Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The registered manager left the company in April 2016 and until recently there has been a gap between operation managers. This led to a shortfall in the effective supervision of the manager. These factors have contributed to a deterioration in the service.  Both internal and external monitoring procedures were insufficiently robust to identify the emerging shortfalls. The new service manager has now addressed this.  The staffing arrangements were untenable and required urgent change. This automatically resulted in the recent use of a large number of agency staff, which has been disruptive for staff and young people.  A lack of rigour in the leadership of individual shifts has resulted in administrative shortfalls.  No staff are qualified and there are shortfalls in their training. This situation is not entirely the fault of the company, but reflects poorly on the previous manager and his supervisor. Also, the competency of the team requires

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

review.  Young people‟s progress is variable, because, for some, the home does not meet their needs. Their admission processes do not always ensure that they match the existing young people sufficiently well.  Staff do not engage some young people thoroughly. As a result, some young people‟s progress is slow and they place themselves at increased risk in the community.  Staff and young people are safe in the home. However, managers do not apply risk assessments robustly and evidence of expert assessment by a fire safety officer is lacking.

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The children's home strengths

 The new service manager, with support from the new operations manager, has identified the reasons why the service is not operating at a good standard. Implementation of her action plan is already well underway. The responsible individual is committed to this remedial action.  Staff prioritise young people‟s attendance in formal education and some young people are doing well. Other young people have learned and applied important independence skills.  When difficulties arise because of safeguarding issues or a lack of engagement by a young person with staff, for example, staff communicate promptly and meaningfully with other professionals. This helps to define the correct strategy for each young person. Most young people become safer from living in the home.  The core team of permanent staff is committed to the young people and respect their individual needs well. They engage most young people thoroughly in frequent discussions about their progress.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, ensure that children receive care from staff who— (2)(b)(i) understand and apply the home‟s statement of purpose. This is with regard to staff undertaking effective planning of each shift. 11 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

Keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. This is with particular regard to reviewing the ages and needs of the children that accommodation is provided for (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)). 11 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

Consult the fire and rescue authority and take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children‟s home. This is with regard to having relevant fire safety documents specifying the requirements and showing that equipment has been serviced (Regulation 25 (1)(a)). 11 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that any individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification, which is either (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”) or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma by, in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016 (Regulation 32 (3)(b) (4) and (5)(b)). 11 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. This is with regard to providing training on anti-radicalisation and on the responsibility of staff to report 15 August female genital mutilation (Regulation 33 (4)(a)).

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. This is with regard to addressing the identified shortfalls in staff‟s skills (Regulation 33 (4)(a)). 25 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. This is with particular regard to the manager (Regulation 33 (4)(b)). 11 July 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that staff have an understanding of how schools function, including the role of the virtual school head. If a child looked after from a different local authority area is placed in the home, the virtual school head of that local authority remains responsible for promoting the child's educational achievement ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 27, paragraph 5.10).  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This is with regard to recording the actual level of risk ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5).  Consider the induction necessary for any external agency staff before they commence work in the home ('Guide to the children's homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.16).  Accept placements for children only where the registered person is satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child's assessed needs as recorded in the child's relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. This is with regard to undertaking a review of recent decisions and revising the process, if necessary ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 56, paragraph 11.4).  Keep a record of supervision for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with Regulation 33 (4)(b) ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.3).

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children's home can accommodate up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

2 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

7 May 2014 Interim Declined effectiveness

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Requires improvement

The overall level of young people‟s experiences and progress is satisfactory. Within this judgement, the impact of the service on individual young people varies. Most young people make some progress with their independence skills, for example, but other young people find it difficult to engage effectively at all. Overall, young people feel satisfied with the service and have raised very few substantiated complaints. Sufficient staff and ample opportunities for discussion serve to highlight the views of each young person. During the inspection, one young person was on holiday and unable to contribute, and the other young person was not available. The recently departed registered manager assessed the needs and risks of new young people in detail. During this process, he compared the needs of the new resident with those of the existing group. However, in some cases, the risks remained high and their impact jeopardised the compatibility of the group. This is

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Requires improvement

one of the key factors influencing the home. One young person has lived here for 15 months, but since then no other young person has remained longer than seven months. This has not always benefited the young people and has unsettled the home. Negative incidents have occupied staff and distracted other young people. The service manager, who is currently overseeing the home, has identified several contributory factors, including the mismatching of some young people and insufficient communal rooms on the ground floor. Therefore, the office will soon become an additional lounge. This means that young people will have sufficient separate places to relax and pursue individual interests. The property is currently undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment, which includes redecoration and new furnishings. This aims to make the home lighter and well presented in all areas. The service manager has listened to young people‟s

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Requires improvement

views and will use their specific requirements in the imminent improvements of their bedrooms. Until recently, young people have benefited from a good level of continuity of staff. This allowed them to establish reasonable relationships. However, when the registered manager left in April 2016, the service manager found that there were insufficient staff and they were working excessive hours. This raised legal as well as health and safety concerns. As a result, overtime is now limited and consequently there has been a large number of agency staff. This is a necessary but disruptive process. The recruitment of additional staff is underway. The young people are naturally sensitive to these additional changes to their carers. Young people usually attend school or college and those who live at the home for a significant time make clear progress. Staff sustain good communication with relevant professionals in Birmingham and ensure that schools and social workers

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Requires improvement

respect young people‟s rights. For example, clear plans are in place and all the statutory review meetings are up to date. Staff address any difficulties proactively and implement attainable targets for young people, most of whom have special educational needs. For one young person, this has resulted in him receiving daily reports from school that identify his successes. He also uses additional online lessons. This provides a critical balance to the negative reports and helps his self- confidence. Some staff do not understand virtual schools. Such familiarity is necessary when dealing with education authorities. Given the factors described above, staff provide each young person with a reasonably secure base in the home. They identify when young people need additional help to deal with emotional difficulties and obtain the necessary services. Most young people use the health services as a matter of course and enjoy good

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Requires improvement

health. Some young people refuse to cooperate and therefore jeopardise their health. Staff try various strategies to resolve this and in most cases are successful. One young man found that he enjoys swimming and now goes regularly in order to get enough exercise. He is currently enjoying a half-term holiday in Clacton. Staff address young people‟s cultural and religious needs well. They make young people as comfortable as possible and purchase any special items, for example, for praying. Staff also support young people at religious services, if necessary. The team hold regular events in the home to encourage positive conversations about different beliefs and lifestyles. The location of the home provides immediate access to all the opportunities a widely diverse community has to offer. This is also useful when staff are preparing young people for greater independence. Staff use a thorough and systematic process, which clearly shows the progress made. One

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Requires improvement

young man successfully used this recently to move back to his family. Most young people come from this local authority and therefore have ready access to the services that they need.

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Requires improvement

The routine application of satisfactory recruitment and safety procedures keep young people safe. One of the greatest threats to young people is the negative behaviour of other young people. In some instances, insufficiently robust admission arrangements have increased these risks. Bullying has occurred from time to time, but the registered manager dealt with it effectively. The social worker for one victim said that her young person now feels safe and is still happy to live here. The service manager is currently reviewing all the written risk assessments to ensure that they are up to date and in the correct format. The existing documents show that staff fully understand the types of risk posed by each young person. However, the level of risk is not always clear. This reduces the usefulness of this process in measuring young people‟s progress or overall level of risk, for example, prior to admission. The manager reviewed the written assessment of fire safety

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Requires improvement

after a small incident in January 2016. He confirmed that satisfactory precautions are in place. The fire service has undertaken educational work with the young people so that they fully understand the dangers. However, a qualified person has not verified that the fire safety arrangements remain appropriate following the recent changes to the building. Also, certain fire safety certificates are not available on site as necessary. This does not affect young people directly, but hinders monitoring exercises and indicates shortfalls in monitoring and management. Young people are not at risk of child sexual exploitation but several are, or have been, exposed to the risks associated with going missing. The staff and young people‟s social workers endeavour to keep young people as safe as possible. Staff establish clear boundaries and reward young people‟s positive engagement. Some young people make demonstrable progress in reducing their risky behaviour.

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Requires improvement

Restraint is rarely used and only as a last resort. Staff work closely and effectively with young people‟s families, wherever this is appropriate. For most young people, this positive engagement has improved their safety. For the minority of young people who consistently refuse help, alternative arrangements are considered. Staff teach young people to disclose any concerns to them. Some young people have misused this process, but in all events staff follow the correct procedures. If a young person has made an allegation against a member of staff, for example, senior staff liaise well with safeguarding authorities. This serves to maintain the momentum of other agencies, which is particularly important when staff are suspended.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager left the company at the end of April 2016 and recruitment is underway for a replacement. The absence of an operations manager for a substantial part of the last 12 months affected the supervision of the registered manager. As a result, his supervisor did not address several matters sufficiently effectively. These included the staffing arrangements, the implementation of new documentation, admissions and a number of other shortfalls that the service manager and new operations manager have subsequently identified. Also, no record was made of the meetings. This has contributed to the declined effectiveness of the service. The registered manager and his successors have ensured that the needs of young people are a priority and they have addressed previous shortfalls. For example, young people are the first consideration in team meetings and staff supervision meetings. Team members feel supported, but are now slightly apprehensive

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Requires improvement

because of the changes. The registered manager recorded staff members‟ developmental issues in their supervision and appraisal records, but has not addressed them. This means that some individuals‟ skills and competencies are not at the required standard. There are also shortfalls in staff training, regarding important issues such as anti-radicalisation and staff members‟ responsibility to report female genital mutilation. In addition, none of the team is qualified. This is a substantial deficit caused by a series of difficulties with training providers. As a result, some staff have lost large quantities of work and others have completed the wrong tasks. A clear strategy is now in place to remedy the situation and to ensure that the team as a whole is competent. New agency workers are subject to appropriate vetting and the permanent members of staff introduce them to the home. However, they do not receive a

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Requires improvement

formal induction. This increases the likelihood of mistakes, for example in the management of young people‟s behaviour. Also, at present, there are minor shortfalls in the completion of records, including the visitors‟ book, staff signature sheets, shift handover records and in staff showing that they have read documents. These shortfalls demonstrate lacklustre management of individual shifts. The team has worked with a strong sense of mutual support. Since the departure of the registered manager, they have continued to address placement plan targets and provide young people with clear direction, for example, through key working sessions. However, the departure of the registered manager and the interim staffing and management arrangements have naturally been unsettling. In addition, staff contracts and hours of work are under review. Nevertheless, the service manager is now providing rigorous leadership and the permanent staff are

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Requires improvement

minimising the effect of the changes on young people. Only qualified agency workers are used. As a result, the home continues to provide the service described in its statement of purpose. Some parts of the document are now out of date and senior managers are correctly using this opportunity to complete a wholesale review. Senior managers have recognised that the monitoring of the service was insufficient to sustain it at a good standard. They have completed a review of the quality of the monthly monitoring process and implemented additional methods of assuring the performance of the service.

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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 that 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

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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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