Children's home run by Nisa Care Home Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519919 1

p.1

Nisa Care Home Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for three children. The home provides care for children aged eight to 18 years with learning difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds her Children’s Care Learning and Development level 3 qualification, and level 5 in leadership and management.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home is not judged. A full inspection has not been undertaken since the home was registered in October 2019. This is because routine inspection activity has been suspended due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The purpose of the monitoring visit was to review the home’s progress since registration.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Two children have moved in to the home. One child has since moved out following an incident. This was because the manager and professionals assessed that the child’s needs could not be met safely and a move from the home was in the child’s best interest. At the time of the inspection, one child lived at the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The manager has made improvements to staff recruitment processes following feedback from the independent person who visits the home once a month. For example, the manager now ensures that she verifies references before staff start work at the home. However, on two occasions, the manager has not identified and addressed gaps in staff’s employment history. This reduces the manager’s ability to fully assess the staff’s suitability to work at the home and care for children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The quality of care at the home is regularly reviewed by the manager, who completes a monthly audit. Information gathered each month over a six-month period informs the quality of care review report. The manager has gained feedback Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519919 2 from children who live at the home; however, it is not clear how she uses this feedback in the development of the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staff support the child to attend school and ensure they have all the required equipment to help them with their learning. The manager has liaised with the child’s teachers about effective behaviour management strategies used at home. Teachers have adopted these strategies and as a result, there has been a reduction of incidents at school and the child is making good progress.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff listen to children about what they like to do. For example, staff ensure that they arrange activities that the child enjoys. Activities provide the child with positive experiences and promotes their social skills.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have developed positive relationships with the child who lives at the home. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and behaviours. They help children to keep themselves safe. For example, one child would be overly friendly to strangers when in the community. Staff have used role play to help the child to understand stranger danger and the child is now more mindful of strangers. For example, the child no longer rushes to answer the door and will seek support from staff before doing so. Good support teaches children important life skills that improve their awareness of risk and help to keep them safe.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager works with placing authority social workers and commissioners to assess the suitability of children who need care. The manager arranges to meet with children before they move in to the home so that children get to learn more about the home and ask any questions they may have. Staff also encourage and support children to personalise their bedrooms to help them settle in. As a result, children have positive experiences of moving in to the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The child is supported by staff to speak to family members in line with the local authority’s arrangements that have been assessed. This enables the child to keep in touch with people who are important to them.

p.2

This monitoring visit

There are six staff members, including the manager. Five staff have completed the level 3 qualification and one staff member is enrolling on the course. The manager ensures that staff complete mandatory training. Staff have also completed training on topics specific to the needs of children who come to live at the home. This ensures that children are cared for by qualified and skilled staff.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager completes regular supervision with staff. During these sessions, they discuss topics including the progress and needs of the child as well as staff welfare and development. Regular team meetings enable staff to share practice and develop a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviour. Staff feel well supported in their role and this helps them to provide good care to children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519919 3

p.2

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.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.3

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.3

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.3

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 10/01/2021

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations and Quality Standards’, page 55 paragraph 10.24)

p.3

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.3

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519919 4

p.3

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nisa Care Home Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 64 Francis Road, Stechford, Birmingham, Worcestershire B33 8SN

p.4

Inspector

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519919 5 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.4

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 . 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 http://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.5

Inspector

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

p.5

Inspector

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

p.5