Children's Home run by DMR Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 1 Registered provider: DMR Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for four young people. The home provides care for young people aged between 11 and 17 who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. The registered manager is appropriately qualified and has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the home’s first inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.3

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.3

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

p.3

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)((iv)(vi)(ix))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the young person has a structured daily routine, which includes bedtime, education attendance, menu planning and meal times, activities, administration of medication and time spent with close family. 22/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 4 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.4

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.4

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

p.4

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, risk assessments on use of the computer and the internet should give staff clear guidance on how to support and educate the young person to reduce risk. The location risk assessment should be updated with all known local risks. Safeguarding protocol should be followed promptly when a young person makes a disclosure. 22/03/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the 22/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 5 children’s home that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential;

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)(h)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.5

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.5

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.5

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(d)) 22/03/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the 22/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 6 measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.6

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

p.6

Recommendations

 Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 7 experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The

p.6

Recommendations

record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraphs 13.2,13.3 and 13.4)

p.7

improvement to be good

Staff’s lack of experience, relevant qualifications and specialist training has contributed to the home being judged as requires improvement to be good. There is currently one young person living at the home and his progress is variable. Staff are working hard to re-engage the young person with education. However, school attendance is still significantly low.

p.7

improvement to be good

The manager and staff do not ensure that the young person has a structured daily routine. They do not consistently pre-plan the young person’s weekly activities, menus and bedtime routines or have set plans for the young person to spend time with his family. This means that staff are unclear about what the daily tasks are in advance to enable them to support and meet the young person’s needs adequately. This inconsistence in staff’s practice creates uncertainty for the young person about his day- to-day care.

p.7

improvement to be good

Staff generally promote the young person’s health and have supported him to attend all outstanding health appointments. However, staff are not consistent in offering and encouraging the young person to take his medication.

p.7

improvement to be good

The young person is encouraged to engage in a range of activities, including community events, to broaden his experiences and to feel part of the community.

p.7

improvement to be good

The home is clean and tidy but does not provide a welcoming, warm and cosy living environment for the young person.

p.7

improvement to be good

The young person engages in keyworker sessions and young people’s meetings. This gives him an opportunity to express his wishes and feelings. Some staff have formed Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 8 positive relationships with the young person. However, other staff do not effectively engage with him. This is a missed opportunity to build stable and trusting relationships with the young person, which could enable him to confide in staff.

p.7

improvement to be good

Staff generally follow the home’s safeguarding policies and agreed protocols. However, on one occasion they did not act promptly and appropriately following a disclosure made by the young person. This has the potential to compromise the young person’s safety.

p.8

improvement to be good

Risk assessments are generally comprehensive and give staff clear guidance on how to support and educate young people. However, the risk assessment on the use of the computer and the internet and the home’s safer area report lack detail. This creates a missed opportunity to enable staff to help the young person and teach him how to keep himself safe.

p.8

improvement to be good

Staff see the use of physical intervention as a last resort measure to safeguard young people. The number of restraints has significantly reduced. However, records lack sufficient details such as debriefs for the young person and staff. Staff use sanctions that are not restorative in nature and not proportionate to the behaviour displayed. These do not support the young person to understand and improve his behaviour.

p.8

improvement to be good

When the young person goes missing from the home, staff make efforts to contact him and follow him to try to encourage him to return safely.

p.8

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

The manager is new to the role. The manager and staff work extra shifts to cover staffing shortfalls. Consequently, this has had a negative impact on the manager’s ability to effectively monitor and review the service and improve the quality of care given to the young person. For example, a complaint from the young person was not appropriately documented.

p.8

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

Staff recruitment is generally safe. However, on one occasion the manager failed to follow safe recruitment practice. Consequently, he allowed a staff member to work at the home without making sufficient enquiries into their employment history. Senior managers are in the process of addressing this shortfall.

p.8

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

Staff supervisions are not always completed within recommended timescales set out in the home’s policies and procedures. The registered manager’s supervision file was not made available for the inspector to view at the time of the inspection. This means that the quality and level of support given to the registered manager could not be assessed.

p.8

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

The manager works well with partner agencies such as designated officers, local Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 9 authorities, health services, police and with parents. Partner agencies reported that the manager keeps them updated on the young person’s progress and day-to-day care. Staff reported that they feel supported by the manager.

p.8

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.

p.9

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: 1278421 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: DMR Services, 102 Queslett Road East, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham B74 2EZ

p.10

Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1278421 11 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.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11