Children's Home run by Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 1 SC423617

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Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was appointed on 1 May 2019. He has made an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring inspection was carried out on 18 July 2019 to investigate information received by Ofsted that suggests that there may be a breach of regulations as a result of managers and staff failing to address specific concerns and allegations. Three compliance notices were raised as a result of the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring inspection, the inspector found that, while some progress has been made, the three compliance notices remain unmet.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, staff have supported children to personalise their bedrooms, which are decorated to their taste and have new furniture. Staff have helped children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. The bathroom window now has a blind to protect children’s privacy and dignity. Despite these improvements, the home still has damage that was identified at the last inspection. There is still a waste pipe from the shower in the children’s bathroom that does not have an appropriate cover. The garden is still unsafe. There are still substantial weeds growing, including nettles. There is a pile of bricks in one corner of the garden and a metal clothes’ maiden propped against the fence. Managers and staff have not considered these has potential risks to the safety of children. Furthermore, little Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 2 consideration is given to internal risks during building work. For instance, a de-

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This monitoring visit

commissioned alarm box that is located outside the children’s bedrooms has been left with electrical wiring exposed.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not update risk assessments promptly following an incident. For instance, a child was able to get hold of a chemical cleaning spray. This was the second time this had happened in a short period. Despite this being a known risk, staff failed to update his risk and behaviour management plan or to make a record in the staff handover sheet. He was also able to lock a member of staff in the bathroom, and plans were, again, not updated with this information. The manager told the inspector that both incidents should be recorded on the children’s chronologies. However, when this was checked, no record of this incident could be found. Thus, staff continue to fail to take sufficient action to ensure that children are safeguarded from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have had training in safe recruitment. However, managers are still not showing professional curiosity when following up pre-employment checks. For instance, leaders and managers have not fully explored significant gaps in employment in one new employee’s application. They have not obtained enough information when they are verifying references, to establish whether a person is suitable to work with children or not. They did not question during verification why a previous employer did not provide information regarding safeguarding or any disciplinary action in the reference. Furthermore, leaders and managers failed to verify with the referee why a member of staff left their last employment. These ongoing omissions mean that information required by regulation is still not available on staff employment files. As a result, it remains unclear whether staff are suitable to work with children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are still not helping children to develop socially acceptable behaviour. During the monitoring visit, inspectors found reference to an incident of a child dropping his trousers while out in public. This incident was recorded on an undated log and had not been reviewed by the manager. Although the event was discussed in a staff team meeting, staff failed to carry out any key work sessions with the child to help him to learn why this type of behaviour is not socially acceptable in a public place.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have arranged for staff to have additional safeguarding training in contextual safeguarding and the impact of domestic abuse on children.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, the three compliance notices have been reissued. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/04/2018 Full Good 02/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 4

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))* 13/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour. 13/10/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 5 (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii))*

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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 registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d))* 13/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13a Pitsford Street, Birmingham B18 6LJ

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Inspectors

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Miss Sarah Billett, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC423617 7 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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