Children's Home run by Stanfield Care Services Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 1 Registered provider: Stanfield Care Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately-owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for two young people who have complex needs. The organisation states in its statement of purpose that it cares ‘for young people in emergencies (same-day) or/and as planned admissions’. A new manager has been in post since July 2018 and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The newly appointed manager in post at the last inspection is now in the process of registering with Ofsted. She has successfully addressed the 12 requirements and three recommendations made at the last inspection. However, Ofsted has made a further two requirements and one recommendation at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager prioritises education and all children now have suitable school or college placements. Partnerships between placing authorities, education provisions and care staff are improving. The manager ensures that other agencies are fully aware of their Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 2 responsibilities to secure appropriate education resources for children. This better promotes children’s learning. Staff continually encourage good school attendance and help children to achieve their full potential by supporting independent study. This means that children recognise the importance of education and the positive impact that this has on their future aims and ambitions.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s case files now include all necessary information. When documents are not in place, staff ensure that they maintain a clear audit trail of their requests to other agencies for this information. Consequently, children’s case files now include an accurate account of their individual needs, progress and development. For one child, this now includes a comprehensive independent living skills programme. This means that the child is able to gain the practical skills and emotional resilience necessary to support his journey towards adulthood.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to encourage children to lead a healthy lifestyle. When children smoke, staff now ensure that they have access to up-to-date information regarding the detrimental impact that this will have on their health. This means that children are able to make more informed decisions regarding their lifestyles.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s risk assessments are comprehensive. The manager ensures that these are regularly reviewed and take account of all known and potential risks. When children are missing from the home, staff now make sure that records of these events are clear. These records detail the actions taken by staff to locate the child and the partnership working with other agencies. Furthermore, children have access to return interviews following any missing from the home incidents. This provides children with an independent opportunity to voice any reasons for wanting to leave the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from behaviour support plans that guide staff on how to help them to take responsibility for their own actions. Staff only use physical restraint as a last resort. When restraint is necessary, staff now ensure that records of these events include all the required information. However, there are occasions when staff use generic terms, such as ‘being abusive’, to describe children’s displayed behaviour. This means that the manager is unable to fully review the incident and/or the effectiveness of the restraint.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has brought stability and consistency to the home. Staff now work together as a team to provide children with clear boundaries, care and support. The manager has introduced a range of monitoring tools to assess and review the quality of care provide by the service. For example, good oversight by the manager of all incidents means that notifications of significant events are forwarded to all relevant parties without delay. These improvements support children’s progress and promote their welfare and safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff now receive regular and practice-related supervision. The manager uses these sessions to review staff performance and to ensure that they fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Consequently, staff are aware of their obligation to protect children. However, the responsible individual does not provide appropriate formal supervision for the manager. This means that her practice, learning and development needs are not Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 3 sufficiently reviewed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is aware of the limitations of the skills and experience of the staff team. A number of staff have little experience of children’s residential care. Furthermore, a delay in delivering some mandatory training courses, such as first aid and physical restraint, means that staff have yet to gain these necessary skills. Although the manager promptly made arrangements during the inspection for staff to receive this training in the near future, this shortfall potentially places children at risk of harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager has taken responsibility for the recruitment of all new staff. Staff files now include all necessary employment and vetting checks. This means that staff are deemed suitable to work with children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All fixtures and furniture now comply with fire safety requirements. Coupled with the recent redecoration of the home, this creates a suitable and safe environment for children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)(2)(c)) 29/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 4 The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 29/04/2019

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Specifically, ensure that records include sufficient details of children’s behaviours and actions.

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 1258026 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stanfield Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Newbury Road, Newtown Community Centre, Birmingham B19 2SW

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Inspector

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258026 6 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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