Children's home run by Birmingham City Council in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC035107 1 SC035107 Registered provider: Birmingham City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides short-break placements for children who have learning disabilities. It provides care and accommodation for up to seven children at any one time.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 26 October 2017

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged 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 manager has met five of the ten requirements set at the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s action means that the following improvements have occurred.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has reviewed the children’s risk assessments to ensure that the documents are up to date, include recent incidents and provide staff with the action to take to reduce potential harm to the child. For a child presenting a risk from head-banging, the manager has devised new recording documents to monitor potential triggers and patterns. Further guidance has been provided to Inspection report children’s home: SC035107 2 staff on how the child may present if medical attention is required. As a result, the staff are better informed to manage the children’s risks safely and effectively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has made improvements to the communication systems in the home. These developments include a replacement communication board and checks being made on the life of batteries in electronic equipment to ensure that they work when children wish to access them. Visual communication aids help the children to understand information displayed in the home. In addition, some of the staff have completed sensory assessment training. This training has helped to increase some staff’s awareness of children’s sensory needs. These changes have helped to increase children’s participation and engagement in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has made improvements to the pre-planning of shifts to enable staffing ratios to be increased when required to meet children’s needs. Therefore, the children are able to access the community on a more frequent basis. This engagement increases the children’s social skills and broadens their horizons.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 Staff report that morale within the team has improved. Individual meetings between all of the staff and the service manager have enabled them to discuss any concerns and provide feedback on the management of the home. These discussions, in conjunction with the manager’s reflection, have resulted in the staff feeling more empowered and improvements to the quality of care provided to the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has reviewed recordings of physical interventions in the home. The procedure now considers how the child presents following a physical intervention and how they may feel. The manager’s monitoring of trends and patterns has identified positive changes in the staff approach to engagement with the children. As a result, this has developed staff practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 Four of the five recommendations have been met. The children’s guide now includes up-to-date information for children, including details of the Children’s Commissioner. All of the staff working at the home have been the subject of required checks to ensure that they are assessed as suitable to work with children. The manager has informed Ofsted of all significant events in the home to enable the regulator to monitor the action taken.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has made some progress, but has not fully met five requirements and one recommendation.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The children’s living environment has received a deep clean. There are new sofas in both activity rooms, and cables from the televisions and computers are now safe. The manager has secured funding to make some substantial improvements to the home, and an action plan details the imminent start of the work. These improvements include new doors and flooring, and improvements to internal rooms and external areas. While the children receive care in a cleaner and safer environment, further work is required to ensure that the children receive care in Inspection report children’s home: SC035107 3 an environment where the decor and furnishings of the home are of a sufficient standard.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has completed annual appraisals with some staff, but not with all of the staff team. In addition, the manager has not developed a workforce plan. As a result, these shortfalls continue.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has arranged staff training in fire safety, health and safety and online safety. However, not all staff have completed this training. The manager has arranged a development day for some of this training to be completed, and further dates are scheduled to complete the remainder of the training. In the interim period, fire-practice evacuations have increased to ensure that all of the staff know the action to take in the event of a fire. A lack of training fails to ensure that the children receive care from staff who are skilled to meet children’s needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 One requirement was not due to be met at the time of the inspection, regarding internal monitoring and the lack of consultation with parents and placing authorities in improving the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been one allegation made. While the management took action by investigating the allegation, there was no record held at the home. This lack of recording fails to demonstrate the action taken and the outcome of the investigation. As a result, this does not allow for external scrutiny of the investigation conducted to safeguard the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no complaints, physical interventions or missing from home episodes since the last inspection. During the inspection, the interactions between the children and the staff were seen to be positive. The staff were attentive to the children and demonstrated a sound understanding of children’s individual needs. A parent spoke positively with regard to the quality of care their child receives.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff are committed to improving the quality of care and experience for the children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC035107 4

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to ensuring staff receive training to raise awareness of health and safety, fire safety and online safety. 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure 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(2)(d)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, 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 that they received within it and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(5)) 28/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC035107 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that there is a workforce plan in place which can fulfil the requirements of Regulation 16 Schedule 1. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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

Registered provider address: The Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BB

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Inspector

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC035107 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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