Children's Home run by Stanfield Care Services Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 1 Registered provider: Stanfield Care Services 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

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for two children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 February 2018

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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: Not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 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

 Staff do not ensure that fire evacuation procedures are always explained to visitors to the home.  The inspector observed one occasion when young people watched an inappropriate television programme.  There have been changes in the staff caring for young people.  Staff do not ensure that young people’s case records hold all the required information about their needs.  Staff allow young people to enter the staff office without consideration to confidential information.  Organisational policies are not always explicit about the staff use of their own personal mobile phones.  Staff supervision is not always completed in accordance with the organisation’s expectations.  Training for staff does not always include the health needs of young people. For example, staff are not knowledgeable about asthma care and do not have an understanding of conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff recruitment records have gaps in staff employment history, which have not been followed up by the organisation.  There have been a number of episodes when young people have gone missing from home. However, only one return home interview has been offered.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people receive a warm welcome from staff at the home.  Managers have worked hard to identify a school or college placement for all young people.  The inspector received positive feedback from social workers and a parent.  Young people were positive about their experiences at the home.  Staff are motivated and work hard to develop positive relationships with young people.  Managers are motivated and keen to ensure that improvements are made so that young people receive good-quality care at the home.  Young people enjoy a warm, homely and welcoming environment.  Staff make sure that any areas of minor damage are speedily rectified. Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 3

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(ii)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that young people only watch appropriate television programmes. 02/04/2018

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (2)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the organisation’s policies are clear about staff use of their own personal mobile phones. 02/04/2018

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the fire evacuation procedure is explained to all visitors to the home. 02/04/2018

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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 to aspire to their full potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (2)(b). 02/04/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 5 In particular, ensure that staff reinforce consistent boundaries with young people. 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 to aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(e). 02/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training in working with young people who have a diagnosis of asthma, and other conditions. 30/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 02/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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)). 02/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child that include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3. The records must be kept up to date, and be signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(a)) 02/04/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care, or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority enables the home to take account of information provided by return interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 6

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improvement to be good

This is the first inspection since the home’s registration in September 2017. The quality of care needs improvement, although there are no widespread failings. Staff practice is not always consistent when they are working with young people in order to instil boundaries. For example, the inspector observed young people in the staff office at times. This went unchallenged by the staff on duty. Confidential information, including on the office computer, is visible and means that young people can potentially see personal information about other young people.

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improvement to be good

Staff supervision of young people is not always as vigilant as it could be for young people’s benefit. The inspector observed young people watching an inappropriate television programme. Staff did not immediately switch it off, resulting in one young person becoming over excited and heightened in his behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Young people reported positively about their lives at the home. One said, ‘I am happy. I love staff.’ A parent too was complimentary and told the inspector, ‘I am delighted with the home. It stands out as warm and welcoming. Brilliant communication, a real shared approach. Staff praise him when it goes right and [are] supportive when things go wrong. The manager is excellent.’

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improvement to be good

Managers have found a college placement for one young person who had been out of education for a few months. They worked with him, his family and professionals to support his development and provide opportunities for him to learn and progress.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s health is promoted. Young people are registered with routine health services, and staff liaise with specialist services when necessary. Young people join in key work sessions with staff and have important discussions about issues, including safety and relationships. Young people benefit and learn from advice and support about topics relevant to them.

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improvement to be good

Young people complete activity planners with staff, and they told the inspector that they have a good choice of activities to enjoy. Staff support one young person to have free time in the community, raising his understanding of how to keep himself safe and how to manage his time. Others use local facilities, have day trips out and enjoy sport, museums and cinema trips.

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improvement to be good

New young people are warmly welcomed to the home. They have a children’s guide which gives them essential information about the home’s running, and about who to contact outside the home if they wish to have external support or advice. All young people are encouraged to contribute in the home, including keeping their bedrooms clean, helping with chores and with laying and clearing tables. Young people also work through helpful independence packs, which track their progress in developing essential independence skills. This includes personal care, money management and writing job Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 7 applications. Staff target additional support if young people struggle in any areas.

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improvement to be good

Visitors to the home are not always briefed about the home’s procedure for evacuating the property in the event of a fire. These details should be given to all visitors, and this explanation should help protect and promote the welfare of all young people and adults in the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been a number of episodes when young people have gone missing from the home. Staff have followed procedures and gone out looking for the young person in question, liaising with the young person’s family, professionals and police. However, young people have not been given the opportunity to have a return home interview routinely. This means that young people miss the chance to speak to someone outside the home about the reasons why they went missing.

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improvement to be good

There have been three allegations made about staff. These have been appropriately referred to the local authority designated officer, and investigations undertaken. Following one of the allegations about practice issues, managers have reinforced their policy about staff not using their own mobile phones at work. However, the current position is not clear. For example, staff continue to use their own mobile phones when they take a young person out in the community. This is confusing and potentially creates vulnerable situations for both young people and adults.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment applications are not always thoroughly checked. This inspection found that some staff applications had employment gaps, without a satisfactory explanation about what the applicant had done during that period. Without scrupulous checks, young people are placed at potential risks from adults who may wish to harm them.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed, including when new information is received or following incidents. Staff identify appropriate strategies to minimise risks and these are discussed and reviewed in team meetings. The organisation has an online system for recording incidents, including the use of physical intervention. There has been a low number of physical interventions since the home opened. Instead, staff encourage positive behaviour and employ a variety of initiatives to reward good behaviour. This helps to maintain a calm environment for all.

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improvement to be good

Staff regularly complete health and safety checks in the home. These include checking the fire system, and that equipment is safe and working well. These steps promote the safety of all in the home.

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improvement to be good

There have not been any instances when young people have been radicalised or exploited. Staff are knowledgeable about the steps to take if such an issue were to arise. Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 8

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered. She has appropriate experience and qualifications to be a registered manager. Managers and staff are ambitious for the young people in their care and committed to making improvements for young people’s benefit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has been open for a few months and has a relatively small staff team. During this time, half the team members have left, and new staff been employed. Managers, staff and young people hope that the team stabilises so that young people receive consistent care from staff they get to know well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people’s files do not contain all information required, including their looked after health plans and previous school reports. These documents are essential as they provide staff with essential information about young people and their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a good induction system for staff. This helps new staff to develop an understanding about how the home works and how to look after young people safely. Staff receive a broad range of training. This helps them to understand their roles and how to meet young people’s needs. Half the staff team members are qualified and have a level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people. The remaining staff will start their qualification when they have completed their probationary period. Staff training that considers specific needs of young people is not yet in place. This means that staff lack the insight into caring for young people who have asthma. Staff supervision sessions are not always completed in line with organisation’s expectations. This means that staff may lack the necessary support and oversight in reviewing their care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager knows the strengths and areas for development of the home. She has a realistic development plan, which includes recruiting a full complement of staff, and focusing on identifying plans for one young person who finishes college soon. The registered manager also has plans to improve the garden area of the home, as young people have said that it lacks tables and chairs and looks incomplete.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers liaise well with professionals. A social worker said to the inspector, ‘Staff are always welcoming when I visit and have information available to share from their recordings. They communicate well with me and with parents.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers and staff promote equality and diversity at all times. They challenge others when they see that a young person has been unfairly targeted and advocate strongly for the young people. For example, staff challenged a local shopkeeper who had made incorrect assumptions about a young person’s behaviour. Young people learn by example and develop an understanding of and respect for differences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people are involved in many areas of the home’s running. This includes choice of meals, personalising their bedrooms and activities. One young person said, ‘We get to choose a lot of things. I can always talk to the manager, and she always listens if I ask her anything.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 9

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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: 1258026 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stanfield Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Newbury Road, Newtown Community Centre, Birmingham B19 2SW

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Inspector

Julia Wright, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 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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