Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Walsall

Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 1 Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care 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 is a privately owned children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to three children who have a range of complex additional needs. The manager is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2019

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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: 21 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d)) 20/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 20/01/2020

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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(1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 20/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)) 20/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b) Schedule 4 (1)(d)(f)) 20/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any 20/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 3 complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— HMCI. (Regulation 44(7)(a)) 20/01/2020

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people achieve good educational outcomes and like attending school. The manager works in partnership with professionals when young people face difficulties in accessing educational services. As a result, young people continue to learn and progress at a pace that is individual to them. Staff go above and beyond to manage young people’s complex emotional, physical and psychological needs. Young people experience nurture, love and care from staff, which helps them to thrive. As a result, young people’s health and well-being improve. Young people build trusting relationships with staff. Staff know and understand each young person’s individual needs well. Young people are confident to tell staff how they feel and raise complaints. The manager ensures that young people’s concerns are listened to and taken seriously. There has been one complaint, which has been investigated and the outcome was shared with the young person who raised it. However,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

the manager does not keep a clear record of complaints, the action she has taken or the outcome of any investigation. Young people moving into and on from the home do so in a planned and sensitive manner. Staff ensure that young people are provided with the essentials that they need to help them feel welcome when they move in. As a result, young people settle quickly and make friends easily and are well prepared for their next steps. Young people benefit from a range of community activities that enhance their social skills. For example, they enjoy activities such as going to the gym, cinema and shopping. Staff help young people to improve their independence skills by using public transport to access the community and talking to them about how to stay safe. As a result, young people are becoming more socially aware and more able to manage spending time in the community safely.

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improvement to be good

Permanent staff are safely recruited. The manager sometimes relies on bank staff to cover staff shortages. Not all bank staff have undergone suitable recruitment checks. For example, three members of bank staff did not have a full recruitment history, and there was no evidence to show that the references had been verbally verified. Shortfalls in staff vetting do not keep young people safe from unsuitable people having access to Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 4 them. A requirement raised about this shortfall at the last inspection is repeated. The manager has not ensured that the annual gas service and portable appliance testing have been completed. As a result, annual inspections have gone over the expected service times. This has the potential to place anyone living, working or visiting the home at risk of harm. The manager made arrangements to address this health and safety shortfall when it was identified during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s bedrooms reflect their personalities and are decorated to their own choice and taste. However, there is a broken window in the bathroom and a broken window restrictor. Although the window was made safe from causing any injury or harm, it was unclear how long it would take before the glass would be replaced. Not carrying out repairs quickly does not help to maintain a safe and homely environment for young people to live in. Young people do not go missing from care or engage in anti-social behaviour. Staff understand and manage these risks well. There is minimal use of physical intervention because staff use effective strategies to de-escalate challenging behaviour. When young people do not behave nicely towards their peers, staff help young people to understand why this is not acceptable. This good work improves young people’s relationships with each other. Staff use consequences to try and help young people to understand the impact of their

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improvement to be good

behaviour on themselves and others. However, the manager does not always oversee the use of consequences to determine if these are an effective way of managing behaviour. The manager responds quickly to allegations. She shares information with the appropriate agencies to ensure that investigations are completed in a timely manner. This helps to protect young people from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection, a new manager has been appointed. Professionals speak well of the manager and staff and the service that they provide to young people. Staff are confident in their manager and they work exceptionally well as a team. Young people’s daily records and plans are well maintained and reflect the young people’s lives. The young people contribute to these on a regular basis, which gives them input into decisions about their care and what is written about them. Young people’s case records reflect young people’s progress, risks and experiences well. The manager has not provided a revised copy of the home’s statement of purpose to Ofsted. Some information that must be held on the young person’s register is not recorded. For example, the legal status that a young person is accommodated under and details of where a young person moves on to are not completed in line with regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor visits the home every month and provides a written report to the manager on the quality of care provided to young people. The manager acts on recommendations raised by the visitor, which helps the service to develop. However, these monthly monitoring reports are not shared with Ofsted in a timely way. This delay Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 5 in sending these reports means inspectors are unable to regularly review what is happening at the home. The manager notifies Ofsted of any significant events in a timely manner. This sharing of information enables the regulator to be assured that the manager and staff have taken all necessary action to safeguard young people. The manager has acted to address five of the six requirements raised at the last inspection. In addition, the staff have improved practice and have met the one recommendation made. The manager escalates concerns when services are not working

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

effectively to meet young people’s needs. Young people are engaged with their plans and staff help them to understand and contribute to what is written about them. The manager oversees the child protection policies and has put appropriate risk assessments in place. Staff receive good supervision, appraisal and training to ensure that they can fulfil their individual roles. The manager reviews the workforce development plan to ensure that staff continue to receive the training that they need. This helps staff to promote young people’s welfare and support their progress.

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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: 1271519 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s and Transitional Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham, Warwickshire B23 7YX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Blessing Manyara

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1271519 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 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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