Children's home run by Silverlining Childcare Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 1 SC458746 Registered provider: Silverlining Childcare

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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 home provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have experienced disruption in their lives and have difficulties with emotions. It is run by a small private partnership company. The appropriately qualified registered manager left shortly after the inspection. A new manager is in the process of being appointed.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 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 inadequate

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/07/2016 Full Good 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 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.

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Requirement Due date

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 and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(2)(c)(i)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 30/11/2018

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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 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 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 30/11/2018

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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 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 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)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to 30/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 4 the home the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 25 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)) 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 (1)(3)(d)) 30/11/2018

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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)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1)(4)(a)) 30/11/2018

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes should work closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home. Staff should understand, for each child, what the placing authority has recorded in the relevant plan as an appropriate level of contact with family and friends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 38, paragraph 8.3)  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented

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Recommendations

by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 5 new duties under regulations that came in to effect in January and April 2014. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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improvement to be good

Young people enjoy spending time with each other and with the staff working in the home. A young person’s social worker commented that there had been, in respect of a young person’s progress, ‘massive improvements’ and that the young person ‘gets on really well with the staff team’.

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improvement to be good

Young people enjoy a range of activities and experiences. For example, a young person recently went abroad on holiday, and staff actively look for opportunities for young people to try new activities. Staff support young people to maintain contact with their families, where appropriate to do so. However, the plans for one young person’s contact are not clear. This is further affected by a lack of pre-admission planning and assessment. Therefore, the provider does not demonstrate a full consideration of young people’s needs prior to their arrival at the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is mostly well presented. There are some areas of the home which require attention. For example, a young person’s room has a hole in its flooring, there is some rust on a radiator and the hallway’s paintwork is worn in places.

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improvement to be good

Young people receive regular key-working sessions. The staff team ensures that the health needs of young people are reviewed and that all appointments are attended. All young people are involved in education. However, not all young people are engaged in a full-time programme of educational activity. For example, young people who are not attending school receive some limited access to a home-based tutor.

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improvement to be good

The young person’s guide to the home contains all the required information to help young people learn about what they can expect when they come to live at the home. Social workers are positive about the progress that young people make at the home. There are good arrangements in place with the local police, and it is evident that staff have formed links with education providers so that young people can be provided with some support.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been no restraints. However, the registered manager has not ensured that all behaviour management records have been reviewed. Similarly, appropriate actions are not taken when young people make complaints. The registered manager told the inspector that there had been no complaints. However, the monthly visitor to the home recorded that a complaint had been made, and this was Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 6 later confirmed with the registered manager during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Sanctions are given to young people where required. However, the staff team does not always ensure that the views of young people are recorded in records, as required. Where young people display positive behaviours, they are rewarded with verbal praise and bespoke activities. This helps young people to develop socially acceptable behaviours.

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improvement to be good

The home’s location risk assessment does not make clear all potential risks in the local area. For example, the home is situated close to a canal and a railway line. The potential risks of these have not been considered. During the inspection, a smoke alarm was continually emitting a beeping sound. The registered manager confirmed that this had been the case for some time but that it had not been resolved. However, staff do ensure that other areas of health and safety are appropriately checked and maintained.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment is not always completed appropriately. For example, gaps in employment history are not explored, nor are reasons for leaving previous employment that included working with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual and registered manager were present during the inspection. They acknowledged the shortfalls and recognised the need for improvement. However, they have not ensured that all requirements from the last inspection have been positively addressed. These continuing shortfalls mean that young people do not live in a home that is well managed or appropriately monitored and reviewed. Repeated shortfalls from the last inspection include: staff supervision, staff recruitment, management of the home and the condition of the home. These shortfalls have the potential to adversely affect the outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Regular team meetings ensure that staff discuss the home and the young people. This helps to provide consistency and create a shared vision for the home. Staff receive appropriate training and undertake their level 3 qualifications as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feel supported by the registered manager and are happy with their level of supervision. However, this could be improved for new staff in the home. There is also a lack of managerial supervision and appraisal. The registered manager does not have a clear development plan for the service. However, registered the manager is able to articulate how she would like to move the home forwards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monthly visits to the home take place and the feedback from these visits identifies areas to improve. However, the registered manager’s own monitoring is not as thorough. For example, the last report from the registered manager covered a period of eight months instead of six. This report also lacked consideration of the views of young people, parents, placing services and staff. The most recent report was started late and does not make clear which period is being covered. Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 7

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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: SC458746 8

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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

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458746 9 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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