Children's home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Assurance visit report: SC446152 1 SC446152

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children with learning disabilities and/or social and emotional difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has recently left the home. A new manager has been appointed.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 24 September 2019

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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: SC446152 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

Two children have moved in and one child has moved out since April 2020.

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The care of children

The previous registered manager did not always consider the impact that a new child would have on the existing children already living in the home. This has created a missed opportunity to be able to pre-empt any potential difficulties.

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The care of children

During the first national lockdown, staff continued to support children to access education by working with teachers and having school work sent to the home. One child had a home tutor that had been organised prior to him moving in to the home. As a result of the partnership working, children have been able to sustain their academic progress.

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The care of children

Children enjoy a range of activities and are helped to enrol in clubs that reflect their personal interests. These activities have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and staff have worked hard to find more home-based activities when restrictions have been imposed regionally and nationally.

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The care of children

Staff have been supportive of children seeing their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. When planning visits, the staff have ensured that they have followed the government’s guidelines on meeting people outside of the home.

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The care of children

Staff seek medical attention for children if they are concerned about their immediate health. Staff have rebooked medical appointments for children when they have been cancelled or delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some appointments have taken place remotely. However, staff do not always get early help from professionals to support them to address specific health issues that can affect children. As a result, staff are using inconsistent strategies to manage health conditions, such as enuresis, that are ineffective and impact on the progress children make. The new manager is beginning to address these omissions and is now seeking medical help.

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The care of children

Staff enjoy the time they spend with the children and can talk about the care they provide. However, staff do not demonstrate an understanding of the children’s needs and how they can impact upon them. For example, staff do not know about a child’s attachment disorders or their cognitive functioning ability. One child has targeted education support service (TESS) and this support is not clearly documented. This shortfall in knowledge limits the staff’s ability to provide bespoke care. Assurance visit report: SC446152 3

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The safety of children

Incidents in the home are, overall, low and when they do happen, they are well managed. When safeguarding incidents happen, leaders and managers take appropriate action and follow safeguarding processes. These measures help to keep children safe.

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The safety of children

Managers and staff have responded well to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hygiene routines are in place, government guidelines are followed, and children have been helped to understand the risks and restrictions in place.

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The safety of children

Staff talk to children about different risks, including learning about road safety. Children have found this helpful and have shared this knowledge with the other children in the home. However, staff have not considered how they will safely test out children’s learning around internet safety and mobile phone use. This does not give children increased independence or prepare them for the future.

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The safety of children

When complaints have been made, these have been responded to. However, the feedback provided to children has not been nurturing or child focused. This could become a barrier to children sharing their views.

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The safety of children

Risk assessment and behaviour management plans do not contain individualised information or provide specific guidance for staff to follow. Some behaviour management plans for children are very similar. Risk assessments contain other children’s information and some information about children’s risks and behaviours is not documented in their plans. This leaves staff without key information that they need to help to keep children safe.

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The safety of children

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have completed online training rather than face-to-face training. The effectiveness of the online training has been undermined by how it has been completed. For example, staff have completed multiple online training sessions in a short period of time. Some staff have appeared to have completed 23 training courses in one day.

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Leaders and managers

A new manager was appointed in July 2019 and became the registered manager in April 2020. This registered manager has recently left the home and another new manager has been appointed. The new manager is aware of the areas of development needed. The new manager has not been in post long enough to make all the required changes, although they are having a positive impact on the children and staff. Assurance visit report: SC446152 4 A new independent monthly visitor has been appointed and is providing positive challenge to improve the quality of care in the home. The new manager welcomes the monthly visits and they support her monitoring of the home.

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Leaders and managers

The six-monthly quality of care review is completed and sent to Ofsted. The report does not give an insight into what children and stakeholders say about the home or the quality of care. This is a missed opportunity to develop the service and incorporate other people’s views. The new manager has immediately gathered the children’s views to gain an understanding of their wishes and feelings. She is also trying to promote positive children’s meetings that add value to the home.

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Leaders and managers

The home’s location risk assessment lacks detail and does not state where information has been gathered from. There is little evidence of consultation with the local police. This means that information about the risks posed to children in the local community is not current.

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Leaders and managers

Staff supervision became sporadic from June 2020, with little evidence of good- quality supervision taking place. The new manager has begun to address this shortfall. In her short time in post, she has already ensured that all staff have received at least one supervision.

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Leaders and managers

The new manager has a nurturing approach and has dedicated time to getting to know the children and build positive relationships. Since she has been appointed, the use of sanctions has reduced in the home.

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(b)) 08/01/2021

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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

help children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 08/01/2021 Assurance visit report: SC446152 5 promote 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (a)) 08/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 08/01/2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they fully considered the impact that a placement of a new child will have on the existing group of children living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should consider how they will safely test children’s learning around internet safety and mobile phone use. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 3.21)  The registered person should include and evaluate the feedback from children and stakeholders when completing the six monthly quality care review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should provide regular supervision to the staff working in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that children are aware of how to complain and reminded of this when necessary. Additionally, any complaints made should be responded to in a child-friendly way. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 4.13) Assurance visit report: SC446152 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Shetland Close, Birmingham, Warwickshire B16 0RF

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC446152 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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Inspector

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