Children's home run by Birmingham City Council 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:

 Risk management is not robust. Known behaviours such as climbing fences and trying to run away are not identified or addressed in risk management plans.  Some areas of the environment are not routinely monitored. Staff do not take immediate action when hazards are identified, and this presents a risk to children and young people.  Progress in developing communication resources is slow and continues to compromise children’s and young people’s ability to express their views fully.  Staff do not consistently embrace opportunities to maximise children’s and young people’s potential to develop independence skills.  Young people’s records are lengthy and disorganised. Key information about management of risk and complex needs may be lost or diluted, because information is not easy to access.  The management team lacks strategy in setting down basic procedural foundations, monitoring operations and driving improvement.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Two requirements and two recommendations from the last inspection are repeated, due to lack of progress by the management and staff team.

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The children’s home strengths

 Staff show high levels of commitment and are cohesive in how they work together to manage behaviour. They have very strong attachments to the children and young people whom they care for.  Involvement and participation are being driven within the service, as staff work alongside the children’s rights worker. Coaching and encouragement have resulted in some young people being on the recruitment panel for recently interviewed staff.  The cook has excellent insight into the needs and preferences of the children and young people. Young people enjoy the food and say that it is 200%.

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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

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person is required to— (2)(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(b)(vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, to ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe, the registered person must ensure— (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 30/11/2016

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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— (1) enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 30/11/2016 (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

(i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

22: Contact and access to communications

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a disabled child accommodated in the home is provided with access to such aids and equipment as the child may require as a result of the child’s disability, in order to facilitate the child’s communication with other persons. (Regulation 22(4)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child. 30/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Keep all children’s case records up to date.

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Recommendations

This is with particular regard to prioritising information in children’s and young people's behaviour and risk management plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

 Record information about the child 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

 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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority short-breaks service registers up to seven short-break placements for children with learning disabilities at any one time. The service usually provides and offers short-break stays over seven nights during a seven-week period. There is usually a combination of four Monday to Friday night stays and a three-night weekend stay. The service also provides more individually arranged and often shorter stays in order to meet the needs of children, young people and their families. The home’s statement of purpose states that children can be of either gender, between the ages of five to 18 years and with a range of learning disabilities, including autism, and often with associated physical, sensory and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/09/2015 Full Requires improvement 04/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/11/2014 Full Good

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Requires improvement

While children and young people make some progress at the service, the lack of development in communication and recording, and shortfalls in maintaining the physical environment interrupt children and young people in reaching their full potential.

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Requires improvement

Managers and staff have failed to improve much of the visual referencing in children’s and young people’s bedrooms. While rooms have a named theme, there are few murals, pictures and items of reference. This means that children’s and young people’s potential to identify and feel comfortable in familiar surroundings is not reached.

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Requires improvement

Noticeboards for the use of pictures and symbols in children’s and young people’s bedrooms are not up to date. While young people positively report that they no longer need their noticeboard in their bedroom, this had not been updated in their care plan or at the staff handover. Neither are they are informed about how to use new communication methods such as the message wall. While these communication systems are good ideas, the lack of consistent implementation minimises the positive impact for children and young people.

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Requires improvement

Visual referencing is not consistently used to help children and young people make sense of their surroundings. For example, photo and symbol information about the independent visitor, who was visiting on this occasion, is not up to date. Inconsistencies, such as forgetting to supply a pad and pen or enabling young people to choose and serve their own meals, compromise children’s and young people’s scope for choice and independence.

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Requires improvement

Variance in the scope of child-friendly monthly review documents do not allow some children and young people access to information about their progress and achievements. Some review documentation contains an array of photos to facilitate children’s and young people’s understanding of their experiences and celebrate their achievements. Other children and young people cannot understand their reviews, because they are mainly written.

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Requires improvement

Similarly, some key-working records are handwritten in complex language and cannot be understood by children and young people, while others are accessible due to a combination of photos, symbols and written words. Some children and young people are at a disadvantage, as they cannot reflect back on the one-to-one work that takes place with them. While strategies to improve the home are inconsistent, children and young people enjoy their stays and rate the service highly. Their comments include, ‘You should write a good inspection report about this place and give it five stars.’

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Requires improvement

Some children and young people make significant progress with their sleep and personal care routines. Some now sleep in a bed, both at the service and at home, and others shower regularly. Improvements in behaviour mean that children and young people have calmer relationships and therefore are able to enjoy a greater range of opportunities.

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Requires improvement

Children and young people are very relaxed in their setting and have positive relationships with staff. On this inspection, young people and staff relaxed in the lounge, playing the guitar and singing a range of songs. Group interactions were very positive, and helped one young person to forget anxieties and enjoy the activity.

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Requires improvement

Children and young people enjoy their stays and their parents are reassured, as staff manage their complex medical needs effectively. For example, protocols and consistent monitoring keep children and young people safe when they have seizures.

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Requires improvement

Staff show creativity in meeting the needs of children and young people. For example, they are using innovations in technology to include a games console that can project games onto large outside screens. Young people, who are often tied to a computer screen, can now go outside, enjoy fresh air and still enjoy gaming. This makes a positive contribution to children’s and young people’s health outcomes.

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Requires improvement

Children and young people present good respect for each other. They appreciate the privacy of their own rooms and accept boundaries, such as not going into each other’s rooms.

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Requires improvement

Children and young people have involvement in the running of the service. They have enjoyed choosing colours to decorate the activities rooms. They also have choices about their daily routines, including their preference about a bath or shower. Children’s and young people’s ideas are valued. They are able to impact on the running of the home. For example, they are pleased because their request for a replacement settee is now addressed.

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Requires improvement

Children and young people enjoy being more independent and taking responsibility for aspects of their lives. On this inspection, one young person took on the responsibility of giving a tour of the building, having a good understanding of the service and what he can and cannot do.

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Requires improvement

Staff maintain positive relationships with parents and work together to create stability for children and young people. Transition is well managed, with bespoke plans so that they can settle at the service at their own pace, and parents are fully reassured.

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Requires improvement

Routines at the service fully support children’s and young people’s sometimes difficult transitions between home and school. Staff give good attention to morning routines and children and young people’s preferences about how they like to do things and prepare for school in the morning. A range of activities enable children and young people to develop their skills, learning and have great fun.

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Requires improvement

Mealtimes are an important time for children and young people. They look forward to having their favourite meals, and the cook has excellent insight into their needs. Some young people clearly have difficulty in interacting with others. Mealtimes are now social occasions, and they have made good improvement to sit and eat their meal with each other.

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Requires improvement

Improvements to the garden and outdoor play area are greatly appreciated by children and young people. Brightly decorated fencing and new play equipment, such as a trampoline, bikes, a play hut and sandpit, are good additions to the home. The sensory garden includes herbs, windmills and bird-feeding tables, and provides a quieter outside space for children and young people.

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Requires improvement

Safeguarding requires improvement, because risk assessment and management are not consistent and robust. For example, some children have a tendency to climb fences and have the potential to go missing from the service. While the manager has taken some action in adapting fencing to respond to these newly admitted children, essential information is not contained within their care or risk management records.

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Requires improvement

There are no instances of children and young people going missing, due to security within the home, steps taken by the manager and appropriate levels of supervision when out in the community. No children and young people are at immediate risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Requires improvement

Risk of harm is also present in the sensory garden. This ‘touch, feel and smell’ area is not appropriately monitored, and brambles now grow among other plants. Staff did not take immediate action when this hazard was pointed out in this inspection.

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Requires improvement

Staff work in partnership with parents to ensure that medical conditions and health needs are safeguarded while children and young people come on short stays. Reviewed procedures, staff supervision and staff meeting discussions have addressed previous medication errors. However, changes in dosage in medication are not appropriately recorded, and this presents a potential risk to children and young people.

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Requires improvement

Children’s and young people’s behaviour management plans present as very child centred, and are written in the child’s voice. Their likes, dislikes, triggers and incentives are clearly listed, giving staff good strategies to predict, intervene and reward behaviours.

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Requires improvement

Staff have a good understanding self-injurious behaviours. Children and young people are kept safe, as staff identify triggers and anxiety. They can divert behaviour and ensure that children and young people wear protective clothing to keep themselves safe.

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Requires improvement

Creative pieces of work, using communication charts, links to favourite popstars and rewards, instil significant changes in young people’s routines and education outcomes. For example, one young person now attends school on time each day, because they are able to self-regulate the time that they spend in the shower. These behaviours extend to home, as parents use the same strategies and interactions, and the behavioural outcomes are improved across the board.

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Requires improvement

The inclusion of talks and presentations about fire safety in young people’s meetings develops children’s and young people’s understanding about the risk of fire and how to keep safe.

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Requires improvement

Shortfalls in strategic management compromise development and the drive for improvement. For example, the two main areas for development – communication and improving visual referencing – are delegated to a part-time member of staff. While there is passion, commitment and motivation to develop these areas, there is simply not enough time.

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Requires improvement

Sign language training is valued by staff attending the course, but part-time working minimises the time available for developing this throughout the service. As a result, there is no consistent cascading of training and little use of sign language by staff. Similarly, the consistent use of symbols, sharing communication passports with schools and the development of individual systems for children and young people still require improvement.

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Requires improvement

Procedural frameworks are not consistently implemented. For example, good admission practice, such as updating records prior to each visit, is not consistent. Parents are not consistently contacted prior to each visit and this shortfall undermines the drive to provide good quality care to children and young people. The lack of consistency in handover meetings and record keeping compromises information sharing. Good practice, such as reading out and discussing each young person’s ‘I am’ profile, is undermined, because information about medication and communication processes are not up to date. Such lack of attention to detail compromises the quality of care that is provided to children and young people.

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Requires improvement

The management team members acknowledge that they are fragmented, particularly since the summer school break. They identify little time to come together to discuss and drive improvement. In addition, a series of staff changes have brought some instability to the running of the home. A lack of coherent strategy and consistent monitoring means that contradictions between improvement planning and day-to-day implementation are not picked up.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has managed this home since November 2012. She has good experience and is suitably qualified with a level 4 diploma in management. With the exception of one member of staff, all other staff are qualified with the level 3 diploma in caring for children in a residential setting. The remaining staff member is currently working towards the qualification.

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Requires improvement

Staffing arrangements meet the needs of the children and young people. Staffing levels ensure effective supervision, according to children’s and young people’s individual risk assessments.

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Requires improvement

New staff value staff induction training. They say that input is thorough and comments include, ‘the staff team are child focused and I have been made to feel part of the team’ and ‘staff have taken me under their wing.’ They are very positive about the working relationships between staff, who are very committed to caring for the children and young people staying at the service.

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Requires improvement

The manager and staff promote good working relationships with parents, education and health agencies to meet the needs of children and young people. Relationships are positive and there are no complaints about the quality of care and the operation of the service.

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Requires improvement

While staff and managers work hard to care for children and young people, they have failed fully to address some requirements and recommendations from two previous inspections. Additional shortfalls also emerge, due to lack of strategic management, disorganised recording processes and the day-to-day monitoring of staff 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 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 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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