Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 1 SC365366 Registered provider: N H Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for three young people. The home provides care and accommodation for young people who have learning disabilities. The home is privately owned.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make progress in all areas of their development.  Young people receive well-planned and consistent care from a staff team that knows the young people‟s individual needs.  Young people have positive relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them.  Staff ensure that care is personalised and takes account of young people‟s views.  Staff are creative in supporting young people to be involved in decisions about their care.  Strong relationships between staff, family members and professionals help young people to make progress.  Staff work hard to ensure that they communicate with young people in their preferred style.  Young people‟s well-being improves because of healthy eating and regular exercise.  Joined-up work between staff and schools helps young people to engage and make progress with their education.  Staff promote young people‟s contact with family members.  Staff enjoy their work and have support through regular reflective supervision.

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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

 The back garden requires attention to ensure that young people can safely use the space.  Managers have not ensured that the statement of purpose is clear about how the home promotes children‟s rights.  Managers have not ensured that pre-employment checks are always completed before staff start working.  Managers have not ensured that staff rotas reflect the actual times that staff are on duty.  Managers have not included actions and timescales for the development of the home in the quality of care review.  Staff have not achieved the necessary qualifications in residential childcare within the required timeframe. Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/10/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/09/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 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. 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)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that improvements are made to the garden to provide sufficient useable space for young people. 03/07/18

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 01/05/18

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any individual who works in the home in a care role has achieved the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(5)(a)) 03/07/18

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home and a record of the actual rosters worked are maintained in the home. (Regulation 37 Schedule 4(3)) 01/05/18

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Recommendations

 The review of quality of care should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home‟s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery in the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.4)  Homes are required to develop and keep under review a “Statement of Purpose” Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 5 (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home‟s statement of purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 14, paragraph 3.5). This is with

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Recommendations

specific reference to ensuring that the statement of purpose is clear about how the home promotes children‟s rights.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive personalised care from a committed staff team that takes time to get to know and understand each young person in its care. An independent reviewing officer told the inspector, „It‟s not about a regime, it‟s about what the children need.‟ Consequently, young people make good progress. Since the last inspection, two young people have moved out of the home to adult residential care. Careful planning, gradual introductions and attention to detail have helped to ensure that both young people had positive moves. One new young person has moved into the home. The manager‟s attention to the matching and planning means that, despite the move happening quickly, the young person was able to settle in well. A teacher shared with the inspector, „It was a quick move but, even so, before he arrived everything was in place. They had already spoken to us and understood something about him and his needs.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend school full time and maintain good school attendance and punctuality. Relationships between staff and teachers are strong. A joined-up approach between home and school gives young people stability and supports them to make progress in their learning. For example, joint work between staff and teachers has helped to reduce one young person‟s challenging behaviour. This means that the young person is now able to eat his meals with other young people at school. A teacher told the inspector, „They do what we do, which gives consistency. Communication is excellent. We really can‟t fault them.‟ Both current young people are registered with a local doctor and are supported to attend routine appointments with the dentist and optician. Arrangements for the receipt, storage and administration of medication are clear. Regular medication reviews with health professionals ensure that medication to reduce anxiety and challenging behaviour

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

remains the right choice for one young person. Staff encourage young people to eat healthily and to try a wide variety of foods. Young people take part in weekly shopping trips with staff and are encouraged to think about healthy options and purchasing enough fruit and vegetables to make sure they have at least five portions a day. For one young person, the introduction of snack time routines and being involved in meal planning and food preparation has helped lessen his obsessional behaviours around food. As a result, incidents of challenging behaviour have decreased. Healthy eating, combined with an increase in daily exercise, has helped him to achieve a healthy weight for his size. Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 6 Staff help young people to enjoy life. Telling jokes is part of daily life. A parent told the inspector, „They have a laugh and he has fun.‟ Young people take part in a range of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

hobbies and activities such as film club, yoga, the cinema, sensory activities, dancing and walking. As a result, young people benefit from good physical and emotional health. Involving young people in their care and the decision-making about their care is a clear strength of the home. Staff make superb use of communication aids such as widgets, pointing boards, „now and next‟ and social stories to help young people‟s understanding and communication. For example, staff ensure that all minutes of meetings are available to young people in widget form. Pointing boards help staff to understand young people‟s opinions following incidents. Young people attend meetings that are about them and they are able to contribute to plans for their care. Staff have a creative approach to helping young people express their views. For example, one young person has an interest in film production and was given support by his key worker to make a video that helped those involved in his care

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

understand what he wanted. Weekly young people‟s meetings help young people to influence food and activity choices. Staff‟s detailed attention to listening to and involving young people in their care supports young people to feel valued and to take greater control of their lives. Staff are sensitive to young people‟s cultural needs and involve family members in understanding how to meet young people‟s specific needs. For one young person, this means ensuring that he has halal food. He has applications on his iPad which enable him to listen to music and to prayer so that he is encouraged to follow his faith. A parent told the inspector, „They understand my cultural needs and his. They are respectful.‟ Young people are encouraged to keep in contact with people who are important to them. Visitors are welcomed to the home and staff support young people when they need to travel to visit friends and family. A parent told the inspector, „I‟m told this is my home

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and I‟m welcomed here.‟ Positive relationships between staff and family members help young people to maintain important connections and build their sense of identity. The home environment is inviting and there photographs of young people to help to create a homely feel. However, the back garden is very steep and there is no safe route for young people to access a barbecue area at the top of the garden. In addition, rubber matting directly outside the back door is slippery when wet and is raised in some areas. Consequently, there are limits to how young people are able to use the home‟s outdoor space safely.

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

Young people have trusting and secure relationships with staff and enjoy time in their company. Clear and regularly updated plans and risk assessments mean that staff have a good understanding of the risks faced by young people. Direct work with young people helps improve their safety and to reduce risk. For example, direct work about relationships has increased a young person‟s understanding of different types of relationships and acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. This reduces his vulnerability to inappropriate contact from others and raises his understanding of how he should Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 7 behave towards others. Consistent daily routines and nurturing support from staff promote good behaviour and help young people to feel secure. Rewards celebrate young people‟s achievements and sanctions are rare. Young people‟s complex needs mean that their behaviour can be challenging. There have been incidents, some of which have resulted in injury to staff. A

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

patient and calm approach from staff, even in the most difficult of circumstances, has ensured that young people are safe and that relationships remain positive. Thorough management oversight of every incident and physical intervention ensures that learning is used to update young people‟s plans and enhance staff practice. Training opportunities help the staff to increase their awareness of safeguarding. There are no young people at risk of child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Through training, staff are alert to the risks posed to young people. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from care. However, on two occasions a young person was able to leave the house. This was due to reduced levels of staff supervision. In both instances, staff noticed the young person‟s absence and quickly secured his safe return home. As a result of these incidents, the registered manager reviewed practice and has

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

since implemented protocols to ensure that there is adequate supervision of young people at all times. This has ensured that there have been no further incidents. Young people are comfortable in each other‟s company. There have been no instances of bullying. Staff and young people are alert to the signs of bullying and discuss what young people should do if they were subject to bullying. The young people‟s guide and information displayed around the home ensure that young people know how to complain. There have been four complaints from young people, all of which have been responded to appropriately by the registered manager. A young person was actively involved in developing a resolution to his concern when his complaint was partially upheld. Keeping young people involved and informed increases their confidence and enhances their safety. Staff help young people to understand the dangers of the internet and to use electronic

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

devices sensibly. Staff carefully manage the amount of time that young people spend on electronic devices. Parental controls and staff supervision help to keep young people safe online. A young person told the inspector, „There are rules around technology use. I‟m kept safe by people watching me so I don‟t go on inappropriate stuff. I don‟t trust social media because there might be strangers on there. We can‟t get on these things from here, anyway.‟ The registered manager has systems in place to verify the suitability of potential employees to work with young people before they commence in post. However, on one occasion, the manager was unable to find a reference from the last employer for an agency member of staff or evidence of his qualifications. In addition, on one occasion the manager had not verified the reason for a gap in employment for a permanent member of staff. A lack of diligence in vetting means that there is the potential for

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

unsuitable adults to have contact with young people.

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

Internally, the home is comfortable, well maintained and safe. The registered manager Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 8 ensures that safety checks on gas, fire and electrical systems take place within the required timescales. This ensures that equipment remains well maintained and in good working order.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been registered since April 2014. She has recently completed her level 5 diploma in leadership and management. In addition to the manager, the home has eight permanent members of staff. Four staff members are qualified to level 3 diploma in residential childcare or have a suitably equivalent qualification. All other staff are working towards the award. This includes one member of staff who is now outside the regulatory timescale for obtaining the required diploma. The registered manager is child focused and is an energetic leader. Staff morale is good. A comprehensive workforce plan means that staff have access to a wide variety of training, including some online training, which helps equip them for their roles. Regular supervision and team meetings, which include the company‟s clinical staff, encourage staff to reflect on and develop their practice to the benefit of young people. One

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

member of staff told the inspector, „I feel supported 100% in what I do. The managers are very personable. We talk about how I think I‟m doing, how the young people are making progress and new approaches. I always get a chance to think about what we do and what we need to improve, but the bulk of this is also done in staff meetings.‟ The registered manager has strong relationships with a range of other professionals, including the police, social workers, an independent reviewing officer and a consultant. A youth offending practitioner shared with the inspector, „I think they are excellent. I‟ve been really impressed. They are good in feeding back information to me. They always come to meetings. They have done a lot of follow-up with the young person, which makes sure that the work is as effective as it can be, especially given his learning needs.‟ The team has three vacancies which are being recruited to. Regular bank staff and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

agency staff cover gaps in the rota. This ensures that young people receive consistent care from familiar staff. However, there is an administrative shortfall in that staffing rotas do not record the actual hours worked by night waking staff. In addition, rotas record that staff who have slept at the home commence duty at 7am when, in practice, they start at 6am to support young people‟s daily routines. Inaccurate records mean it would be difficult to identify exactly when staff had worked should this information be required in the future. Managers and staff make sure that young people are aware of their rights and they advocate on young people‟s behalf as necessary. For example, one young person recently expressed that he would like to make contact with a family member he has not seen for some time. Managers recognised that this would be a challenging conversation, so they agreed with the young person that they would make the initial representation on

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

his behalf. In keeping with the requirement from the last inspection, the registered manager has updated the statement of purpose to include a definition of children‟s rights. However, the update lacks clarity about the home‟s policy and approach to promoting children‟s Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 9 rights. An appropriately experienced independent person monitors the quality of care through regular visits to the home. When recommendations are made, the registered manager is quick to respond, which secures improvement to the service in a timely way. In response to the previous inspection, the independent visitor reports and the manager‟s review of the quality of care now take account of feedback from young people and other stakeholders. In addition, the reports by the independent visitor are now clear about his findings regarding the welfare and safeguarding of young people. However, despite the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

manager being able to verbalise the plans for the future development of the home, the quality of care review has not set out the actions and timescales for this to happen. This administrative shortfall could compromise the continued improvement of the home.

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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: SC365366 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Shetland Close, Birmingham B16 0RF

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Inspector

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC365366 11 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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