Children's home run by Silverlining Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1254780 1

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Silverlining Childcare

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted registered this home in 2017. A small private company operates it. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted registered this service in July 2017. At its first inspection in February 2018, Ofsted found it to be providing children with an inadequate service. Ofsted made seven requirements and two recommendations. The concerns covered a variety of issues, including children’s safety and protection and leadership and management. Action taken in response to the requirements and recommendations has not been assessed in full at this inspection because the end date on the requirements had not yet expired.

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This monitoring visit

Some improvements have been made to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Staff have improved the range of social opportunities that children undertake. For example, children have enjoyed trips to a theme park and skate park, and children and staff are busy organising a summer holiday. These opportunities and experiences broaden children’s horizons and stimulate them.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken some steps to improve children’s individual risk assessments. These documents contain better guidance for staff about how to support children and reduce risk. The manager emphasises and explains these issues to staff at team meetings. Furthermore, arrangements are now in place to ensure that risk assessments are reviewed regularly.

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This monitoring visit

Staff help children to take responsibility for their behaviour. For example, staff supported one child to apologise to the person adversely affected by his behaviour. Meaningful key-work sessions enable children and staff to talk about issues of concern. Furthermore, a representative from the fire service has visited the home Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1254780 2 and has offered to undertake some work with a child to help him to understand the dangers of setting fires. This action followed an incident that occurred at the last inspection, and helps to reduce risk.

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This monitoring visit

All records are now accessible to the responsible individual in the manager’s absence. As a result, the responsible individual and staff can review relevant records, when necessary, to inform their practice and decision-making.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has developed monitoring systems enabling him to have an overview of events in the home. He has carried out a quality of care review and sent his report to Ofsted. However, monitoring arrangements require improvement. For example, the independent visitor supervises the registered manager. This is not appropriate because it undermines her impartiality when undertaking monitoring visits. A recommendation is raised to address this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection identified that staff do not support children to establish and maintain good daily routines effectively. In particular, some children do not settle to bed easily and subsequently they do not get up in the morning at a reasonable time. This has the potential to impact on children’s well-being and their ability to engage readily in education. The manager is liaising with professionals to assist with helping children to overcome these difficulties. Although the manager is taking some action, this work is ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

Some leadership arrangements are fragile. For example, the responsible individual provides cover for the manager in his absence. This is not his area of expertise and so is an area of vulnerability for the home. The registered manager is reflecting on this. He has plans to discuss alternative deputising arrangements with the responsible individual and the manager of the organisation’s other children’s home.

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This monitoring visit

The service is relatively new and is in need of consolidation. Since the last inspection, some improvements have been made and the manager intends to build on these. Ofsted will undertake another full inspection within 16 weeks of the last full inspection. At that time, Ofsted will review the overall judgement.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/02/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1254780 3

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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. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)) 20/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(ii)) 20/04/2018

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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. 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; and have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 20/04/2018

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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. 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(1)(2)(b)) 20/04/2018

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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 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 delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(h)) 20/04/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1254780 4 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1)) 20/04/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person must appoint the independent person and is ultimately responsible for making sure that an appointment does not give rise to a conflict of interest that would, or would appear to, compromise the ability of that person to reach a rigorous and impartial judgement of the quality of that home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.6)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be 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 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)

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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: 1254780 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Silverlining Childcare

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 59a, Lichfield Street, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 2BX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lakhvinder Khera

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Inspector

David Morgan, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1254780 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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