Children's Home run by Motivations Activity Projects Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 1 SC457013 Registered provider: Motivations Activity Projects Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. Care is provided for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 31 October 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers and staff offer young people good-quality care that positively influences young people’s progress.  Young people receive individualised care that reflects their individual needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 2  Staff work in partnership with a range of professionals to ensure that young people receive the right support.  The registered manager closely monitors the quality of care to ensure that staff deliver care that is tailored to young people’s individual needs.  Staff support young people’s contact with their families and friends. This means that young people are not isolated from people who are important to them.  Young people have developed positive relationships with staff.  Young people feel safe and secure, and this helps them make progress in many areas of their lives.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some essential information is missing from one young person’s file.  One member of staff has not received an annual appraisal.  Some areas of the home require repairing.  Managers have not achieved a gender balance within the staff team.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/10/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 21/12/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/05/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to 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 person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child, which include the information and documents listed in schedule 3 in relation to each child, in particular a copy of the local authority placement plan and care plan. (Regulation 36(1) (a)) 31/08/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that young people live in an environment that meets their basic day-to- day needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, continue to make the home a comfortable and homely environment.  Ensure that staff in day-to-day contact with children include staff from the different gender groups. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 54, paragraph 10.22)  Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make positive progress living at the home. Staff develop positive, professional relationships with young people to help them feel safe. Staff work hard to help young people develop self-confidence to manage some of the everyday challenges they face in life. A young person told the inspector, ‘I like my life here. The staff are good, and I want to stay until I am an adult.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three young people have moved out. One young person’s social worker told the inspector, ‘Staff were very supportive of his needs. Communication was Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 4 also very good. I had no concerns about the care afforded to him and would highly recommend this home to others.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff involve young people in the running of the home wherever possible. Young people attend meetings with staff where they contribute their views and opinions about the home. One young person said, ‘There is always someone to talk to and I can say if there is anything I am unhappy with or want to change.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people attend school full time, and their attendance has improved since coming to live at the home. A teacher told the inspector about the productive relationship that she has with staff, and how excellent communication between school and home has helped improve one young person’s educational progress. She added, ‘As the academic year has progressed, there have been more successes than sanctions.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff help young people develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. Staff prepare fresh meals, and young people contribute to the meal planning. All routine medical appointments are up to date, and when young people need specialist help with their emotional health, staff proactively seek appropriate support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a good-quality day-to-day life. They have a range of activities to enjoy, both in the home and in the community. Young people go to the cinema, swimming, and to football club, as well as enjoying their time at home. One young person enjoys animation, and staff encourage his skills on the computer. The staff team encourages young people to prepare for their move towards independence. They learn to cook, help clean their rooms, and learn to budget. Managers and staff encourage young people to go out and see friends, travel on public transport and develop an awareness of the responsibilities of independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff promote young people’s contact with their family and friends where possible. A young person’s relative told the inspector, ‘Living there has made a massive difference to him. He has grown into a lovely young man. He is polite and his behaviour is much better, and he goes to school. He has a rounded life. The staff are brilliant with him; I am so pleased with how things have turned out.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have made significant improvements to the physical environment in the house and garden. Young people have helped the staff to develop the garden and grow vegetables and plants, each having their own patch. The refurbishment plans are ongoing, in line with the registered manager’s development plan. This inspection found that some young people’s rooms need repair and some furniture needs replacing following incidents. Managers and staff continue to work with young people and help them to value their surroundings.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people become increasingly safe when living at the home. Staff work in partnership with young people, their families, and professionals to assess and evaluate Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 5 risk-taking behaviour. This approach helps young people to develop strategies to manage their behaviour and take responsibility for their actions. A social worker told the inspector, ‘I find the staff very knowledgeable in terms of behaviour management. There is also a very structured routine for young people. The home is also very welcoming.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people’s risk assessments are detailed and effective. They identify the additional support that young people need to promote their safety. Managers review these regularly, including after significant incidents, ensuring that information is up to date and relevant to young people’s needs. Managers and staff review significant incidents and analyse lessons learned. Staff adjust areas of practice to avoid a similar incident reoccurring, and improving safety for all.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from personalised behaviour support plans. Staff use these plans to encourage young people to focus on their positive behaviour through gaining rewards and taking responsibility for their actions. Consequently, significant incidents have greatly reduced over recent months. Occasional incidents and damage to the home take place, and staff confidently support young people in one-to-one sessions to consider how they can help them avoid a repeat of these events.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Since the last inspection, incidents of physical intervention have reduced. Records of restraint are well recorded and detailed. The registered manager reviews the use of the restraint and ensures that he consults young people about the measure and records their views. Young people are confident that their views are important and taken into consideration by adults caring for them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers and staff work closely with local police. Managers attend local forums with police and other professionals where they discuss emerging risks in the locality. Managers and staff take effective action to maintain and protect young people in their care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from living in a home that has a safe and secure environment. Regular safety checks ensure that equipment works well and presents no risk to young people. Managers and staff undertake fire checks in line with organisational expectations, and all young people are conversant with the home’s evacuation procedure, maintaining vigilance and safety for all.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers promote young people’s safety by the appropriate vetting of staff. There are thorough recruitment processes in place, and managers ensure that they complete all necessary checks before new staff start to work with young people at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post for 12 months, and became the registered manager in March 2017. He has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management of residential childcare. He is committed to providing good-quality care for young people, and focuses Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 6 on their progress in line with their plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been recent changes including the appointments of the registered manager and responsible individual, and a number of staff changes over recent months. Staff recruitment is ongoing, and bank staff cover any gaps in the staff rota. This means that young people continue to receive a consistent service from staff they know. The staff team is predominantly female and, consequently, young people do not have the opportunity to develop positive relationships with male staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear focus on the needs of each young person. Team meetings and supervision sessions are forums where managers and staff discuss young people’s achievements and difficulties. Managers and staff formulate strategies and pool ideas to help young people reach their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works well with other professionals. He recognises the importance of partnership working with other professionals. This approach is central to the practice in the home and ensures that the service meets the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose. Feedback from professionals is positive. A teacher commented, ‘The manager and staff have a consistently positive approach to what we do, and this has led to a high level of attendance at school, a reduction in mystery illnesses, and the young person undoubtedly believing that the home is supportive of his needs and that he is the primary focus.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager makes sure that staff receive regular supervision in line with their organisational policy. The registered manager helps to reflect on young people’s progress or setbacks as well as staff members own professional development and training requirements. One member of staff who has worked at the home for over 12 months has not received an annual appraisal. This has not given her the opportunity to develop her personal development plan for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager reviews the staff training plan, and all staff have completed a detailed induction and have ongoing training opportunities. In addition, the registered manager has ensured that all staff have the level 3 diploma in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a realistic development plan focusing on staff recruitment, including a mixed-gender staff team, and the completion of a refurbishment programme throughout the house and garden. The registered manager is committed to ensuring that the service continues to evolve and develop for the benefit of young people in his care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Independent visits to the home continue monthly, and the registered manager welcomes scrutiny and oversight. He completes regular self-monitoring tasks and submits six- monthly reports to Ofsted outlining patterns, trends and proposals to improve the service further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff make sure that they update files and records. Young people’s files are very well maintained and easy to navigate. However, one young person’s file does Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 7 not include his local authority care and placement plan. The registered manager has requested this information, but he has not received it. This means that managers and staff do not have essential and up-to-date information about one young person’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has met the requirement made at the last inspection. He reviews the location risk assessment regularly, at least annually and when a new young person joins the home. Consequently, managers and staff are vigilant about any potential safety issue in the locality and they put strategies in place to prioritise young people’s safety.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Motivations Activity Projects Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Powell Studios, 33 Powell Street, Birmingham B1 3DH

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Inspector

Julia Wright, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457013 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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