Children's home run by Archways Care Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 1 SC429918 Registered provider: Archways 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

The home is part of a private organisation that runs three children’s homes and a fostering agency. The home accommodates up to four children who have complex needs and emotional and behavioural difficulties as a result of past trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since March 2019. The responsible individual is overseeing the day-to-day management of the home until a new manager is appointed.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 30 July 2019 and 28 August 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following an inspection that resulted in a judgement of the home as inadequate, Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice on 5 September 2019. This was in place Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 2 until 28 November 2019 and was adhered to by the provider. A compliance notice was also issued, listing steps that the home must take to meet regulation in respect of leadership and management. This was reviewed at the monitoring inspection on 22 October 2019 and the inspector deemed that this was met.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2019 Full Inadequate 07/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2018 Full Good 29/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 3

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(b)(iii)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(viii)) 28/02/2020

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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; and 28/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 4 help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(2)(g)(ii)(h)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation (14)(1)(a)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there are appropriate processes in place for children who self-administer their medication and this is regularly risk assessed. 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 28/02/2020

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improvement to be good

One child is currently residing at the home and has lived at the home since the last inspection. No further children have been admitted to the home. During a monitoring visit on 22 October 2019, the responsible individual informed the inspector that he has developed a new process to review referral information to help inform decision-making about the suitability of children being admitted to the home. In addition, he has introduced a new matching document to ensure that staff skills are considered when placing a child in the home. These new systems are still being finalised and have yet to be implemented. As a result, the effectiveness of planning processes for new children moving into the home remains untested. Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 5 The child has felt frustrated at times in respect of his care plan. He is not aware of his right to advocacy. As a result, the child is unaware that he can seek independent support

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improvement to be good

to help him raise any issues in respect of his care.

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improvement to be good

The child continues to receive six hours of formal education via online tuition. He has been out of education for 20 months. His engagement with tuition is variable and staff do not consistently support him well. For example, staff do not always provide the child with structure and good day-to-day routines. This does not help him to understand the value of education, motivate him and prepare him for learning. Furthermore, it does not enable him to reach his full potential. Managers and staff have not done enough to raise concerns about the child remaining out of education or to seek effective action from partner agencies.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide the child with key-work sessions on some topics identified in his care plan. These sessions allow the child to express his views, wishes and feelings. The child also participates in conversations about the day-to-day running of the home. However, there continue to be inconsistencies in the quality of this work undertaken by staff and how staff act on what the child says. This does not help the child feel listened to and valued.

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improvement to be good

The home is well presented and maintained. There is still some minor work to be undertaken in children’s bedrooms that are unoccupied. However, managers have a plan to complete the outstanding work before any new children move in. Overall, the home provides a comfortable environment for children to live in.

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improvement to be good

The child makes positive relationships with staff and enjoys some nice times with them. For example, he likes to attend the gym, play golf and go to the cinema with staff. The relationship between the staff and the child’s family is also positive. During the inspection the child’s mother informed the inspector that she felt that staff keep her fully informed and updated in respect of her son’s progress. Seeing staff and his mum working together well helps the child to develop trusting relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff have registered the child with all universal health services and he is supported by staff to attend health appointments. As a result, staff promote the child’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

There have been delays to the child receiving specialist support and advice to reduce and manage the risk of him being criminally exploited. While input from specialist services was being organised, staff have done their best to support him and have worked hard to keep him safe. The child is now in receipt of this additional input. However, the delay has limited the progress that the child has made and has the potential to make with the right level of support.

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improvement to be good

The arrangements for managing medication require improvement to ensure that medication which is no longer required is safely disposed of. Furthermore, the child takes Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 6 prescribed medication and self-administers this. However, this is not monitored and reviewed and so staff are not clear whether the child is administering his medication and doing so correctly.

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improvement to be good

The child has received information about how to complain. When he has complained, staff take this seriously and his complaints are investigated. However, it is not always clear how the outcomes of his complaints are shared with him.

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improvement to be good

When the child goes missing from the home, staff respond appropriately. They take action to try to locate the child, liaise with relevant agencies and ensure that he has the opportunity to talk to an independent person following his return to the home. This good practice promotes the child’s safety.

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

Efforts are ongoing to recruit a manager to the home. In the interim, the responsible individual continues to be in day-to-day charge. The responsible individual and deputy manager understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses and are continuing to take steps to gradually improve the quality of care provided to children.

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

The provider has implemented new monitoring and review systems in the home. These are in the early stages of implementation and their effectiveness is yet to be fully realised.

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

The child’s care file does not contain all required information. On occasions, missing documentation has not always been routinely chased by managers from the placing authority. Not having up-to-date plans limits the child’s access to prompt and coordinated support to enable him to make good progress and fulfil his potential.

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

Managers and staff receive regular supervision and training. This means that staff and managers are receiving regular feedback on their practice and have the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge to support children better. Staff report that they feel supported by the responsible individual and deputy manager. Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 7

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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: SC429918 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill Farm, Shawbury Lane, Shustoke, Coleshill, Birmingham B46 2RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Aristidou

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Inspector

Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC429918 9 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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