Children's home run by Thoughts of Others Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 1 SC049714

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Thoughts of Others Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home and three other children’s homes in the local area. The home provides care and accommodation for up to two children who have experienced trauma during their childhood. The organisation currently choses to operate this home for girls only. The statement of purpose identifies that a prerequisite of a child’s admission is that the placing authority will seek to obtain a legal order to deprive children of their liberty while they live at the home. The manager was registered with Ofsted on 13 September 2016.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 6 and 7 September 2017. Ofsted raised 10 requirements and issued two compliance notices. These were in respect of:  failure to put in place safe arrangements for the administration of medication; and  failure to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care. A monitoring visit was conducted on 31 October 2017. This visit found that the registered person had not met the compliance notices and the previous requirements. Ofsted issued a further compliance notice. This was in respect of:  failure to take action, or put systems in place, to keep children safe. A second full inspection judged the home inadequate on 19 and 20 December 2017. This visit found that the registered person had not met the three compliance notices and six of the previous requirements. Ofsted judged the home to be inadequate because of the persistent regulatory failure in respect of:

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This monitoring visit

 failure to take action, or put systems in place, to monitor and review the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 2 quality of care provided for children. Compliance notices issued were returned to Ofsted undelivered. A monitoring visit conducted on 15 February 2018 identified that the registered person had not taken action to meet the previous regulatory failures. This visit raised 10 requirements that were consistent with findings from previous inspections. In order to review and evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing these concerns a monitoring visit was undertaken on 23 April 2018. This inspection found that none of the 10 requirements raised in February 2018 had been met. A further three requirements were raised as a result of this inspection. Managers told the inspectors that they had not addressed five of the 10 requirements made at the last monitoring visit. This means that managers have

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This monitoring visit

failed to meet the requirements that relate to the implementation of monitoring and review systems to support their understanding of the service and the improvements required. Managers have yet to analyse staff practice and its impact on children. Also, managers cannot demonstrate that they have consulted with children, staff or social workers to support service development. As a result, leaders and managers are not able to demonstrate how they drive and sustain improvement. Staff are still not receiving regular supervision. As a result, managers continue to miss the opportunity to reflect on and to improve practice within the home. Managers are still not ensuring that records relating to physical interventions are signed by the staff involved and provide details to explain how children come to be restrained on the floor or on their bed. Further, managers are often signing off these records without any challenge over the missing details. Managers also

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This monitoring visit

confirm that staff are not given formal de-briefs after they have been involved in a physical restraint. In addition, inspectors identified continued failings in the following areas:  No action has been taken to meet shortfalls in staff training. This means that there remain gaps in staff knowledge in the areas of mental health, self-harm and online safety. The inspection also identified further gaps in staff training in regards to physical intervention and medication. These continued shortfalls mean that staff are without the essential skills that they require to safeguard the children in their care.  The registered manager does not know which members of staff are permanent at the home and which staff are from other homes. The rota reflects continued use of pool staff. There have been occasions when the pool staff have formed 75% of the staff team. One child told the inspectors, ‘Nine times out of 10 I get the new staff.’ This continued

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This monitoring visit

movement of staff prevents children building meaningful relationships with a core group of staff. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 3  Children’s case records continue to be chaotic, with duplication and contradictory information that prevent staff from having a clear understanding of a child’s current care plan.  The registered manager has not ensured that previous shortfalls regarding risk assessments have been addressed. Risk assessments have not been updated to reflect current risks or the strategies in place to manage these risks. Staff do not routinely read and sign risk assessments. This means that staff are without the information they need to reduce risk and safeguard young people. Inspectors identified the following additional regulatory breaches at this monitoring visit:  The statement of purpose is inaccurate and prevents stakeholders from receiving current and accurate information about the home.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff do not ensure that the home is well maintained. For example, the carpets are stained and have holes in them. As a result, the home does not provide a nurturing and homely environment.  The registered manager does not retain accurate information about which staff members have worked in the home and when. This prevents him maintaining oversight of staffing and means that records are not reliable in the case of a complaint or allegation being made. This monitoring visit identifies continued failure by leaders and managers to effect the necessary changes required to ensure that the service operates in line with regulatory requirements. Consistent themes are apparent which indicate continued failure to improve and sustain practice that safeguards children and promotes their welfare.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/12/2017 Full Inadequate 06/09/2017 Full Inadequate 30/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 20/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 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 purposes 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)) 05/06/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff: assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1),(2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(e)) 05/06/2018

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and deliver the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and understand the impact that the quality of care provided 05/06/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 5 in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b),(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)) 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 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b),(2)(h)) 05/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 05/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 05/06/2018

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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 and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 05/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes all elements of this regulation. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)) 05/06/2018

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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; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 05/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1),(2)(a)(b)(c)) This is in relation to a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home and a record of the actual rosters 05/06/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 6 worked. The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. 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)(b),(5))

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (the independent person’s report) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 05/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 05/06/2018

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thoughts of Others Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thoughts of Others, 73–75 Station Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6UG

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Inspectors

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC049714 8 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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