Children's Home run by Aston Children’s Care Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 1 SC453726 Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers have failed to report a safeguarding incident to professionals, including the local authority designated officer.  Managers have not followed their own safeguarding policy.  Managers have not always followed local authority plans in relation to young people’s contact arrangements.  Managers and staff do not ensure that the home environment is maintained to a good standard.  Staff supervision records do not reflect discussions about young people and their needs.  Managers do not always send notifications to Ofsted following a serious event.  The location risk assessment does not explain what strategies are in place to reduce environmental and community risks.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff develop positive and nurturing relationships with young people.  The majority of feedback from professionals is positive.  Young people enjoy a variety of activities inside the home and in the community.  Staff work well together to manage behavioural incidents.  Missing from care incidents have reduced over recent months.  Staff morale is high.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/08/2016 Full Good 30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure 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. (Regulation 12 (2)(d)) 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare, and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(vi)(vii)) 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(c)) In particular, in relation to contact arrangements. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to the child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31/10/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 4

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing or away from the home without permission, ensure that the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them, with particular reference to the safe area risk assessment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure that the registered person has a system in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified

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Recommendations

and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the young people living at the home. Some young people have returned home to their family, and other young people have moved to semi-independence placements. One young person was discharged after staff were unable to meet his needs.

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improvement to be good

The feedback from young people about their care is positive. One young person told the inspector, ‘I am very happy here. I do not want to move. I feel safe and I like the staff.’ The majority of feedback from professionals was complimentary. A social worker said, ‘Staff have a good relationship with him, and they provide me with weekly reports, which helps me keep in touch with his progress.’ A parent said that staff make him feel welcome in the home when he visits his son. However, another social worker highlighted a lack of communication from managers about adhering to local authority contact arrangements but was positive about the education opportunities that her young person was offered.

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improvement to be good

The current young people are settled at the home, and enjoy good relationships with staff. Young people say that they can talk to staff if they need help and support. Young people make progress in their education. For example, one young person has started a full-time college course with a view to progressing to a mechanics course. Another young person has started receiving individualised tutor sessions after being out of education for over a year. Managers are working closely with social workers and educational professionals to identify a suitable school placement for him. Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 5 Staff promote young people’s health needs. Managers and staff have made sure that young people are registered with local health services. Staff strive to help young people to stop smoking, and liaise with smoking cessation clinics to explore all avenues of help. Managers work with professionals to identify suitable services to help young people to

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improvement to be good

Young people plan their free time with staff. Some young people go out into the community together, and other young people have more structured activities. Young people have access to a range of opportunities. This can include go karting, going to the cinema and youth clubs.

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improvement to be good

Monthly young people’s meetings take place, and staff ask young people for written feedback about their views of living at the home. Young people know that adults listen to them and value their opinions. This is demonstrated in young people requesting AstroTurf and a football net for the garden, which are now being purchased.

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improvement to be good

Staff work with young people to learn age-appropriate independence skills. Young people help with chores around the home, including clearing the table and doing laundry. These opportunities enable young people to become more confident in understanding the expectations of adult life.

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improvement to be good

Young people maintain contact with their families and friends whenever possible. This helps them to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Managers did not report an allegation about a member of staff to the local authority or police, contrary to the home’s own safeguarding policy. This places young people at risk, and does not reassure young people that adults take their concerns seriously.

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improvement to be good

At the last inspection, a requirement was made about an area of carpeting that was loose and created a trip hazard. The same carpet continues to be loose and is a potential trip hazard. Staff took action during the inspection to make the area safe. However, other areas of carpeting in the home are also loose and could cause a similar hazard.

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improvement to be good

Staff work hard to form positive relationships with young people. Managers and staff are skilled in de-escalating situations and helping young people to manage their emotions and behaviour. This means that staff rarely need to use physical restraint to manage behaviour.

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improvement to be good

There have been a few incidents when young people have gone missing from care. Staff work well with police and professionals to find the young people and welcome them back to the home. On most occasions, young people have the opportunity to talk to their social worker or an independent person about why they went missing, but sometimes this has not happened. On these occasions, young people have missed out on the Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 6 opportunity to talk to an adult if something is troubling them.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have not been any incidents of young people being exploited or being at risk of radicalisation. All staff receive training in these areas and are aware of the actions to take to promote young people’s welfare.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager reviews young people’s risk assessments and behaviour plans to ensure that plans are relevant to young people’s current needs. The registered manager reviews the location risk assessment at least annually, and when new young people join the home. However, the risk assessment does not include strategies to minimise any potential environmental or community risks to young people. This does not enable staff to take all necessary precautions to protect young people.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has good links with the local police. Police visit the home to talk to young people about a variety of issues, including the risk of knife crime and behaviour. Police inform the registered manager about local information, such as crime and anti-social behaviour, including, for example, areas to avoid. Managers and staff take action, promoting young people’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has been in post since April 2017. He has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management of children’s residential services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have made poor decisions in relation to safeguarding and contact issues. On one occasion, managers did not inform professionals about a safeguarding matter relating to young people at the home. Managers did not refer the matter to the local authority or the police. There was no referral to the local authority designated officer, despite the seriousness of the allegations. This does not provide an external safeguard or oversight, and contravenes the home’s policy on how to manage allegations. This has the potential to compromise young people’s welfare. In addition, managers did not notify Ofsted. This denied the regulator an opportunity to review the actions of managers and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On another occasion, managers did not follow the local authority plan in relation to one young person’s contact arrangements. Managers did not liaise with social workers about arrangements to take a young person to visit relatives. This increased the risk of harm to the young person. Managers acknowledge that this was poor judgement, and there have not been any further incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers’ monitoring of the quality of care is not thorough. For example, some areas of the home need improvement. This inspection found damage in parts of the home, including skirting boards and plastering. Managers and staff do not keep all young people’s rooms in a reasonable state. This demonstrates a lack of care and attention. For example, managers had not organised repairs when they found furniture damaged in young people’s bedrooms. Some parts of the kitchen require a deep clean. Carpets have areas of staining or damage, including those in the young people’s bedrooms and living Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 7 room. Managers and staff have not labelled food in the fridge with the dates when they were opened. This means that staff are not able to check when food has expired.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have regular supervision with managers. However, supervision records are repetitive. Supervision records do not include any reflective discussions about young people’s needs or include how staff could improve their practice to meet these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Most staff have completed a level 3 diploma, or equivalent, in caring for children and young people. Those staff who have not gained the qualification are enrolled on the course. This helps to make sure that staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge to meet young people’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has a detailed statement of purpose, which reflects the aims and objectives of the home and the facilities that it provides. However, not all staff follow the safeguarding protocol as described in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers liaise with other professionals well to make sure that young people have educational placements and therapeutic support. Managers and staff promote the voices of young people in their care. Staff encourage young people to inform professionals at their review meetings about their wishes for their future care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has a clear idea of the strengths and areas for development of the home. He has realistic priorities for the next few months. These include promoting young people’s education, maintaining staff morale, enhancing areas of the home and continuing to develop independence work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have met most of the requirements made at the last inspection. Key-work sessions have improved and when staff identify any areas of extra support needed by a young person, they identify suitable services. These include smoking cessation and drug awareness. Managers have liaised with local fire services that offer support to young people about the risks of fire and fire setting.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 8 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: SC453726 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Dudley Road, Dudley, West Midlands DY3 1TF

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Inspector

Julia Wright: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC453726 10 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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