Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Birmingham

Assurance visit report: SC463639 1 SC463639

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who have learning and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2020.

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Information about this children's home

Previous inspection date: 8 January 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. 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: SC463639 2

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:

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Findings from the visit

 Staff do not have access to up-to-date risk assessments to help them keep children safe.  Staff do not follow missing from care protocols when children go missing from the home.  Managers are far too slow in making sure that repairs are promptly completed.  Staff do not have the required training to meet children’s communication needs.  There is over-reliance on the use of sanctions without any thought of the effectiveness of the measure. Staff have used sanctions disproportionately, which have in turn compromised children’s rights. Managers have failed to challenge this poor practice.  Records relating to children’s care do not include essential information.

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The care of children

Staff have brought in additional safety measures because of COVID-19. Staff check the children's and their own temperatures each day and before any visitors are allowed into the home. Staff have also asked that all visitors wear masks when they are in the house. These additional measures help to keep children and staff safe.

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The care of children

Children have continued with their education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, two children were able to continue to attend school. One child found the changes in his school’s routine due to COVID-19 overwhelming and the decision was therefore made for him to receive his learning at home. This flexibility has helped children to continue to learn despite the impact of COVID-19.

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The care of children

However, staff have not put enough thought into planning activities when considering the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. This has caused some confusion as to what staff are doing and what the child’s day should look like.

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The care of children

Children have continued to be supported throughout the summer to attend routine health appointments, including going to see the dentist and visiting the opticians. During these visits, staff have applied additional safeguards to help keep children safe from COVID-19.

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The care of children

Staff use social stories to help support children’s learning. This helps staff to talk to children about subjects such as road safety, racism and body changes due to Assurance visit report: SC463639 3 puberty. As a result, children are learning at a level that meets their individual needs.

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The safety of children

Children have been taught the importance of good handwashing to help keep themselves and others safe from COVID-19. Staff have created handwashing posters to help the children understand how to wash their hands.

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The safety of children

Each child has an individual risk assessment that is specific to COVID-19. This includes recognising the potential signs and symptoms of the virus, and what staff should do if they suspect a child may have COVID-19. This assessment is a helpful tool for staff to monitor children’s well-being and health. However, this good practice is not applied to children’s other individual risk assessments. These assessments are missing details such as personalised steps that staff must take to safeguard children. Consequently, this lack of clear guidance means that staff are not well informed on the necessary steps to reduce risk.

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The safety of children

Staff management of children’s behaviour is over-reliant on the use of sanctions. Sometimes staff use sanctions more than once for the same behaviour without considering the purpose or effectiveness of a sanction. As a result, children are not supported by staff to make positive improvements in their attitudes and behaviours.

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The safety of children

Some sanctions are disproportionate and compromise children’s rights. For example, staff have removed a child’s mobile phone without the required approval. Managerial oversight of sanctions is poor. Consequently, poor practice on the use of sanctions goes unchallenged.

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The safety of children

When children go missing from the home, staff take prompt action to look for them. However, staff do not follow the home’s missing from care protocol. This includes making sure that essential agencies, such as the police, are immediately informed, given the child’s high level of vulnerability due to their learning disability. The failure of staff to follow the home’s missing from care protocol means that there is a significant delay in securing essential help.

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The safety of children

The speed of repairs to the house is far too slow. This leaves some parts of the home in a less than suitable condition and is not conducive to creating a homely environment.

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Leaders and managers

The register manager is new to the home. In a short time, she has been able to identify shortfalls in the provision of care. She has responded by setting up an improvement plan. However, she has recognised that this improvement plan is still in Assurance visit report: SC463639 4 the early stages of implementation. As a result, weaknesses in practices are not yet addressed.

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Leaders and managers

Staff have continued to receive online training to develop their knowledge in safeguarding, first aid and autism spectrum disorder. However, at the last inspection, inspectors identified a shortfall in staff receiving training in Makaton and Picture Exchange Communication System. Although the training was booked, the courses had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, most of the staff still do not yet have the required skills in using these alternative methods of communication. This means that staff are still not able to support children in their preferred methods of communication.

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Leaders and managers

The provider is in the early stages of implementing a new electronic recording system. As a result, not all information has been transferred onto the new system. However, managers have not picked up that key information is missing from records. This can include the name of the child and the member of staff making the record. These shortfalls compromise having accurate, up-to-date information on the care of children.

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Leaders and managers

Supervision for staff has continued to occur despite the impact of COVID-19, with staff receiving regular and frequent supervision which is reflective, informative and gives opportunities for to learn.

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Leaders and managers

Parents and professionals comment positively about the care that children receive.

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Leaders and managers

There is a new independent person carrying out regulation 44 visits. These visits are regular and focus on the experience of the children and how the home is being managed.

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Leaders and managers

The review of the quality of care provided to children is due to be submitted to Ofsted imminently. The registered manager is being supported with this by the operations manager in line with her own learning and development needs.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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

12: The protection of children standard 27/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC463639 5 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— that staff—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare.

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Requirement Due date

This refers to children having informed risk assessments that provide up-to-date information and guidance for staff.

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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— that staff—

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare

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Requirement Due date

and are familiar with and act in accordance with the home child protection policies. 27/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC463639 6 (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to how staff should response when a child goes missing from the home.

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to the maintenance of the home. 27/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure -

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Requirement Due date

Develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

Participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to making sure that staff plan activities for children that are reflect on restrictions imposed by COVID-19. 27/11/2020

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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. 31/03/2021 Assurance visit report: SC463639 7 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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff receiving training in the use of Makaton and Picture Exchange Communication System.

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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

Understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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

This is in relation to the registered manager’s oversight of sanctions that are given to children. 27/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child's contact with parents, relatives or friends; (Regulation 19(1)(2)(c)(I)) 27/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 27/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC463639 8 are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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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

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC463639 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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