Children's Home run by Accalia Care Services Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 1 Registered provider: Accalia Care Services Ltd

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Full 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 for up to three children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager is suitably experienced and is undertaking 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 requires improvement to be 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: This is the first inspection since the home was registered in December 2018.

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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: 2494873 2

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 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)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(c)) 30/08/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  Expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Children should be supported to develop understanding and empathy towards each other. Positive

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Recommendations

behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 3 regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that the broken electric fire in the lounge is removed or

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop trusting relationships with staff and each other. They learn to care for and respect each other regardless of their personal difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work effectively with families and external professionals. This open communication ensures that information about young people is shared appropriately. As a result, young people’s care needs are regularly reviewed, assessed and monitored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work tirelessly with education staff to encourage, support and help young people to achieve good attendance and make progress with their learning. Young people who have been out of education for a while are now able to enjoy going to school. This shows that staff help young people to overcome the barriers to education and develop their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good support from staff to access health services to meet their physical and emotional needs. Staff provide young people with a range of physical and social activities of their choice that improve their health and social engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people express their views and wishes to staff daily. Staff are sensitive and child- centred in their approach to giving feedback to young people. This helps young people to feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When managers make decisions to end young people’s placements early, this is for safeguarding reasons. Managers and staff support young people in such cases. For example, the manager worked in partnership with a young person’s social worker to find an alternative, more appropriate placement when staff could not meet the young person’s mental health needs safely. This action protected the young person and others and promoted their welfare. Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 4

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improvement to be good

Each young person’s bedroom has a door alarm fitted, which staff use at night to monitor young people’s movements. Although the manager has implemented the use of door alarms for safeguarding reasons, staff do not always record that they have spoken to young people prior to their use. As a result, it is not clear that young people understand why bedroom door alarms are used.

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improvement to be good

Young people receive positive praise and rewards for good behaviour. Sanctions are fair and proportionate. However, staff do not consistently challenge racially inappropriate comments that some young people make. This means that some young people continue to use such language and do not learn why this language is unacceptable.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff are trained in the company’s approved methods of physical intervention. One untrained staff member has assisted trained staff in a physical intervention. This lack of staff training has the potential to place young people involved in restraint at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Young people currently living together are deemed a good match. Both young people were known to the manager before their placement, which enabled her to make this judgement. However, the compatibility risk assessments do not contain enough written information to reflect the matching decision. A lack of clearly written information does not show how managers and staff decide that young people can safely live alongside each other and that placement matches are suitable.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff maintain the home to a reasonable standard. However, the electric fire in the lounge is not in operation and has some parts missing. This is not aesthetically pleasing and detracts from the homely environment.

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improvement to be good

The lounge door is locked at night, but this is not risk assessed or reviewed. Locking the lounge door at night means that young people may be restricted from access unnecessarily.

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improvement to be good

Staff manage safeguarding incidents well. They refer allegations to the appropriate agencies so that the concerns can be investigated. The registered manager notifies Ofsted of any significant events. This helps Ofsted to identify if the right action has been taken to safeguard the young people.

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improvement to be good

Staff help young people who go missing from care to return home safely. Staff work closely with the police to ensure that protocols are followed. As a result, episodes of missing from care are reducing.

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improvement to be good

Appropriately trained, skilled and experienced staff manage well young people who display self-injurious behaviour. Because young people have trusting relationships with staff, they tell staff immediately when they do not feel OK and/or they have self-harmed. As a result, young people receive the medical, psychological and emotional support they Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 5 need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is the first full inspection since the home was registered in December 2018. The manager and staff team are passionate and dedicated in their roles. Staff spoke highly about the manager’s leadership and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality induction and have regular supervision from their manager. Staff feel supported and valued because the manager leads by example. As a result, staff provide good-quality care to young people and staff practice continues to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager notifies Ofsted of any significant events in a timely manner. This means inspectors can review information quickly to assess whether managers and staff have taken appropriate action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Specialist training required to help staff better understand the individual needs of young people is not always offered. This is a missed opportunity to deliver a more person- centred approach when it is needed. The equality and diversity training does not explore a wide range of areas, for example lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) or gender identity issues. As a result, staff are not fully equipped to support young people who may need help to manage their identity.

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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: 2494873 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Accalia 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

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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