Children's home run by Motivations Activity Projects Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC470284 1 SC470284 Registered provider: Motivations Activity Projects Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home aims to provide young people with care that will help them to overcome early childhood trauma, so that they can grow, learn to value themselves and fulfil their potential.

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Information about this children’s home

There was no registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. A new manager is in post and has applied to Ofsted to become the next registered manager.

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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: SC470284 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2017 Full Good 03/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Good 15/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC470284 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 ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a)) 10/01/2019

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such 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)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a sound knowledge of young people, including their moods and presenting behaviours. This means that staff can respond quickly to changes in young people’s needs and provide additional support without delay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy living in a comfortable and homely environment. Staff have recently redecorated parts of the home, and changes made reflect the young people’s choices and preferences. Inspection report children’s home: SC470284 4 Staff support young people in school to help each young person to make progress in their learning. One teacher told the inspector, ‘Staff are friendly, helpful and have a good understanding of the young person. Their communication with the school is excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with young people to promote self-confidence and self-worth. Staff are nurturing, and this helps young people to feel safe and to develop trusting relationships with staff. One young person told the inspector, ‘I have made great progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to keep in contact with family and others who are important to them.

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

There has been a change in the young people living at the home. One young person’s placement ended because managers recognised that they were unable to meet his needs.

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

Staff keep young people safe and prevent serious incidents occurring. Staff achieve this by understanding the risks that young people face. Staff make sure that young people have clear risk assessments and management plans in place.

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

Staff help young people to raise issues about other young people in a respectful and supportive way. This means that young people get on with one another despite their differences.

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

Young people make substantial emotional progress which means that they are better equipped to manage their emotions.

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

Physical restraint is only used as a last resort and only after de-escalation has been attempted and has failed.

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

When a young person goes missing from the home, the staff take prompt action to safeguard the young person. However, managers do not always ensure that the local authority offers the young person a return home interview. This creates a missed opportunity to understand more about the reasons why the young person put themselves at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recent changes in management have not affected the care provided to young people. The staff work together to ensure that young people receive good quality care. The new manager knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses and is working hard to improve standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and feel supported. Staff describe the manager as approachable and available. This helps staff develop their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC470284 5 Managers ensure that the home operates in line with its statement of purpose and that this is regularly updated. However, some members of staff are new and inexperienced. Gaps in training for some members of staff mean that they lack knowledge in some areas of practice. For example, one permanent member of staff has not completed training to help them increase their knowledge of behaviour management, autism spectrum disorder and the risk that young people face from child sexual exploitation. Two bank members of staff have not completed food safety, health and safety, and equality and diversity training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have not always ensured that they seek feedback from young people, staff, professionals and families when completing the quality of care reviews. This creates a missed opportunity to use feedback to improve the service.

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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: SC470284 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Motivations Activity Projects Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Matthews Business Centre, Duddeston Manor Road, Birmingham B7 4LZ

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC470284 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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