Children's home run by Albrighton Care Ltd in Cannock Chase

Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 1 SC484830 Registered provider: Albrighton Care

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for two children. The home provides care and accommodation for children who have learning disabilities. The home is privately owned.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2 May 2019. She is currently completing a level 5 qualification in leadership and management for residential childcare.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2019 Full Good 18/12/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.3

Requirement Due date

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 30/08/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)) 30/08/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 30/08/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) This relates to the organisation’s policy being clearer on the frequency of staff supervision. Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 4  Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14) This relates to staff supervisions including more discussions on safeguarding.

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person and the home’s staff should be familiar with the care planning process for looked-after children and must assist children to prepare for meetings in relation to this. Staff should play an important role in these meetings, including supporting the child and enabling a clear understanding to be reached about the child’s views, wishes, feelings, and expectations for their future. An independent advocate can also be called upon by the child or staff to support the child in their reviews. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.14) This relates to gaining the views of all children for their statutory reviews and finding creative ways to help a child who does not attend their statutory reviews to express their opinions.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. This move was well planned and has helped the child to quickly settle.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress as a result of living at the home. Children experience a variety of activities both in the home and in the community. This includes attending clubs and going on holiday. One child is a member of a gymnastics club and another child has taken up swimming again, which he is really enjoying. These opportunities help the children to grow in confidence and to increase their independence skills.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have individualised care plans that are reviewed regularly by their key workers. However, care plans do not clearly capture the good progress that children make. Targets are often too broad, and statutory reviews do not show the child’s achievements or that their views and feelings have been considered. This creates a missed opportunity to formally capture a child’s success and to show that they have been able to express their opinions.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. Consequently, children make positive progress at school and their attendance is good.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to stay in touch with their families. Staff help children to see their families even when this involves travelling long distances. This means that children continue to maintain positive relationships with their families despite distance.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain healthy lifestyles by attending medical appointments Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 5 and making sure that they take their medication as prescribed by their doctor. Staff make sure that children are provided with healthy homemade meals and have active lifestyle through play, sports and activities.

p.4

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

Children are safe and well cared for by staff. Relationships between the staff and children are positive and result in staff being able to quickly de-escalate children’s anxieties. Consequently, the use of physical intervention is rare.

p.5

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

Staff mostly manage risks well by following comprehensive risk assessments. Although the manager carries out an impact assessment prior to the admission of a new child, she does not always assess the child’s historical risks. This omission means that staff are not well informed of potential risks that could compromise the safety of the child and other children.

p.5

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

High levels of supervision and support help to keep children safe and, as a result, there have been no incidents of a child going missing from the home. Staff understand the dangers that children face when using the internet and intervene quickly if they notice any signs of danger. However, staff do not receive e-safety training to help them to recognise sexually harmful behaviour.

p.5

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

Staff work hard to ensure that the physical environment of the home remains homely.

p.5

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

There have been several changes since the last inspection. Three new members of staff have been recruited, including the new registered manager.

p.5

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

Shortfalls in the safe recruitment of staff continue. Managers have still not ensured that employment histories, including gaps in employment, are fully explored. This creates a risk of unsuitable adults getting to work with children.

p.5

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

The registered manager is still getting to know the service and is not yet evaluating the quality of care in enough detail to consider what level of development is needed.

p.5

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

Staff receive supervision and said they feel supported by managers. However, the organisation’s policy is not clear about the frequency and duration of supervisions. In addition, supervision records do not draw out discussions about safeguarding. Consequently, it is uncertain whether staff supervision provides them with sufficient support to help them reflect on their practice.

p.5

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

The registered manager has completed a fire risk assessment for the home. However, she has not received training to support her competency in carrying out the fire risk assessment. This omission in training could result in risks not being identified and strategies not put in place to reduce any risk of fire. Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 6

p.5

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.6

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: SC484830 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4, Bermar House, Rumer Hill Business Estate, Rumer Hill Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0ET

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Jennafer Lee Gallagher

p.7

Inspectors

Debbie Bond, social care inspector Alison Copper, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC484830 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8