Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children's home: 1253711 1 Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for three children. The home offers care for children who have social and emotional difficulties. The home is privately owned.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018. The registered manager has not been in day-to-day charge of the home since 1 March 2019.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

In July 2019, a manager commenced in post to cover the registered manager’s absence. The manager has made an application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1253711 2

p.1

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection in May 2019, 12 requirements and three recommendations were raised. At this inspection, the inspector found that 10 requirements and two recommendations had been met. For the remaining two requirements and one recommendation, the work is in progress.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, a manager has been appointed to cover the registered manager’s absence. After some initial staffing changes, the staff team has generally remained stable. Staff rotas are now available and staff receive regular supervision, which they say they find helpful to their role. These improvements mean that the care provided to children is more consistent.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between staff and children continue to develop, and there is good communication between family members and the staff. Every child now has an individualised plan for their care which is regularly reviewed. Positive relationships between staff, children and family members, combined with improved planning, help children to receive the support that they need.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The records of complaints by children are now available and clear. There have been four complaints from children since the last inspection. Each of these complaints has been appropriately responded to by managers.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have acted to improve the physical conditions in the home. This means that children live in a well-maintained, clean and comfortable environment. However, arrangements to ensure the safe storage of food in the fridge are unclear. This could compromise children’s health.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improved planning means that there are now clear arrangements in place for children to travel to school. In addition, children have access to a computer at the home to support homework and educational activities. The manager advocates well for children when there are challenges with their education, and professionals describe a positive working relationship with staff that supports children’s learning. However, when children are out of school, the lack of structure to their day does not help them to prepare for a return to education.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have worked hard to improve the quality of children’s risk assessments. However, for one child who has recently come to live at the home, this has not extended to including essential information on the risks associated with offending and with violence and aggression. This means that staff may not have up-to-date information on how to manage and reduce these risks. Inspection report children's home: 1253711 3 Arrangements for the receipt and discharge of medication are now clearer for staff, and the responsible individual has acted to review the policy. However, the policy remains unclear about what training the staff need to administer medication or how staff need to check medication’s storage arrangements. This includes controlled medication. Furthermore, there is no guidance for staff on the circumstances in which to administer a medicine that has been prescribed to be taken ‘as needed’. This increases the likelihood of medication errors.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has ensured that the home’s statement of purpose contains all the information required by regulation. However, a lack of attention to detail compromises the readability of this key document. This may leave stakeholders unclear about the service offered by the home.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care which has informed the plans for the development of the service.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One new shortfall was identified at this inspection. Two members of staff who have worked in children’s homes for over two years do not hold a relevant qualification. One of them has been enrolled on a level 3 award. The manager has plans to investigate if the qualifications of the other member of staff are equivalent to the level 3 award to that required by regulations. Inspection report children's home: 1253711 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/06/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/03/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 1253711 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 21/03/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines into the home. (Regulation 23(1)) 21/03/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any individual who works in the home in a care role has achieved the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(5)(a)(b)) 30/09/2020

p.5

Recommendations

 Commissioners and providers (organisations that directly provide health or social care services) should review their policies, processes and local governance arrangements, making sure that it is clear who is accountable and responsible for using medicines safely and effectively in care homes. (‘Managing medicines in care homes’ (2014), paragraph 1.1.1)  The Statement of Purpose is of particular importance to this Standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ‘Statement of Purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5) Inspection report children's home: 1253711 6  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the

p.5

Recommendations

needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This refers specifically to the safe storage of food.  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no

p.6

Recommendations

education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report children's home: 1253711 7

p.6

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1253711 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

p.8

Inspector

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1253711 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9