Children's Home run by Care and Management Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC419229 1 SC419229 Registered provider: Care and Management 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 for up to four young people who have complex behaviour patterns. Currently, the provider is operating this as a service for three young people. The home currently provides care for young people who are stepping down from mental health service accommodation. The registered manager has been in post since 2012. She holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 2018

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC419229 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2017 Full Good 10/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Good 15/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC419229 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are 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)) 02/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review 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 they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 03/12/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any person appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive care from a committed staff team that wants the young people to achieve. The positive regard that staff have for them increases the young people’s self- esteem and means that they make progress in all areas. Inspection report children’s home: SC419229 4 Staff encourage young people in their education. For example, staff supported a young person’s move to college by having someone available for them on site at the college constantly in the initial weeks. This discreet support enabled the young person to cope with a significant change to their routine. Young people view their education positively, and as a result they are aspirational about their future careers. Staff support young people to access local health services and maintain good general health. The registered manager has ensured close links with local specialist services which enables young people to achieve sustained periods of improved mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people take part in a range of activities and develop hobbies. These include horse riding, photography and art. Young people are committed to raising money for charity. Recently, they held an open day, where they made cakes, offered nail art and gave a concert. This positive community involvement increases young people’s confidence. Young people are encouraged to develop an understanding of responsibility. They have their own pets at the home, and oversee their care. Young people cook for themselves and take responsibility for areas of budgeting. This ensures that young people are supported to develop skills that will assist them in adult life. Staff encourage young people to keep links with people who are important to them, enabling them to maintain positive relationships. A parent told the inspector that staff ensure that she is welcomed into the home and make sure that she is part of plans that

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

are made for her daughter. In recent months, the registered manager, in conjunction with the organisation’s clinical team, has introduced a new model of therapeutic care to the home. This will underpin all areas of practice. At the time of the inspection, this was still in its infancy and therefore the impact is unknown.

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

Young people are encouraged to understand the risks that they face and to work with staff to identify how these can be managed. Young people are fully involved in agreeing and reviewing all their safety plans. This positive approach to risk management increases young people’s independence in a supported way. Staff have a positive attitude to behaviour management, which is based on rewarding positive behaviours. Each young person has their own incentive scheme, which they have agreed. Involving young people in agreeing these strategies ensures that they want to achieve them. This results in low levels of incidents requiring physical intervention. Incidents of young people going missing from the home are low. If young people do leave the home unexpectedly, staff respond quickly, following clear missing protocols to ensure the safe return of young people. The registered manager has made sure that all staff have received a range of training.

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

This enables staff to understand and respond to the needs of the young people who live in the home. Staff and young people take pride in their home. Staff complete regular checks to ensure that the home is a safe environment. Young people personalise the home with their individual, motivational artwork. Inspection report children’s home: SC419229 5 Leaders and managers have not given sufficient attention to recruitment checks for staff. For example, reasons why people have left previous posts working with children or vulnerable adults are not verified. This means that managers do not know that all staff working at the home are safe to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high expectations of both staff and young people and is passionate in her desire for young people to achieve positive progress. She told the inspector, ‘These young people have a future and we will do everything to support them.’ The registered manager is a strong advocate for young people. She is confident to challenge where she believes that young people are not receiving the opportunities or services that they deserve. Staff told the inspector that they are well supported by the registered manager. Staff receive regular supervision and all staff have a personal development plan. This ensures that staff are supported to reflect on and improve their practice. The home has seen considerable staff turnover in the past year, for a range of reasons. The registered manager is aware of this and is working to achieve a more stable staff team moving forward. The presence of an established registered manager and deputy

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

manager at the home has minimised the impact of the changes for young people. The registered manager has implemented a range of systems to support her oversight of the service. However, some of these are not as effective as they could be. For example, the independent visitor’s report is not always accurate and does not always give a view as to whether young people are safeguarded effectively. Also, the registered manager’s quality of service report lacks the views of young people and critical analysis of the service. These shortfalls prevent the manager from implementing effective service improvement.

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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: SC419229 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care and Management Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Park Business Centre, Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC419229 7 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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