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 judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people continue to make progress and live in a vibrant, fun and nurturing environment. They experience positive relationships with staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Interactions are warm, with some children and young people seeking out affection and physical reassurance. Staff have excellent attention to detail and this enables children and young people to feel understood, less anxious and confident their needs are being met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people live together harmoniously and enjoy each other’s company. Staff continue to provide focused support to one young person who is less tolerant of others. One-to-one key working and group discussion supports the young person to have more empathy and how to make and value friends.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All children and young people grow in confidence as they become more independent and improve behaviour. Some successfully return home to their families due to close partnership working between the staff, parents and social workers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

For example, one young person is incredibly pleased about his imminent return to the family home. This young person acknowledges that the support he receives from staff to improve his behaviour is key to going home. He says that receiving constant praise and rewards reinforce his positive behaviour, confidence and self- esteem. He knows staff are proud of him and he now wants to experience this connection with his family members.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff team work steadily and purposely in driving improvements at the home. They are able to sustain effectiveness with stable staffing and an ever-developing care planning framework. Leadership is strong and children and young people progress across all aspects of their lives due to the determination and commitment of the staff team.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Action taken to strengthen the front access to the home, after a young person left the home without permission, ensures a safe and secure environment for children and young people. The action taken shows the staff team are able to learn from incidents and complaints and use these experiences to drive improvement in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff embrace feedback and, as recommended from the last inspection, the staff team now work with improved, streamlined and more child centred care and behaviour plans.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff team have worked tirelessly to address the statutory requirement to improve the physical environment. Children and young people like their newly decorated houses, while others are excited about forthcoming decoration and the arrival of new furniture. While good progress in being made, it is not complete and the statutory requirement is repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team’s action plan to address the content of children’s and young people’s records is on-going. For example, a selection of key working records have pictures and symbols so children and young people can return to and understand their achievements and the support they receive. The registered manager acknowledges there is still room for further improvement and two of the recommendations from the last inspection, are repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people are looked after by an experienced staff team, who embrace training and work consistently to the home’s statement of purpose. For example, recent training in autism and liaison with communication co-ordinators in schools give staff greater insight into the needs and presenting behaviours of children and young people. Effective levels of staff supervision keep children and young people safe. Risk management strategies are reviewed and adapted accordingly when children and young people present new and risk-taking behaviours. For example staff guidance is clear about how young people should be supervised and kept in sight both inside and outside the home in order to minimise the risks of going missing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The ever-developing awareness of children’s and young people’s complex communication needs means staff consistently develop ways to understand how children express themselves. As a result children experience a good sense of security, understanding and sense of belonging in the home. Education outcomes remain good for all children and young people. Staff liaison with teachers and transport arrangements support regular attendance. Certificates of achievement and displays of education awards take pride of place in the home. Children and young people benefit from regular health checks and they develop a growing awareness about healthy eating and exercise with support from staff. Staff highly respect the emotional and mental health of children and young people. Their insightfulness enables close exploration of changes in behaviour and mood. Staff work with closely with school, learning disability and mental health agencies

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

so they can understand and meet children and young people’s health and medical needs. Children and young people receive good quality care due to the stable staff team and strong leadership of the management team. This is most evident as the staff team continues to maintain consistency and drive improvement even when the deputy manager is transferred to help out at another home. The registered manager says her management team remains ‘focused’ and ‘have stepped up to the mark’ to ensure the staff team remains stable and improvements continue. The manager embraces feedback and responds well to independent monitoring visits and ensures the home remains compliant with the children’s homes’ regulations and quality standards.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home is registered to provide care for 12 children with learning disabilities. The home’s statement of purpose states children can be of both gender and aged up to 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/10/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/11/2015 Full Good 11/02/2015 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 with 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. 31/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Record information about the child in a way that will be helpful to the child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14)

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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. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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 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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