Children's Home run by Care and Management Services Ltd in Birmingham

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Relationships between young people and staff are of a high quality. This has led to some very positive outcomes for young people, including an enjoyment of differing activities and decreased levels of self-harm.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 All young people attend education, and levels of attendance have increased substantially since their admission, although they are not full time for all.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 All young people enjoy good health. This is promoted through detailed health planning, and staff‟s supporting and being involved with young people‟s activities.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people feel consistently listened too. Forums such as young people‟s meetings and key work are effective, with clear expectations for staff to respond.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Effective safeguarding systems are in place, and the registered manager ensures that young people receive a good level of support from the placing authority when concerns are raised. Some staff training in self-harm is basic and requires development.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are supported to understand about acceptable behaviour. Incidents of absence from the home are rare, and staff show diligence in searching for and returning young people. The manager has not monitored all behaviour management records sufficiently, and some absence records do not clearly show return interviews.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Care planning is detailed, and gives staff a good awareness of the needs of the young people and how these are to be responded to. Staff are involved with reviews, and detailed reports show how young people have developed while being at the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff are well supported by the management team, with regular training, team meetings and annual appraisals that link to individuals‟ development plans. Some supervision records are not available for staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Some records are duplicated, due to a lack of clarity regarding the different record books. Also, some staff are not aware of the information given to young people about admission. These issues do not affect the high level of care given to the young people.

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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 „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

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 must ensure that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to training regarding self-harm. 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

35. Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that— (b) within 48 hours of the use of the behaviour management measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate (Regulation 35 (3)(b)). 15 July 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):  ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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Recommendations

 ensure that children are in full-time education whilst they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full time attendance at school unless the child's relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.14).

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Recommendations

 ensure that all staff consistently follow the home's policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home's care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. Specifically, staff need to be aware of the information given to young people regarding the home and the complaints procedures ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.20).

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Recommendations

 ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.30).

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Recommendations

 ensure that the registered manager details the process and timescales for supervision of practice and keeps appropriate records for staff in the home ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.8).

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Information about this children's home

The home is one of three children‟s homes within a privately run organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people. The home‟s statement of purpose indicates that the general age range will be between 12 and 17 years of age .

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15 December 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

13 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people enjoy consistently positive relationships with staff. One young person stated that the staff „know how to talk to each other and to young people, so we all seem to get along‟. These relationships help young people to develop in all aspects of their lives. Some young people make exceptional progress while at the home, including increased attendance in school, decreased self-harming behaviours, decreased „missing‟ episodes and increased involvement with activities.

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Good

Young people enjoy a wide range of activities. They are able to discuss how they attend regular sessions in dance, yoga and horse riding. Activities help to develop their self-confidence as well as increase their levels of fitness and health. Thoughtful consideration is given to meeting the needs of the young people and matching these to activities that they may enjoy and use in the future. For example, a previous resident was involved with learning Dutch, due to wanting to go on to study in the Netherlands.

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Good

Contact arrangements are arranged from the point when young people are admitted to the home. Staff consistently support and promote relationships with young people‟s families, developing links for when they leave the home, where appropriate. Good, clear planning shows where contact is not allowed and the expected staff response, should certain individuals contact the home. This helps to keep young people safe. All young people are admitted by the local placing authority, so there are no concerns regarding families or young people having to travel far to keep in touch.

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Good

Consistently high standards of health arrangements are in place. All young people have health plans, and these detail the ways that staff are to respond to differing situations. Staff have a good awareness of medication administration, and robust auditing processes are in place. Strong links are in place with health professionals, including weekly visits from an independent psychological service, visits from a drug and alcohol service, when necessary, and some young people‟s attendance at regular statutory mental health services. These services help to support their current health needs as well as promote good health in the future.

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Good

All young people attend educational placements and this is a high priority from the point of their admission, with schooling being swiftly in place. Not all attend on a full-time basis, but this is developing as they become increasingly confident in their placements. The registered manager challenges those involved with educational placements effectively, to ensure that young people receive the best provision available. Staff regularly support young people within educational placements, being available at break times to respond to possible concerns, decreasing this support as young people develop in confidence.

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Good

The manager and staff ensure that the home is well maintained, comfortable and clean. Young people are encouraged to personalise their own rooms and have an input into the colours of the walls, allowing them to take responsibility for their own space. They are positive about where they live, being able to discuss local landmarks that they have visited and the ease with which they can get around: „it‟s good being in the city, there is so much that you can access.‟

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Good

Young people feel consistently listened to in both formal and less structured discussions. They highlight key-working staff as being those with specific responsibilities for their care, and subsequently state that they are important parts of their lives at the home. Good records of key-work meetings are completed, showing that a wide range of areas are discussed relating to their families and life at the home. Feedback is given to young people following their meetings, showing how the registered manager and staff have responded to their views and ideas.

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Good

Young people are able to raise concerns regarding their care with a number of adults including independent advocates or staff. Information is available within the young people‟s guide, and complaints information is given at admission. Not all staff are fully aware of this information, and this could affect young people‟s ability to complain directly to staff. Young people consistently develop their own independence skills, including cooking, shopping, washing and ironing. Staff offer advice, and there is direction provided in a natural and parental way supports this. No young people are currently planning to leave the home or are of an age to require specific formal assessment of their independence skills.

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Good

The manager ensures that effective systems help to keep young people safe within the home. Health and safety arrangements are consistently reviewed, and risk assessments are updated following changes in concerning behaviours to ensure that staff are aware of the needs of young people. A locality risk assessment highlights areas of concern around the home and directs staff in the best way to respond to these, to keep both staff and young people safe.

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Good

The manager takes the lead in making sure that appropriate safeguarding procedures are in place, with staff trained in these through their induction and further training. Where concerns are raised regarding the safety of young people, the management team works well with a range of professionals. This includes challenging local authorities and social workers where necessary.

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Good

When young people have gone missing from the home, staff diligently respond, attempting to return them. Records clearly show how different agencies work with the home‟s staff, including the police, to return those who have been missing. Independent charities offer support to young people on their return. There are occasions when it is unclear if discussions have been completed regarding their behaviours and whereabouts during the time that they were away, in an attempt to decrease future such behaviours. This leaves a missed opportunity to enhance the safety of young people.

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Good

Staff do not always benefit from high quality training. For example, staff receive basic awareness training around self-harming. This limits staff gaining a sound knowledge and understanding of how self-harming impacts on young people and the triggers that increase the likelihood of this type of risk-taking behaviour.

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Good

The staff team promotes positive behaviours. Young people are able to discuss differing reward structures that are in place, and how these can be achieved, including highly individualised incentive schemes. When negative behaviours are exhibited, staff use sanctions, with restraint as the response of last resort. Staff are trained in the use of behaviour management techniques. This training is regularly updated to keep young people and staff safe. However, the manager‟s monitoring is not sufficiently robust to pick up minor errors in records. These include, missing signatures and dates.

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Good

No young people raised concerns regarding bullying, and policies are in place to respond to such behaviour should it become a concern at the home.

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Good

Young people‟s safety is supported through effective and robust recruitment procedures. These ensure that all necessary checks are completed.

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Good

An experienced manager who is qualified to level 5 in leadership and management of residential childcare leads an enthusiastic staff team. Staff state that they enjoy their work with the young people and the variety of their role.

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Good

The manager ensures that the home‟s statement of purpose provides the reader with a clear picture of the role of the home in improving young people‟s lives. Those admitted to the home are in line with this statement. The manager has a good awareness of the strengths of the staff team and areas in need of improvement. A strong development plan highlights achievable targets. This plan links well to the six-monthly assessment of the home, examining achievements and trends in practice. Monitoring of the home by an independent person has improved, and young people are increasingly involved with these visits.

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Good

The registered manager challenges poor practice. Since the last inspection, this has helped to ensure that medication is administered correctly, meetings are arranged to examine the best ways forwards for young people and appropriate education is developed. No recommendations or requirements were made at the last inspection.

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Good

Relationships with professionals and families who are involved with the young people are consistently good. One parent stated, „the staff always try to keep you involved through regular reports and phone calls; this helps us to feel part of what is going on in the home.‟

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Good

All young people have clearly defined care plans, and these are reviewed on a regular basis. Planning and risk assessments are highly individualised and clearly show how staff are to support the young people‟s needs. Review reports are detailed, showing how young people have developed while being at the home. Case recordings are generally well kept, although there is some confusion regarding the use of the „contacts‟ and „significant events‟ logs, with staff incorrectly recording events from the respective areas. Although this does not have a negative effect on the level of care, it shows inconsistencies in staff‟s approaches to records.

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Good

Staff say that they are supported well and that senior staff are always available to talk to and advise them. Supervisions are completed regularly, although not on the monthly basis that the policy expects. Some records of supervision meetings are not available, so staff are not able to examine their own practice fully. Appraisals are completed annually and help staff to examine necessary training and complete individualised development plans. New staff are able to start a qualification in residential childcare after they have completed their induction. Established staff have already completed their level 3 residential childcare qualification. Staff use this enhanced knowledge to inform their practice and to improve young people‟s lives. Staff meetings are a regular occurrence and give staff another avenue to share good practice.

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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‟. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 „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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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