Children's Home run by Mulberry House Care Homes Limited in Staffordshire

Assurance visit report: SC060554 1 SC060554

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have complex behaviours as a result of adverse childhood experiences. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since April 2018. The organisation is in the process of recruiting to the role.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 18 December 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Improved effectiveness

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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:  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: SC060554 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

Staff know the young people well. As a result, respectful relationships develop between staff and young people. Consequently, young people feel well cared for and are making good progress. Staff have responded well to unprecedented changes to young people’s education because of COVID-19. When it has not been possible for young people to attend school, staff have supported young people to engage in online learning, including talking to teachers and working with the virtual school team. This helped young people to be ready to resume their education this term.

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The care of children

Despite the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, staff have continued to have strong links with specialist health services. This has enabled young people’s health needs to be closely monitored. Encouragement from staff has helped one young person to start taking an increased responsibility for a long-standing health condition. This is helping him to understand and act to improve his health.

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The care of children

During COVID-19 restrictions, staff have been sensitive to the limitations placed on young people’s leisure opportunities. Consequently, staff have encouraged young people to take part in activities at the home, including participating in arts and crafts, playing board games, enjoying movie nights and playing football. As restrictions have eased, young people have enjoyed community-based activities, including bowling, visiting a waterpark and go-karting.

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The care of children

Staff have helped young people to keep in contact with those who are important to them. When face-to-face opportunities have been less available due to the pandemic, staff have supported young people to keep in touch with family and friends via telephone or video calls. One young person has been supported to rebuild ties with a family member. Rekindling and maintaining family connections has helped to reduce young people’s anxieties and support their emotional well-being.

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The care of children

The home is clean, comfortable and well kept. Young people have recently helped to redecorate their bedrooms to their own preference with the support of staff. A fish tank and photographs of young people around the home help to create a homely and relaxed environment for young people to enjoy.

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The safety of children

Staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs and risks. Consultations with a psychologist have continued during the pandemic and have given staff the necessary support to better understand self-harm and to use this knowledge to help a young person to reduce self-harming behaviour. Assurance visit report: SC060554 3 Young people told the inspectors that discussions with staff about the COVID-19 pandemic have helped them to feel confident about how to keep safe and reduce the spread of disease through good personal hygiene and maintaining social distance.

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The safety of children

When a young person has gone missing from the home, staff have taken steps to reduce risk in accordance with the young person’s plans. However, it is not clear whether young people always have the opportunity of an independent interview when they return to the home. This is a missed opportunity for staff to understand the reasons for the young person’s behaviour and any actions needed to reduce future risk.

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The safety of children

Previous progress to ensure that staff are safely recruited has not been maintained. For example, managers have not always verified why a member of staff has left their previous employment when they have worked with children or vulnerable adults. Shortfalls in safe recruitment could lead to unsuitable adults working with young people.

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The safety of children

The organisation has a safeguarding policy that gives staff informed guidance on how to report allegations, though it is less clear on conflicts of interest.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager post is vacant, and a director is overseeing the operation of the home while the post is recruited to.

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Leaders and managers

Young people benefit from a small but consistent staff team that knows them well. This helps young people to feel safe and well cared for.

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Leaders and managers

Staff say that they are well supported and that they reflect on their practice through regular team consultations with a psychologist and individual supervisions. However, gaps in supervision records mean that it is unclear whether supervision is delivered in line with the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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Leaders and managers

A mixture of face-to-face and online training helps staff to feel equipped for their roles. Managers have worked well with a specialist health professional to ensure that staff have access to the required knowledge to meet a young person’s health needs. However, one member of staff has not received this training.

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Leaders and managers

The organisation has recently updated the electronic recording system. Staff are positive about the changes and the access to records. However, staff do not always make sure that records are clear and contain important information about the young person’s journey. For example, one young person’s record was not clear about the contents of a discussion with staff about healthy relationships.

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Leaders and managers

The independent visitor has continued to monitor the well-being of the young people through monthly visits. This has been facilitated virtually due to COVID-19. A Assurance visit report: SC060554 4 quality of care review has been completed by managers and an action plan has been produced to help drive improvements in the quality of care. However, managers have not sought to update the statement of purpose in a timely way. This means that information about the operation of the home is not up to date to inform key stakeholders.

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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 registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 20/11/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to: respond to the health needs of children; administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment; help children to manage long-term conditions and where necessary meet specific individual health needs arising from a disability, chronic condition or other complex needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph

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Recommendations

9.30) Assurance visit report: SC060554 5  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mulberry House Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Railway Street, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2EA

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Inspectors

Alison Cooper, Social Care Inspector Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC060554 6 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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