Children's home run by Accalia Care Services Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 1 SC486886 Registered provider: Juvenis Care Services Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides care for up to four young people who have behavioural needs. The registered manager has been in position since October 2017 and is suitably qualified and experienced. The home opened in October 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged 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 home experienced a challenging period since the last inspection but has since settled. Young people currently living at the home have made good progress in different aspects of their development.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s education outcomes are improving; two young people attend school regularly and two young people who were out of school are due to start imminently. However, managers and staff are not clear about the academic progress of those young people who received home tutoring prior to starting school. This does not help them to ensure that young people receive targeted support.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Social workers gave positive feedback about the care that young people receive and the effect that this has on young people’s development. For example, one social worker is Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 2 pleased that a young person is healthier after losing weight and that he is developing improved social skills and confidence.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people who have moved on from the home have experienced planned and positive transitions. For example, one young person now lives with foster carers, and another has returned to their home area to be near their parents. When young people need to move on sooner than anticipated, committed staff ensure that young people still experience a planned move to a placement that can better meet their needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

For two months, the home was very unsettled, and there was a significant increase in the number of restraints, missing incidents and challenging behaviours presented by young people. The manager accepts that relationships between young people were not effectively risk assessed and managed. Furthermore, shortfalls in admissions processes meant that key information was missing prior to young people moving in. The registered manager has learned lessons and made some improvements to impact assessments, looking more closely at risks and how these may affect other young people already living in the home. This practice is still to be fully embedded into practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager understands young people’s needs well and is helping staff to respond to these more effectively. For example, staff recognise that they are now offering young people a more structured level of care. Better-defined boundaries help young people to know what is expected of them. In addition, communication between staff team members promotes consistency.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Regular supervision from managers enables staff to reflect on their own practice and skills. This has improved staff confidence in meeting young people’s needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The number of restraints and missing from home incidents has reduced over the past three months. Young people are more settled and have developed positive relationships with staff. Restraints occur as a last resort to keep young people and others safe. Appropriate records of restraints and missing incidents include debriefs with those involved, to try to minimise the risk of these incidents happening again.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When young people raise complaints, the manager responds to these swiftly. However, complaint records lack detail to give a clear overview of what action has been taken.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager does not notify all relevant professionals when serious incidents occur. As a result, managers do not share information as required to enable these professionals to assess what, if any, next steps are needed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recruitment records were not accessible during the inspection. As a result, the inspector could not assess whether managers have taken all reasonable steps to verify the reasons why staff left previous employment working with children and vulnerable adults. This recommendation raised at the last inspection is repeated. Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/06/2017 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 30/04/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1). In particular, when staff have worked with children and/or vulnerable adults, ensure that the reasons for their leaving this employment are verified.  Staff need to have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. If a child’s progress is not in line with their agreed targets or next steps, staff should seek expert advice from education professionals, such as the Virtual School Head, SENCO, learning mentor or teacher. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.1)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording (‘Guide to

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Recommendations

the children’s regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). In particular, ensure that complaint records provide a full account of how the Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 4 complaint has been investigated as well as the outcome.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5). In particular, ensure that recent improvements in impact assessments and admissions processes are embedded in practice.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Juvenis Care Services Ltd.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bradford Court, 123−131 Bradford Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, Warwickshire B12 0NS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leaford Williams Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 5 Registered manager: Rachel Chatwin

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Inspector

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486886 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 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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