Children's Home run by Sherlock Healthcare Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1231458 1 Registered provider: Sherlock Healthcare Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a private children’s home offering care and accommodation for up to four children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by an experienced manager who registered with Ofsted in July 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home. The registered manager and the staff helped the child to prepare for her move by supporting her to visit different types of accommodation before making her final decision about where she wanted to live. To celebrate her successful move, the other children and the staff went out for a meal.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two new children have moved into the home. Staff have supported them to personalise their bedroom and to choose their own key worker. This child-centred practice helps new children to quickly settle into the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff work hard to try to understand the reasons behind children’s challenging behaviours and vulnerabilities. For example, the staff have worked with children to explore risks associated with county lines and going missing from care. Inspection report children’s home: 1231458 2 The registered manager and staff ensure that children are supported to fulfil their potential. Staff work hard to resolve difficulties that are having an impact on children’s abilities to learn. For example, staff have helped one child who was struggling with his move to secondary school. The staff worked with his new teachers to identify additional support for him. This joined-up work helped the child to settle into his new school.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management remains good. The number of physical interventions remains relatively low. When children have needed to be physically restrained, there is effective management oversight to ensure that there is reflective learning.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager monitors the service effectively. Any issues identified are promptly addressed to help to improve the quality of the care. The registered manager has met the requirement and all the recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are aware of the home’s complaints procedure. Generally, the registered manager responds to children’s complaints promptly. However, it is not clear if children are informed of the outcome of their complaint. This can make children feel that their concern has not been listened to.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When children go missing from the home, staff follow the local authority missing-from- care protocols well. However, it is not clear from the records if children are always offered the opportunity to talk to someone independent of the staff. This creates a missed opportunity to help the staff to understand why children go missing from home. Inspection report children’s home: 1231458 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2019 Full Good 26/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/04/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1231458 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 22–23, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

This relates to ensuring that children are kept up to date with progress of their complaint, including the outcome.  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

This is in relation to ensuring that missing-from-care records accurately record when children have been offered return home interviews.

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 1231458 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sherlock Healthcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sherlock Healthcare Services, 20–22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Hilton Mutariswa

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Inspector

Shazana Jamal, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1231458 6 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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