Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Birmingham

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have emotional and social difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered by Ofsted on 20 March 2019. The registered manager left on 15 May 2019. A new manager is in post and has made an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 27 November 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: 2503598 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

During the pandemic three children have moved into the home and one child has moved out. Good planning by staff has resulted in these moves progressing smoothly. As a result, those children who are new to the home have settled quickly.

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The care of children

Staff form positive relationships with children. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging in the home. Further, children get on well with each other. This contributes to the home being a happy and positive place to live.

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The care of children

One child told the inspector that he usually attends social activities such as drama and piano lessons. Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, it has not been possible to undertake these activities. However, staff have been proactive in offering alternative activities to keep children occupied and to prevent them from becoming bored.

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The care of children

During the lockdown, staff have ensured that children are able to stay connected with their families. Staff worked with parents and children’s social workers to plan and facilitate children in having face-to-face visits with their families.

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The care of children

Staff have promoted children’s educational needs during the pandemic. For those children who were unable to go to school, staff ensured that children had school work to complete at home. Staff supported children to complete their work, to minimise the impact of not being able to go to school.

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The care of children

Some areas of the home are looking tired and need redecorating. This includes the dining room. This has not impacted significantly on children’s experiences of living in the home.

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The safety of children

Staff and children follow government guidance to ensure that they are safe and alert to the risk of COVID-19.

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The safety of children

Staff work hard to keep children safe. Children like living in the home and can seek support from staff when they need it. This means that children rarely go missing from the home. However, when such incidents do occur, staff follow agreed plans. This ensures that children are returned to the home as quickly as possible.

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The safety of children

Staff have mixed success in encourage children to follow the home’s rules and boundaries. At times, young people have struggled to conform to the boundaries put in place. Staff take all reasonable steps to de-escalate and diffuse such situations. Assurance visit report: 2503598 3 However, in some instances physical interventions have had to be used by staff to prevent children injuring themselves or staff.

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The safety of children

Some physical interventions have resulted in allegations being made against staff. The manager ensures that allegations are investigated in a prompt and effective manner. As a result, children see that their complaints are listened and responded to.

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The safety of children

During the visit, inspectors found two bicycles stored in the communal games room. The storage of the bikes in this area had the potential to be an accident risk. Furthermore, an extension lead was found to be faulty. The manager took immediate action to address these concerns during the inspection.

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The safety of children

Children can use their phones and games consoles to access the internet. Staff have taken steps to educate children about the dangers associated with being on the internet. However, staff do not always record what checks they have completed when monitoring children’s internet and social media use. This has an impact on the managers ability to review the effectiveness of staff’s monitoring.

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Leaders and managers

There has been no registered manager since May 2019. However, a manager has been in post since 24 April 2020. She has suitable experience and is working towards her level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager has applied to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

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Leaders and managers

The manager’s monitoring systems are increasingly helping her to review the quality of care provided to children. Despite this, the manager has not addressed all requirements raised at the last inspection. For example, the children’s guide has not been updated to include the details of the children’s commissioner. The impact of this has been low. Children understand how to make complaints and have done so when they have needed to.

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Leaders and managers

Since the last inspection, four staff have been recruited to work at the home. Recruitment is ongoing. Despite this, young people are looked after by a core group of staff with whom they are familiar.

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Leaders and managers

The staff team has the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of children. The manager ensures that staff access training as needed.

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Leaders and managers

Staff feel well supported by the manager. This is because they receive regular supervision. However, the manager does not ensure that non-permanent staff, who sometimes work in the home, receive supervision. This is a missed opportunity to review the quality of care that their staff provide to children.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has developed useful links with a range of partner agencies. Feedback from the children’s social workers highlights the positive impact that the manager has had on the care that children receive. Assurance visit report: 2503598 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(c)) 30/10/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12(1)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff adequately monitor children’s internet and social media use. 30/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: 2503598 5 undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, staff should ensure that the home is well maintained and that the required decoration is completed. Assurance visit report: 2503598 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 181 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0EQ

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Inspectors

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2503598 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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