Children's home run by Motivations Activity Projects Ltd in Birmingham

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people make progress in all areas of their development.  They are cared for by a committed and motivated staff team.  Staff are supportive and responsive to young people‟s needs.  Young people enjoy a positive, relaxed atmosphere in the home.  Managers and staff ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed, maximising young people‟s safety.  Managers and staff work effectively with partner agencies promoting the safety and welfare of young people.  Not all young people are in full-time education, but staff are proactively seeking an education placement where there is a shortfall.  Young people are treated with dignity and respect. Their individual needs are valued.  There are some shortfalls in practice relating to areas of the home requiring refurbishment and updating to maintain good standards. In addition, the registered manager has not completed the six-monthly self-evaluation of the

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to the flooring and boiler in the annex, one young person's bedroom furniture including his mattress, damage to the walls and a damaged cabinet in the telephone room in the office, the registered person must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i). 26 August

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months (Regulation 45(1)). 8 July 2016

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Children should be in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 28, paragraph 5.14).  The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child's assessed needs and when they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child's assessed needs and when they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children („Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56 paragraph 11.4).

p.5

Information about this children's home

The service is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and behavioural problems.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Recent inspection history

15 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Recent inspection history

24 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.6

Good

There have been changes in the young people living at the home, with one young person leaving and another joining the home. The young person who has left has moved into independent living. Managers and staff helped him to prepare for the move, and he learnt appropriate skills for a successful transition to adult life. Another young person has moved into the home and he is supported by staff to settle into the routines and life of the home. Young people often arrive in crisis and staff are skilled in working with young people who may demonstrate challenging behaviour. The young people are kept safe by staff vigilance, clear behaviour planning, good team working and clear protocols with other professionals. Young people comment favourably on their lives at the home. One said, „I like the annex in the garden. It means I have more space and more free time. I am getting older and I can sit on my own. Staff are there for me though. I like growing

p.7

Good

vegetables in the garden. I help around the house. I am happy.‟ Young people have very positive, high quality relationships with staff. Staff treat young people with dignity and respect. Staff warmly welcome young people home from school or, if they have been out, when they return. Young people feel valued and develop a sense of belonging to the home. They say that they can approach staff and talk to them if they need help. Young people spend time talking to staff, playing games, relaxing or going out and about in the community. Young people‟s enjoyment of their lives is enhanced. Managers and staff promote learning as being important to young people‟s future success. When young people are not in full-time education, managers and staff liaise with all relevant professionals to ensure that an education placement is identified. Staff complete education sheets and projects with one young person who has recently arrived, and who has been out of education for a considerable

p.7

Good

time. Another young person has improved his punctuality, as he struggled to get up in the morning and arrive at school on time. The use of incentives and staff encouragement has meant that his punctuality is markedly better. Young people‟s educational progress is prioritised and opportunities are maximised. All young people participate in routine health surveillance. When they need more specialised services, such as child and adolescent mental health services, these are in place. Liaison between managers, staff and health professionals is good, ensuring that young people‟s health needs are met. Medication arrangements and protocols are robust, resulting in safe practice. One young person has learned to understand when his medication is due as he recognises a deterioration in his behaviour. He is developing an understanding of how his behaviour affects others and is taking positive steps towards addressing this. Young people learn how to

p.7

Good

self-regulate their emotions, resulting in a more harmonious home environment. Whenever possible, young people maintain contact with their friends and family. Staff accompany them to visits and provide support afterwards. Young people stay in contact with their loved ones and develop an understanding of their background and their lives to date. When necessary, young people have support to manage visits to friends. For example, one young person was invited to a friend‟s home and needed help and advice about how other families work, and expectations of behaviour. This helps to improve their self-knowledge and self-confidence. Whenever possible, young people are involved in the running of the home, including planning meals, activities and outings, and looking after their rooms. They participate in „speak out‟ meetings with staff, in which they are encouraged to express their views about life in the home, any difficulties or changes that they

p.8

Good

would like to see. Young people develop confidence that adults are interested in their views and act on their opinions.

p.8

Good

Managers and staff ensure that young people are kept safe by good safeguarding practice. Staff are knowledgeable about young people‟s routines, care planning and risk assessments. When new young people join the home, staff are vigilant and communicate well with each other about young people‟s behaviour and emerging needs. Young people are reassured that staff keep them safe and that their welfare is protected. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from care since the last inspection. Carefully assessed staff ratios and staff understanding of young people‟s needs means that young people are appropriately supervised and engaged in their lives at the home. Placement plans and individual risk assessments identify risks associated with each young person. Staff regularly review and update these documents, informing each other promptly about changes in the content of documentation. Established

p.8

Good

procedures and staff training supports all staff to work effectively with other professionals and agencies. Managers and staff liaise with local police and have clear and comprehensive protocols in place, identifying appropriate responses to incidents, including potential missing from care and incidents of physical violence. Young people‟s safety is protected as staff work well together with a consistent approach. Managers and staff identify triggers that result in young people‟s behaviour escalating. Staff engage with young people patiently and they are able to step in at an early stage, de-escalate and reassure young people before incidents occur. Staff are attentive to new young people, who are less well known, and ensure that information is thoroughly recorded, including in daily shift plans. Consequently, all staff are aware of updated information or changes in young people‟s behaviour. Young people enjoy a calmer environment as a whole-team approach promotes

p.8

Good

their safety and well-being. Managers and staff promote positive behaviour. Incidents requiring physical restraint are rare. Rewards and incentives are available for young people for a variety of situations and this promotes a positive atmosphere in the home for all. Managers and staff complete health and safety checks in the home in line with organisational requirements. Environmental and equipment checks ensure that there are no risks to young people. All young people are involved in regular fire drills, promoting their vigilance and safety.

p.9

Good

The registered manager has been in post since October 2014. He has considerable experience in residential care with young people. The registered manager holds a diploma level 5 in leadership in health and social care with children and young people. He demonstrates commitment and dedication to the young people in his care. The registered manager and staff strive to ensure that all young people make progress while living at the home and receive individualised care. Managerial oversight and review mean that young people continue to progress from their starting points. Managers monitor plans and targets given to them by local authorities. Managers and staff discuss young people‟s progress in team meetings and in supervision sessions. This means staff can prioritise the needs of the young people. Ongoing reflection and review mean that progress is maximised as targets are identified and plans swiftly put in place. When there are shortfalls in provision,

p.9

Good

for example, when a new young person joins the home, managers and staff are proactive in identifying gaps, liaising with relevant professionals to address these and making sure that services are in place. Consequently, young people have relevant support and help to move forward with their lives. The registered manager has good-quality professional relationships with others. A social worker commented, ‟The manager and staff keep us up to date with his progress. The reports are thorough and give us a good overview of any issues.‟ When preparing for the admission of a new young person, the registered manager undertook considerable liaison with other professionals to assess whether the home could meet the young person‟s needs. However, this information was not incorporated into a completed impact risk assessment, available to all staff, that examined all risks associated with the new young person and his potential impact

p.9

Good

on the existing young person in the home. The registered manager ensures that all staff receive regular reflective supervision of their practice. This incorporates discussions about young people‟s progress, teamwork and individual staff development needs. Consequently, staff are equipped with the necessary skills to meet young people‟s needs. Not all staff have yet achieved the required qualifications to work in a children‟s home. However, those who have not gained the qualification are enrolled on courses and aim to complete the qualification within the required timescale. Managers and staff have a good understanding of the purpose of the home as set out in its statement of purpose. This is kept under review and amended, when necessary, with a copy sent to HCMI in a timely manner. Staff recruitment processes are robust and this helps to minimise the possibility of young people being abused by those in positions of trust.

p.10

Good

Managers work closely with the monthly independent visitor and address shortfalls identified at the visits, in order to improve the quality of care for young people. In addition, managers self-scrutinise all aspects of the home‟s running to improve the service. However, the six-monthly self-evaluation report has not been fully completed and submitted to Ofsted. This means that, prior to the inspection, the regulator has been unable to review the home‟s quality of care or how the manager responds to issues relating to young people. Managers have an understanding of the strengths of the home and areas for development. These include developing staff to undertake additional responsibilities with a view to possible promotion, developing staff ability to manage boundaries with young people, improving administrative processes to make them more streamlined, and making systems more accessible to young people living in the home.

p.10

Good

The registered manager has met the requirement made at the last inspection and the stair carpet has been replaced, removing the risk of young people tripping on the stairs. This improves safety within the home. This inspection identified additional areas that require improvement to maintain a homely, comfortable space for young people. These include rectifying uneven flooring in the annex, which is unsightly and a possible trip hazard. In addition, the boiler in the annex is out of use, resulting in no means of heating the external space. Damage to some areas of the home has not been speedily repaired, including damage to furniture in one young person‟s room, a mattress and walls.

p.10

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‟.

p.11

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 children looked after 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

p.11

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.

p.11

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 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

p.12

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 .

p.12

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,

p.13

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

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

p.13