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

Inspection report children’s home: SC419217 1 SC419217 Registered provider: Care and Management Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated children’s home provides care for up to two young people whose adverse childhood experiences and trauma can lead to them exhibiting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2018. She holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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

Date of last inspection: 27 September 2017

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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: SC419217 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2017 Full Good 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 15/12/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC419217 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 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 01/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(5)) 01/04/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for Inspection report children’s home: SC419217 4 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 consistent and dedicated team of staff who are motivated to ensure that young people achieve positive outcomes. One social worker told the inspector, ‘He has improved in all areas of his life’ because of the care that he has received. A headteacher said, ‘They always put [name of young person]’s needs at the forefront.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the house is a homely environment that young people feel comfortable in. One young person said, ‘It’s not like a children’s home is it?’ The home is pleasantly decorated with soft furnishings, pictures and fresh flowers, that all help to create a calm environment, which young people respect and call home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consistent daily routines help young people to make good progress at school. For example, one young person has improved his attendance significantly. Another young person has increased his attainment levels by one grade within a term. Staff help young people understand the importance of education. This helps young people to be aspirational for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people are part of their local community. Young people are supported to join community groups and clubs and to attend local events. For one young person this has enabled him to form a positive link with a specialist group that is helping him to explore his identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to keep in contact with people who are important to them. A family member told the inspector that they feel at ease visiting the home. Family members are supported to enjoy significant events with young people. This helps to enable young people to build a range of positive family memories. For example, a grandmother has been included in two summer holidays with her grandson. She told the inspector, ‘It was fabulous; we had a long weekend and a week away. It was great… I was just so relaxed around him.’

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

Staff understand young people well and are confident in their ability to keep them safe. Young people told the inspector that they feel safe living in this home.

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

Staff use well-planned strategies to encourage young people to behave well. One teacher told the inspector, ‘The staff have worked really hard to support him and keep him on track. They look beyond things to help him.’ This positive approach to behaviour support means that young people are clear about boundaries and expectations. Inspection report children’s home: SC419217 5 Consequently, young people have shown significant improvements in behaviour.

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

Staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard young people. They know the procedures and policies that must be followed if a young person goes missing from the home.

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

Young people receive help to understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff use a range of materials to help young people understand risk. This includes using online training resources. One young person told the inspector, ‘They talk to me about making sure that I don’t get into stuff when I am out.’ This proactive approach supports young people to increase their personal safety.

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

Staff recording of incidents and risks is not always consistent. In some cases, records of incidents do not clearly show what information has been reported or when. In addition, changes to plans known by staff are not always documented. Recording is an area that the registered manager has identified for further development.

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

The manager ensures that staff who work at the home are subject to the necessary recruitment checks. This reduces the risk to young people from meeting unsafe adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is new to the role, although she has worked at the home for several years. She has clear expectations of both staff and young people, which are underpinned by the ethos of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff told the inspector that they are well supported in their roles and that managers are available to them. Staff receive regular opportunities to reflect on and develop their practice through supervision and team meetings. However, not all staff have had their practice reviewed within the last year. This limits the opportunities for staff to consider their personal development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff undertake a good range of training. This enables staff to respond to the individual needs of the young people who live in the home. The manager is quick to identify when additional training is needed for new situations. For example, all staff have recently completed training regarding the risks to young people from gangs and county lines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has established strong professional links, and feedback from professionals about partnership working is all positive. She also recognises the importance of young people having good relationships with all of the professionals involved in their care. A social worker told the inspector, ‘[Registered manager] has really supported me in building a relationship with [name of young person], helping me to get to know him and understand him, which has been really positive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s oversight of the quality of the service is an area for development. The independent person’s reports of their visits to the home do not always Inspection report children’s home: SC419217 6 give a clear indication as to their view of how well young people are safeguarded. In addition, the manager’s quality of care review and development plan for the home lack consultation with young people. The manager is aware of these shortfalls. She has implemented a consultation system and expects that this will inform planning for the home in the future.

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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: SC419217 7

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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: SC419217 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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