Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Walsall

Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 1 Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Ltd

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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 is a privately owned children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to three children who have a range of complex additional needs. The manager is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 21 to 22 November 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: this is the home’s first inspection

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 2

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) In particular, escalate any concerns within the placing authority. 31/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7(1)(c)) In particular, involve children in discussions regarding their plans and risk assessments. 31/12/2018

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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 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) In particular, ensure that a risk assessment is in place and reviewed for use of craft scissors. 31/12/2018

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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 requires the registered person to ensure that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(e)) With particular reference to regular and robust managerial overview of incidents involving children. 31/12/2018

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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 31/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 3 children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) In particular, provide staff with training to understand sexually harmful behaviour in children The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)((3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any gaps in employment are identified and addressed. 31/12/2018

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34) In particular, ensure that behaviour management plans clearly state when it is appropriate for staff to involve the police in managing children’s behaviour, and that staff using threats to call the police is not an appropriate means of controlling behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who have highly complex needs benefit from warm and trusting relationships with dedicated, child-focused staff. Young people say that they can talk to staff about anything that is worrying them, and that staff listen to them. Young people receive advice and guidance from staff and say that this helps them. They also have independent advocates. The home is welcoming and comfortable, and young people take pride in their bedrooms. Young people have fun with staff, including setting up a disco, complete with lights, on a Friday night, when all young people join in the singing and dancing. Staff encourage young people to engage in a range of stimulating activities which support their physical and emotional well-being. These include art, music, football, computer games, cars, and going to the local gym. Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 4 Staff continue to drive young people to the schools they attended before this placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy with this, as it provides them with the specialist education they need, and they can see their friends. Young people spend time with their families, where appropriate. This is because staff support this and recognise how this meets young people’s identity needs. Young people clearly benefit from firm boundaries and clear routines which enable them to feel secure and settled. Young people make significant progress in better managing their emotions and behaviours, social development, independence skills and emotional well- being. Young people engage with staff in key-work sessions which address issues of relevance to them, and attend and engage in regular young people’s meetings where they agree menus, activities and express their views, wishes and feelings. Young people could benefit even more from increased engagement in discussions about their individual plans. Professionals and family comment on how happy the young people are in placement. A

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

schoolteacher said, ‘He appears really happy, there was an instant change in him when he came here. I can’t fault them.’

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

Highly trained and vigilant staff keep young people safe. Young people who have previously experienced significant levels of restraint have not had any physical intervention in this placement. Staff provide structure and positive relationships which enable young people to express their frustrations and concerns and reduce challenging behaviours. Young people become increasingly safe in placement and they say that they feel safe. Risk assessments are detailed and relevant. The registered manager reviews and updates risk assessments and staff sign to say that they have read them. Staff evidence good understanding of the vulnerabilities of each young person and their safeguarding needs. Staff undertake effective key work with young people about how to keep themselves safe. Following one significant incident at school, which resulted in the young person being excluded for a day, he was able to return to school in a calm state after staff undertook

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

skilled and supportive work with him. The headteacher commented that the young person quoted what the staff in the home had told him and that, consequently, the risk of him repeating the behaviour was significantly reduced. Feedback from professionals and family members is positive. They comment that the firm boundaries that staff put in place are the basis for keeping young people safe and state that risk assessments are excellent. Staff are trained to administer controlled drugs safely. The home is well maintained and safe, and appropriate staffing levels support young people to remain safe in the home and in the community. Staff have access to an up-to-date locality risk assessment. Impact assessments are in-depth and effective in matching and reducing the risks to the young people in the home. There are some areas that require further improvement. The registered manager needs to provide staff with clearer guidance about when it is appropriate to involve the police when

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

serious incidents occur. Risk assessments need to be in place for all activities, and the Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 5 registered manager does not always evidence his overview of incidents. None of these issues has had a negative impact on the safety and well-being of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is new to the role and has made a positive start in this newly registered home. However, the responsible individual has provided him with limited supervision, thereby missing opportunities to discuss areas for improvement to his practice. The registered manager and deputy manager need to increase their familiarity with the quality standards and regulations which underpin the care of young people and running of the home. For example, the registered manager has not ensured that recruitment practice sufficiently identifies and addresses any gaps in applicants’ employment histories. The registered manager did not challenge a placing authority when they failed to meet the needs of one young person for contact. He has not been proactive in chasing placing authorities for information that is required for young people’s files. The registered manager has not evidenced that all young people’s plans have been regularly reviewed and updated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

He has not provided staff with training in sexually harmful behaviours, which staff require to fully understand and meet the specific needs of one young person. Staff have lacked sufficient guidance from the registered manager regarding some of their practice. For example, on two occasions, staff threatened a young person with calling the police as a way of managing his behaviour. This was not appropriate, but was not identified by the registered manager and addressed with staff. However, the registered manager has ensured that staff understand and are committed to the ethos of the service and that they have consistently provided young people with good care. He demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the team and has plans in place to drive up standards. The registered manager ensures that staff have regular supervision which is supportive and reflective. Staff enjoy working here, they like the registered manager and say that they

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

work well as a team. Staff have benefited from their induction and say that their training is ongoing and has prepared them for the role. Discussions with staff evidence their knowledge and understanding of young people’s needs and how to meet them. Communication with other professionals is positive. Staff update social workers about young people and attend meetings. Staff work closely and very effectively with schools in particular. They seek advice from schools and share their own practice, for example contracts that they write with young people at home to help them manage their own behaviour. This valuable work has ensured that young people have remained in education.

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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, Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 6 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: 1271519 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham, Warwickshire B23 7YX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Blessing Manyara

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Inspector

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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