Children's Home run by Care and Management Services Ltd in Birmingham

Assurance visit report: SC419229 1 SC419229

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to four children whose early childhood experiences result in them exhibiting complex behaviour patterns. The home is operated by a private organisation. Currently, the organisation is operating this home as a service for three young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was appointed in February 2020. He has applied to register with Ofsted. The manager is working towards achieving a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 4 February 2020

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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: SC419229 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

The two children who are currently living in this home are making good progress. This is despite the impacts of COVID-19 on their day-to-day lives. For example, one child who had not attended school for some time prior to lockdown restrictions is now attending school daily.

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The care of children

Children’s care is informed by monthly clinical reviews. Managers have recently adopted a new model for reviewing progress. This provides a clearer view of children’s development and ensures that children receive individualised care.

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The care of children

Children experience a range of activities, both individually and as a group. During the lockdown period, the staff ensured that the children were kept busy in the home by providing them with the opportunity to play games, to participate in quizzes and to become involved in projects. This planning ensured that children adhered to the COVID-19 restrictions while still having fun.

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The care of children

Staff have followed the national guidance that was put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At times, this has meant that staff have needed to be creative in helping children to remain in touch with people who are important to them. This help has ensured that children have benefited from staying in touch with their family.

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The safety of children

Children’s risk-taking behaviours have decreased since they came to live in the home. For example, one child has had a significant reduction in incidents of going missing from home.

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The safety of children

The manager ensures that children have a range of risk assessments in place, and he updates these regularly. However, these records do not always contain consistent information. In addition, where the manager has identified that work is required with children to reduce risk, it is not clear that this work has been carried out by the staff.

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The safety of children

The manager oversees all records of incidents in the home, and he evaluates these records to identify any actions that are required. However, the manager does not have a process for ensuring that these actions are completed. This is a missed opportunity to work with children to help them to understand and address their behaviour. Assurance visit report: SC419229 3 The fire risk assessment of the home lacks key information. The manager has updated this document without having received the necessary training to do so. These omissions compromise fire safety arrangements.

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Leaders and managers

The manager does not operate effective systems in place in order to support his monitoring of the home. For example, he had not identified the shortfalls in fire safety or in individual work with children until the inspector identified these for him. This lack of oversight limits the capacity for improvement.

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Leaders and managers

There have been improvements in the number of permanent staff who work in the home. However, when temporary staff are required it is not clear that the manager ensures that these staff changes are kept to a minimum. This has the potential to compromise consistency of children’s care.

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Leaders and managers

Staff receive a range of training opportunities. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, managers have increased on-line training to help staff to maintain their learning and development. Despite this, the manager has failed to ensure that all staff have received training to meet the needs of the children who live in the home. This leaves staff without the essential knowledge and skills they require.

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Leaders and managers

Senior managers have identified shortfalls in the independent visitor’s reports for the home. In response, senior managers have made new arrangements for these visits going forward.

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 13/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC419229 4 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii))

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 13/11/2020

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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

promotes their welfare. 13/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC419229 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 25 (1)(a)) 16/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC419229 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care and Management Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Park Business Centre, Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC419229 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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