Children's home run by Birmingham City Council in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff remain motivated and enthusiastic in their drive to provide good-quality care. Children and young people remain central to the staff team’s practice and the ongoing improvements of the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous requirement to promote the children’s and young people’s privacy is now met. All children and young people now have locks fitted to their bedroom doors that they can use to prevent others from wandering into their private space. Safeguards remains in place, as staff have a master key to enable them access the bedrooms if necessary.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff embrace feedback and they have creatively responded to the last inspection’s recommendation to provide meaningful memorabilia for children and young people. Individual books, with a range of photos, symbols and pictures, provide children and young people with a meaningful memento of their stays. Staff also use the books at review meetings to provide a visual tool for parents to see what their children and young people experience when staying away from home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Work continues to make recording more child focused. Some records are more advanced than others. For example, a selection of key-working records have pictures and symbols so that children and young people can return to them to understand the support that they receive and their achievements. Other records remain handwritten and focus on routines, rather than the experiences and achievements of children and young people. As a result, the recommendation about recording is repeated from the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This short-break service enables children and young people to make good progress across all aspects of their development. They become more independent and confident because they try, and enjoy, a range of activities. Cooking, gardening, arts and crafts develop children’s and young people’s artistic flair and domestic skills. Photos of visits to the cinema, zoo, activity centres and a donkey sanctuary take pride of place in children’s and young people’s memory books. Staff use activities creatively in order for children and young people to explore new interests, build confidence and be able to manage their anxieties better. Positive relationships between staff, parents and teachers promote good transitions for children and young people. They are able to move happily between home, school and the short-break service, due to excellent information sharing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ongoing improvements in communication are a direct result of staff visiting children’s and young people’s schools. Partnership working includes care staff and teachers sharing the school’s communication programmes and using them at the short-break service. This consistent working together brings stability across children’s and young people’s social and educational experiences.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Communication is also improved as key staff are now qualified in sign language and can train other staff at the home. Staff’s motivation to communicate in sign language helps children and young people to understand better what is expected of them and know more about the running of the home. These developments further enhance the already positive relationships between staff, children and young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are able to keep children and young people safe with up-to-date knowledge about safeguarding procedures and regular training. The staff work collaboratively to ensure that all risk management is tailored to each individual child and young person. For example, staff are clear about individual triggers relating to self- injurious behaviours. Detailed behaviour management strategies are in place to address children’s and young people’s anxiety and to ensure that they wear appropriate protective clothing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no safeguarding concerns at the home, other than an error in medication. The manager’s referral of this incident to the local authority designated officer shows a good understanding of managing safeguarding procedures.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people stay safe because of effective monitoring of their medical needs. Children and young people enjoy good health, as staff share important information with parents in order to support medical and healthcare needs. Individual protocols and training enable staff to care for children and young people with complex needs, such as epilepsy.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Consultancy remains at the core of the service. There have been no complaints about the home and parents receive good information about whom to contact should they have worries or concerns. Children and young people receive excellent information about what to do about feeling unhappy. Information is prominently displayed in symbol and picture form. Key-working sessions, group meetings and visits from the children’s rights worker mean that children and young people with a range of communication needs can express their views.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The majority of monitoring systems are robust. Managers and staff embrace feedback. On the very few occasions when monitoring identifies shortfalls, both the manager and staff are quick to address them. However, recent file audits have not been communicated effectively and recording shortfalls are not addressed.

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority service is registered to care for seven children who have learning disabilities on short-break placements. The home’s statement of purpose states that children can be of either gender, between the ages of five and 18 years and with a range of learning disabilities, including autism.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/08/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/11/2015 Full Good 11/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

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: (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

This is with particular regard to ensuring that the shortfalls identified in case record audits are communicated and actioned. 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Continue to 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)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference 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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance, ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 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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