Children's home run by Archways Care Limited in Wolverhampton

Assurance visit report: SC429918 1 SC429918

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home is part of a private organisation that runs three children’s homes and a fostering agency. The home accommodates up to four children who have complex needs and emotional and behavioural difficulties as a result of past trauma.

p.1

Information about this children's home

Previous inspection date: 9 December 2019

p.1

Information about this children's home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

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).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

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.

p.1

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.

p.1

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. Assurance visit report: SC429918 2

p.1

The care of children

Children are well cared for by staff and have positive experiences living in the home.

p.2

The care of children

The registered manager and staff have worked hard to reduced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children. Staff are creative in how they educate children about the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, staff made a fun video about the guidance that needs to be followed. This helped children relate to and understand the information being shared.

p.2

The care of children

The home has a designated education co-ordinator. This is beneficial and ensures that children’s educational achievements and progress are monitored well, and any concerns are addressed quickly. The manager and staff advocate for the children and make sure they have the education provision they need. During the COVID-19 lock down, staff continued to encourage children to access education. This continued during the school holidays. Children were rewarded with a pizza party for all their hard work.

p.2

The care of children

Children are listened to and they are involved in many aspects of their care planning. The manager has implemented child friendly risk assessments and care plans that are personalised to each child. Children’s views are detailed in the plans. This will help children feel valued and in control over the care they receive.

p.2

The care of children

The registered manager and staff understand what is important to children. Staff actively listen to and promote children’s wishes and feelings. For example, one child had requested ready meals rather than home cooked food. Staff compromised and cooked all the child’s favourite meals and made them into homemade ready meals. In doing this, staff promoted a healthy balanced diet and the child felt listened too.

p.2

The care of children

During the lockdown period, children had fun with staff. The company ran a creative competition across the three homes, they had water fights in the garden, went to the beach and developed their independent skills. The memories during this time have been captured through videos and photos that the children can look back on in the future.

p.2

The care of children

The manager has created a children’s guide in a video format. This allows children to have a video tour of the home and see the staff before moving into the home.

p.2

The care of children

The registered manager matches children well to the home. However, four children have experienced unplanned placement endings since April 2020. This does not provide children with positive experiences when moving out of the home.

p.2

The care of children

Staff support children to see their family and ensure that everyone is kept safe. By following government guidelines, providing a safe space for family visits to take place and supervising visits when necessary. The records staff keep when children see their family are minimal and do not reflect the homes guidance on recording. Assurance visit report: SC429918 3

p.2

The safety of children

The registered manager and staff have managed some significantly challenging incidents since April 2020. This has led to children being discharged from the home to safeguard the children and staff due to the risks becoming unmanageable.

p.3

The safety of children

The children currently living in the home have recently moved in. The staff understand their risks and behaviours. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are up to date and provide clear guidance to staff. Children also understand these plans. They contain important information about the COVID-19 pandemic and how the risks will be managed.

p.3

The safety of children

Staff have the skills, knowledge and training to support children who self-harm. Staff are nurturing in their approach and seek medical support for children when needed.

p.3

The safety of children

Staff do use physical interventions as a last resort to keep children safe. All staff are trained in using this strategy. Overall the responsible individual reviews incidents when the manager is involved in them. However, on two occasions the manager had reviewed the incidents she was involved in herself rather than seeking an independent view. Their was no impact for children, however this practice could result in missed opportunities to identify and challenge the appropriateness of physical interventions used.

p.3

The safety of children

The current children living in the home do not go missing. Staff understand the missing from home protocol and how to respond should a child go missing from the home.

p.3

Leaders and managers

A new registered manager is in post. She is child centred in her decision making and is having a positive impact on the home. She leads by example and her child centred approach is disseminated through the team.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The registered manager is passionate about advocating for children and making sure their wishes and feelings are listened to. The registered manager consistently challenges professionals when she feels they are not acting in the children’s best interest. The registered manager ensures that children have an advocate. This has been effective in helping one child challenge the local authority about their care plans. As such children feel empowered.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The registered manager always acknowledges the children’s ideas and responds to them regardless of how big or small the request is. Children’s views are continually sought and discussed. Children feel they are listened to and understood by the staff. Assurance visit report: SC429918 4 The registered manager now has a full and consistent staff team following some challenges with staff leaving. Staff feel valued and supported and she acknowledges their positive practice.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff have regular supervisions with the manager. Staff find this beneficial to share their feelings and discuss any concerns. This helps staff feel confident in their practice.

p.4

Leaders and managers

The registered manager supplements the homes online training by having further discussions and training sessions in team meetings. The registered manager has planned to incorporate external face to face training to develop the staff skills further.

p.4

Leaders and managers

The registered manager has good monitoring systems in place that are effective in monitoring children’s progress and staff practice. The independent visitor has continued to monitor the home throughout the pandemic. However, the independent visitor has not gathered feedback from parents and professionals. The registered manager has recently addressed this with the independent visitor.

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home. (Regulation (14)(1)(a)) 27/11/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person's report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)(4)(a)(b)) 27/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC429918 5

p.4

Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4) This relates to recording information when children spend time with family and Physical intervention records.

p.5

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Hill Farm, Shawbury Lane, Shustoke, Coleshill, Birmingham B46 2RN

p.5

Children's home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Aristidou

p.5

Inspector

Lisa O'Donovan, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC429918 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6