Children's Home run by Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 1 Registered provider: Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for 12 children who have learning disabilities. Children can stay beyond their 18th birthday while they finish their education.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been operated for several years by a local authority. The service and the existing manager were re-registered under a newly created local authority children’s trust in March 2018. It is one of four homes operated by this local authority children’s trust.

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Inspection date: 18 February 2020

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 18 February 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people living at this large children’s home continue to make progress and have a positive experience. However, this is despite recurrent weaknesses in leadership and management.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager was on leave during this inspection. Other managers could not evidence any improvements to how agency staff are recruited or how complaints and allegations are resolved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are protected by responsive staff. Children’s plans now show the current agreement on how late a child can stay up at night using the internet. Staff now have clear guidance about how they should reduce risk if children self-harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does now consider the home’s child protection policy when children complain or make allegations about staff. However, there is still no clear system to record and conclude safeguarding concerns, complaints or allegations. Recording is confused. There is no evidence of effective safeguarding monitoring or review by the senior management team. The provider has missed the opportunity to show how opportunities for learning are maximised to improve the experiences for children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

While the manager is now monitoring staff training, this is not ensuring effectively that training happens when staff need it. Approximately a third of staff are now out of date with their refresher courses in administering medication and safeguarding.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has taken action to meet five of the nine regulatory shortfalls that were identified at the previous inspection. Staff have better access to children’s health assessments and now understand the purpose of prescribed medication.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s care planning and records are of a better quality and sufficiency. The children’s register accurately records children’s details. The annual review of the children’s home location has been carried out. These improvements lead to safer, more consistent care for children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team and the manager maintain positive relationships with children’s advocacy, health, education and social work services. Long-standing staff care thoughtfully for children, including managing some very challenging behaviour. Children enjoy activities, adventures and holidays.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff consult skilfully with children about their lives. To change a medication regime, the tenacious staff have investigated and advocated for children. This has resulted Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 3 in a dramatic improvement in well-being. Staff have carefully planned and supported another young adult’s move from the home to independence, as if they were family.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A parent and a social worker were entirely positive about the quality of care. The social worker told the inspector, ‘He gets attention and structure here that have really helped him.’ They described how young people have developed independence skills and the ability to manage their behaviour, moods and emotions. The parent said that she felt confident, knowing that her child was cared for with love and commitment.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 20/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that–

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on–

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(g)(ii)(h)) 31/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that– 31/05/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 5 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)(b), (3)(d)) The registered person must ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 31/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which–

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular–

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b), (2)(d)) 31/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 31/05/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 6

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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

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: 1273663 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Third floor, Zone 16, 1 Lancaster Circus, Birmingham B4 7DJ

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Inspector

Christy Wannop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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