Children's Home run by Steps 4 Life Care Limited in Walsall

Inspection report children‟s home: 2503605 1 Registered provider: Steps 4 Life Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides residential care and therapeutic services for up to five young people, aged between eight and 17. It is registered for children and young people who present with social, emotional and mental health needs. The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2018 and has completed his level 5 qualification.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 2503605 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 staff, seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‟s needs; 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 (b)(c)) 02/08/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)(2)(c)) 02/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(3)(d)) 02/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 02/08/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 2503605 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home‟s first inspection since it was registered in December 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy personalised care from staff who know their needs and interests well. For example, children are encouraged to pursue their interests, such as going to the gym and having their own manicure station set up in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite children previously being out of education, since living at the home, children have benefited from good school attendance and are all achieving academic success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to express their views, wishes and feelings. Staff regularly consult children and seek their feedback through holding children‟s chat meetings. Children are also encouraged to play a role in conducting staff interviews, to participate in the decorating of the home and to make flower displays in the garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is clean and welcoming. Children benefit from having access to the hub. This is a building next door that children can visit to receive therapy sessions and to access sensory equipment and art and craft material. One child told the inspector that he visits the hub regularly and enjoys doing painting activities. This has helped him to feel calmer.

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

Staff can identify and act on safeguarding concerns. They understand children‟s risk- taking behaviours and vulnerabilities extremely well. This knowledge helps to promote children‟s welfare.

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

The registered manager makes swift referrals to safeguarding agencies when concerns emerge.

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

Staff send clear messages about how they expect children to behave. This helps to set a positive role model for children to follow.

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

Staff use their good links with the in-house clinician to help them to understand the therapeutic approach used by the organisation. This well-coordinated approach gives children the help and protection that they need so that their emotional well-being Inspection report children‟s home: 2503605 4 improves with time.

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

The number of sanctions issued by staff has reduced. However, the manager does not always maintain a good overview of this method of behaviour management to ensure that sanctions are always applied fairly and consistently.

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

Despite the many strengths of the service, there is a lack of oversight by the registered manager in several areas.

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

The registered manager has not ensured that when agency staff are used to cover shifts that the vetting of these temporary members of staff demonstrates that they are safe to work with children, for example not all references are obtained or verified. Furthermore, verification is not carried out to gain confirmation of the reason why someone‟s employment ended when the person has previously worked with children or vulnerable adults.

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

Although staff are knowledgeable about children‟s needs, children‟s records do not reflect this level of insight. For example, records are missing children‟s cultural needs and risk and management strategies. This lack of written guidance creates a risk of inconsistency in staff practice occurring. Furthermore, the registered manager has not challenged one child‟s local authority when he has not received up-to-date statutory paperwork.

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

Four out of seven members of staff do not have their level 3 diploma in residential childcare. It is unlikely that they will achieve this qualification within the necessary timescales. Furthermore, not all agency staff hold the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. This leave gaps in the number of staff caring for children who are suitably qualified.

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

More positively, staff feel supported, they receive well-informed inductions and they benefit from having regular supervision and frequent training.

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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. Inspection report children‟s home: 2503605 5 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

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Information about this inspection

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: 2503605 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Steps 4 Life Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arbor House, Broadway North, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 2AN

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby: social care inspector Shazana Jamal: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 2503605 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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