the home. Improvements in care planning give staff more direction, and this provides greater consistency for children and young people. However, access to information is hampered by the volume of information about managing risk and behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people improve their attendance at school as a result of living at this home. While some children and young people struggle with education, their part-time attendance and home tutoring is an improvement to their starting points. Staff are keen to reinforce the importance of education from the outset. For example, they promote education and a range of activities to engage children and young people when they are admitted as an emergency and are awaiting a more appropriate care and education placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Health outcomes for children and young people are good. Support from staff and drug workers mean that some children and young people are now drug-free. They now enjoy good health with a balanced diet, plenty of exercise and improved sleep patterns.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff insight into children’s and young people’s mental health, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), enable staff to understand children’s and young people’s behaviour. Children and young people feel better understood as staff respond well to their short concentration spans. Children and young people are also able to discuss the pros and cons of taking medication. They are more empowered as they make informed choices about taking medication to manage their behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people benefit from safe contact with friends and family. Staff support children and young people to maintain cultural connections through regular visits to friends who are also from their country of origin and through having video contact with parents. Other improvements include changing one of the staff offices into a room for private use by children and young people. Children and young people now have space for private study and somewhere to meet privately with family and friends. There is also a new telephone for their private use.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team’s effectiveness is improved, due to assertive management and greater consistency in staff practice. Staff report that staff dynamics are improving. Clearer boundaries and expectations for staff practice are reinforced in staff meetings. The manager assertively delivers her message about improvement, competency and drives for improvement. Staff performance is more closely monitored, and appropriate support put in place to manage conduct and staff competency. This strategic approach leads staff to take joint responsibility for improvements throughout the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager continues to embrace the ongoing changes due to the privatisation of the children’s home. Communication with the new providers, staff and children 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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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home is registered to care for six children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose states children and young people can be of either gender and between the ages of 12 to 18 years.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

04/11/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

05/03/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/12/2013 CH - Interim Satisfactory progress

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Keep all children's and young people’s case records up to date. This is with particular regard to streamlining and prioritising information in children’s and young people's behaviour management plans (‘Guide Quality Standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.3).

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Recommendations

 Support children, young people 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 or young person to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children and young people to keep appropriate memorabilia and help them to record significant life events (‘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 that 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 whom 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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