Children's home run by Care and Management Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 1 SC419217 Registered provider: Care and Management Services 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 for up to two young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 September 2017

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 14 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are positive about the care that they receive.  Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff.  Staff have a good awareness of the young people‟s individual needs.  Staff support young people to develop a healthy lifestyle, including regular visits to the gym.  Young people develop their independence skills.  Staff use behaviour management techniques well to encourage young people to behave appropriately.  Staff have a good awareness of safeguarding procedures, and work well with social workers and the police. By working well with relevant partners and by following procedures, staff promote young people‟s safety and welfare.  Managers support staff through regular supervision and training.  The two registered managers work well together. They communicate well and provide young people with consistent care.

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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

 Ensure that each young person has an up-to-date care plan and placement plan.  Maintain full and clear records relating to young people who go missing, including the staff‟s response to each „missing‟ event.  Write a development plan that includes the views of young people on the improvement of the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 15/12/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 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 care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) Specifically, that young people‟s placement plans reflect their day-to-day needs. 30/11/2017

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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 and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(Schedule 3(14)) Specifically, the date and circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home, including any information relating to the child‟s whereabouts during the period of absence. 31/10/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home‟s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child‟s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

In particular, take account of young people‟s views when devising the home‟s development plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy strong and positive relationships with staff. One young person said, „Here is my family, they have helped me through so much.‟ Since the last inspection, Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 4 young people have experienced challenging situations, with one young person moving from the home following increasingly difficult behaviours. The home had been the young person‟s longest placement. Staff showed significant resolve in attempting to decrease confrontational behaviours. However, ultimately, the young person needed to move for safeguarding reasons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer young people a range of activities. Some young people participate and others enjoy spending time in the community with their friends. Appropriate risk assessments are in place to support those young people who spend time outside the home. As a result, staff help young people to build independence and take appropriate risks in line with their age and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy regular family contact where appropriate. Staff promote safe contact because they work well with young people‟s families. Good arrangements are in place that support regular weekend visits, and staff keep in touch with families when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people‟s health well. Young people‟s individual health plans show that they attend routine appointments. The organisation‟s therapist visits the home regularly, supporting both young people and the staff. This enables the staff to develop an awareness of young people‟s emotional needs and strategies to respond to these needs effectively. Staff help to improve young people‟s resilience. Young people enjoy active lifestyles, and this promotes their physical health. One young person is extremely proud of her regular gym attendance and is looking healthier since moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The standard of accommodation is good. The home has a welcoming feel that is appropriate to the particular needs of the young people. Young people are encouraged by staff to make it their home. Young people are particularly pleased with their bedrooms, which they are personalising to their individual tastes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all young people‟s written plans are up to date. One young person‟s local authority documentation relates to an incorrect placement. The staff have not raised this with the social worker. A lack of up-to-date plans does not show how young people‟s day-to-day needs are to be met. Furthermore, it does not help the staff to make sure that they are providing care in line with these plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to young people‟s views and wishes. Staff support young people to make complaints regarding the home and the service that they receive from their placing authority. Young people‟s concerns are investigated and outcomes clearly recorded. As a result, young people learn that they are taken seriously and that their views matter. Young people develop independence skills. One young person said: „I have tried it before, but I think that here they will help me with learning what I need to before I have to cope on my own.‟ Arrangements for budgeting, cooking and washing help young people to develop the practical skills that they will need once they have left the home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 5

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improvement to be good

One young person has put themselves into dangerous situations by going missing from the home. Records do not show that staff have challenged young people effectively as they leave the home. This compromises young people‟s safety. Discrepancies across the different recording systems that relate to „missing‟ behaviours do not give a clear chronology of events. This does not enable staff to follow events accurately or managers to identify any pattern and trends to reduce „missing‟ incidents. This does not promote young people‟s safety. The inspector observed staff showing a young person a high level of compassion and care to support them on their return to the home following a „missing‟ incident.

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improvement to be good

Young people say that they feel safe in the home. The home‟s managers share information with young people‟s social workers and team managers. This helps staff to develop a consistent approach to young people. The managers have worked well with the police following concerns regarding sexual abuse, challenging them make sure that a young person is treated with dignity and respect.

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improvement to be good

Staff regularly update individual risk assessments. This keeps everyone informed about changes in young people‟s behaviours and changes to the strategies used to reduce risk. Staff are aware of how to respond to incidents of self-harm and bullying due to clear guidance and training.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete room searches when they have concerns that a young person is in possession of something that may cause that young person, or others, harm. Staff inform young people that they will search their room in such circumstances. Vigilant staff and prompt action help to reduce the chances of young people hiding inappropriate items in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote positive behaviours through reward charts and praise. Young people are fully aware of their targets, and discuss with staff what these are and how they can achieve them. Behaviour management plans include de-escalation techniques. Staff discuss these plans with young people and they reflect what works for each young person to defuse potentially difficult situations. This practice has helped to reduce concerning behaviours more efficiently. An analysis of physical interventions has helped staff to understand triggers to behaviours and guide staff in using restraint. Staff complete records swiftly and incident records are reviewed promptly by the managers. This was a requirement raised at the last inspection, and it has been met.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practice is good. All staff are subject to careful vetting prior to starting work at the home. The managers place an emphasis on assessing staff‟s skills to ensure that they are well matched to the needs of the young people. Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by two part-time registered managers, both of whom are suitably qualified and have a good history of working in residential care. The two managers work well together, and they constantly share information and ideas. This supports a consistent, caring approach. Both managers a have a shared understanding of the strengths of the service and how some areas could be improved upon. However, this has not been formalised into a clear development plan and does not include the views of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly monitoring by the independent visitor includes discussions with young people and professionals involved with the young people. Managers and staff respond swiftly to actions raised by the visitor. This shows their commitment to continued improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is made up of men and women of different ages and backgrounds. This provides young people with positive role models. Staff work well together and provide good care to young people. One young person told the inspector, „The staff all seem to get on with each other most of the time, and this helps us all to have a laugh.‟ A social worker commented on the high level of communication between staff. She said: „This is a real strength of the home. Staff are knowledgeable and are all able to talk about what is going on.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work in line with the home‟s statement of purpose. They have a good awareness of the progress that young people make, and work well to improve young people‟s skills and self-esteem.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A good range of purposeful training opportunities are available to staff. The manager maintains oversight of the team‟s training needs by checking completion rates. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed, and needs-led training is provided as and when required. Managers support staff through regular supervision and appraisals. These include discussions about the young people, and reflection on their working practice and their own development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers takes appropriate action following significant events, including contacting all the appropriate authorities and providing information about the event and the home‟s response. When additional information is required, managers provide this quickly. This enables relevant people to monitor events at the home. This promotes young people‟s welfare. Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 7

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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 difference 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: SC419217 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care And Management Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Park Business Centre, Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Chrisoula Contoyannis and Susan Lau

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Inspector

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC419217 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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