Children's home run by Accalia Care Services Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 1 SC486886 Registered provider: Juvenis Care Services Ltd Interim 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 three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged as requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has gone through a lot of changes since the last inspection, including a new manager and a significant change in the staff team. Young people that were at the home during the last inspection have now moved to new accommodation and are reported to be doing well. Staff still keep in touch and support some young people that have left the home. One ex-resident spoke to the inspector and said that the new manager had ‘really improved the home when she started.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

New young people have moved into the home and they have settled well. Being settled enables them to focus on their learning. For example, one young person is attending her education provision regularly and enjoying work experience at a local hairdresser. Although young people arrive with all the necessary paperwork from the placing Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 2 authority, there is no evidence that the manager risk assesses the compatibility of new young people with those already living at the home. This undermines the quality of the care planning process and has the potential to compromise young people’s welfare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent visitor monitors the home each month. The visitor talks to the young people and their families to gain their views about the quality of care provided. Managers respond swiftly to issues raised as part of this monitoring to improve standards of care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A six-monthly review of the home was completed by the previous manager. This was not received by Ofsted in a timely manner and was subsequently forwarded by the responsible individual. This report did not thoroughly assess the home and did not include the views of the young people. The home does not currently have a development plan that sets out how the home is to move forwards or a workforce development plan that outlines the training needs of the staff. The new manager is working on these plans but is yet to finish them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding referrals to relevant professionals have been made, when necessary. Managers notify Ofsted when significant events occur. These notifications show that staff contacted appropriate professionals and that investigations were completed. Full records of some of these incidents were not available at the time of the inspection due to their being stored away securely while the manager was on holiday. They will be inspected at the next visit. Arrangements need to be made to ensure that records can be accessed, if necessary, by the person deputising for the manager, in the manager’s absence. This inspection did find that staff now respond more effectively to young people who are at risk of sexual exploitation, with additional staffing, supervision and risk assessments supporting improvements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a reduction in the level of missing behaviours since the last inspection, with only one such event. Staff responded well to this incident and ensured that the young people had a return interview with someone independent of the home. This response has helped to support young people’s safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff do not maintain consistently good records of young people. For example, daily records about each young person’s experiences are inconsistent in their detail. On occasion, they fail to accurately reflect the day’s events and are overly brief. Consequently, insufficient information is recorded regarding young people’s lives, and this does not support them if they wish to look back on information that is written about them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some improvements to records have been made. Managers and staff formulate placement plans based on information from the placing authority, discussions with the social worker and young person, and initial observations by staff. These provide staff with a better understanding of how to meet young people’s day-to-day needs. Information about young people’s contact arrangements is now contained within written plans. As a result, staff are more aware of how they can support young people to keep in touch with their families safely. Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 3 Young people now enjoy a good range of activities, including cinema and a recent ice- skating trip. Activities are discussed during weekly meetings and a plan put in place to respond to young people’s wishes when appropriate.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although staff told the inspector that training has improved, the training matrix shows that there still are gaps. Not all staff have completed recent training in safeguarding, health and safety, fire safety, sexual exploitation or radicalisation. As a result, staff do not keep up to date with all the skills and knowledge that they need to meet young people’s needs and keep them safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some improvements have been made to the physical environment, including the replacement of locks on bathroom doors to make sure that young people have sufficient privacy. Flooring has been replaced downstairs, and new furnishings have been purchased. Young people’s bedrooms have been redecorated in the colours they like, and they are encouraged to personalise their rooms. Despite these improvements, the home continues to lack a homely feel in parts. For example, a bare bulb in the dining room and a lack of pictures in the lounge do not provide a warm and welcoming environment for children to live in.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake fire checks regularly. However, records show that not all staff have practised a fire evacuation drill since starting work at the home. This does not support young people’s safety and that of staff if they need to exit the home in such an emergency.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Arrangements to reward young people for positive behaviours have improved. The deputy manager described a system of daily short-term rewards for younger residents. However, it is unclear whether all staff are aware of this system. This does not support a consistent approach to behaviour management.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been an increase in the number of restraint incidents, since the last inspection. This is in response to young people’s challenging behaviours. Staff use restraint when other strategies have been attempted. Restraint records are sometimes confusing, with up to three restraints being recorded over a period of an hour on the same form. Consequently, records do not contain sufficiently clear information about the events leading up to each incident and how staff responded. Furthermore, unclear records do not enable the manager to review restraint incidents easily to ensure that they are proportionate and appropriately handled.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some staff report that they receive regular supervision from more senior staff. However, records do not reflect that this is true for all staff. As a result, it is not sufficiently clear that all staff receive supervision to support the development of their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy, which sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(1)(b)(2)(d)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and ensure by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(c)(d)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, 28/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 5 reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. Regulation 45(2)(a)(b)(c))(4)(a))

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that the registered person only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s home’s regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person has a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  Ensure that the registered person has systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified 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)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information

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Recommendations

about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 6 practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 7 Unique reference number: SC486886

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Juvenis Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Court 82 ─ 84, Birmingham B12 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leaford Williams

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Inspector

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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