Children's Home run by Sunlight Children’s Care Limited in Derby

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children or young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. At the time of this visit, one child had recently moved on from the home. There were no children on roll and no plans to admit children until the current staffing issues are resolved.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: 2591911 2  Managers have not ensured that sufficient staff had the experience, qualifications, and skills to understand and meet the needs of the child living in the home.  Since the home was registered, there have been significant changes to the management team and staff team. Currently, there is no manager in post. There is no deputy and the majority of staff have left. This has impacted the quality of care for the child and the quality of relationships between the child and carers.  The admission process for the child was poor. Managers did not establish that all essential information was in place in order to support meeting the child’s needs. There was not an agreement with the placing local authority about the child’s free time in the community.  Failure of the managers and staff to understand and apply clear boundaries

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Findings from the visit

and expectations has led to increased concerns about the risk of harm to the child.

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The care of children

The admission processes for children are poor. Managers did not establish that all essential information was in place to support a child’s placement. There was not an agreement with the placing local authority about the child’s free time in the community. There was not a clear understanding or application of boundaries for the child by staff or managers from when the child moved into the home.

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The care of children

Due to frequent changes in staffing and the child’s individual needs, staff did not build trusting, secure relationships with the child. This made it more difficult for staff to influence the child’s behaviours and motivation.

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The care of children

Records evidenced that the child had poor routines, was not participating in education or purposeful activities, and was spending most of his time out of the home, in the community.

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The care of children

There was a missed opportunity to ensure there were robust education arrangements in place. Staff were not proactive in encouraging and reinforcing alternative education activities while discussions were taking place with the home’s local authority and placing local authority to identify education resources.

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The safety of children

There has not been effective risk assessment of a child’s presenting behaviours and known risks and needs. This has resulted in poor risk management. The risk management plan did not include risks associated with the use of digital technology.

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The safety of children

Managers did not ensure that there was an inventory of the child’s possessions on admission to the home. Subsequently, the child refers to bringing cannabis into the Assurance visit report: 2591911 3 home and he has a knife in his possession. Staff practice has not safeguarded the child from the risk of harm and has not protected staff from the risk of harm.

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The safety of children

The child had not lived in the area before and did not have any contacts in the area prior to moving to this home. He was spending increasing amounts of time in the community. Information emerged very quickly that raised concerns about risks associated with substance misuse, criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation. Managers and staff failed to put measures in place to address these readily identifiable risks.

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The safety of children

The increase in concerns about the child’s behaviours and exposure to risk of harm in the community led to the child’s care plan being changed and he moved on from the home. This has added to this child’s experience of multiple placement moves and will have impacted the child’s emotional welfare and self-esteem.

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Leaders and managers

Since the home was registered, there have been significant changes to the management team and staff team. Currently, there is no manager in post. There is no deputy in post and the majority of staff have left.

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Leaders and managers

At the point that a child with known complex needs and behaviours was admitted to the home, there were insufficient qualified and experienced managers and staff available to meet the child’s needs.

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Leaders and managers

There was a risk strategy and management plan in place in relation to the risk of COVID-19. However, this did not address the potential impact of a child’s frequent contact with people in the community.

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Leaders and managers

There has been external monitoring that has provided some oversight of the quality of care in the home. The reports have identified a number of shortfalls.

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Leaders and managers

There has not been effective, consistent internal management monitoring. Managers did not have an accurate view of the impact of the quality of care in the home. There have been gaps in the supervision of staff and managers. This means managers do not know the development and training needs of staff.

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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

Assurance visit report: 2591911 4 8: The education standard The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 04/01/21

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— 04/01/21 Assurance visit report: 2591911 5 mutual respect and trust;

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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—

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix))

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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—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 04/01/21 Assurance visit report: 2591911 6 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)) 04/01/21

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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. 04/01/21 Assurance visit report: 2591911 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunlight Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Birmingham B16 8SP

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2591911 8 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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