Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . The home continues to be well led by an experienced and qualified registered manager. Young people benefit from a highly qualified and consistent staff team. The manager prioritises staff development through reflective and research-based discussions and training. All staff have obtained or are completing the required qualification in residential childcare. Senior staff are qualified to a higher level than required. As a result, young people continue to receive an excellent standard of care from a knowledgeable staff team. The home is child focused throughout. All young people living at the home have complex learning disabilities, such as autistic spectrum disorder, with associated needs. Staff use excellent communication tools that are visible throughout the home. This ensures that young people are involved as far as possible in all aspects

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

of their day-to-day life and in the running of the home. For example, staff have created checklists in Widget to enable young people to be involved in the weekly fire and health and safety checks. The manager has also recently developed complaints forms and transition booklets in Widget for when young people move to new placements. Young people remain settled in the home and continue to make excellent progress in all areas of their development. All are in good general health. The manager has worked well in partnership with health professionals to reduce young people’s dependence on prescribed medication. All young people have 100% attendance in school. Staff have regular communication with teachers and work particularly well to support young people in their transition into new schools. They take young people to visit and meet teachers before they start, to help to familiarise them with their new surroundings. This ensures that young people are less anxious about the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

move to a new school. One teacher described the home as a ‘caring and supportive environment’. Young people continue to enjoy interesting and varied activities, such as music lessons, horse riding, swimming and cinema trips. Family contact is encouraged and welcomed. Families are able to visit the home and become involved in activities alongside young people. For example, one parent has helped staff and young people to create some of the visual displays in the home. Young people are safe in the home and do not go missing. Staff know young people very well. They promote positive behaviour and use strategies to help to manage challenging behaviour. This is effective, as young people are beginning to be able to self-regulate their own behaviour. All physical restraints are of a low level and for very short durations. However, records do not demonstrate that young people are debriefed following incidents of physical restraint. As a result,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

young people are not able to fully express their feelings and views about being restrained by staff. The manager has a good awareness of the strengths and weakness of the home. He regularly monitors staff practice to ensure that young people continue to progress and to ensure the continuing development of the home. However, records do not always demonstrate that the manager is reflecting on the effectiveness of sanctions and restraints. Consequently, staff may not be managing young people’s behaviour in the most beneficial way.

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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 four young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

08/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

03/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 the registered manager reviews the effectiveness of all records of restraint and control to identify effective practice and to respond promptly when any issues or trends of concern emerge. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Ensure that young people are given the opportunity to express their feelings following any incident of restraint as soon as is practicable. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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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 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 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 children looked after 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

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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