Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 1 SC463639

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Aston Children’s Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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 with learning and/or physical disabilities.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out in response to widespread concerns that were identified at an assurance visit conducted on 13 October 2020.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit three children were self-isolating due to testing positive for COVID-19. All the children remain well and show no symptoms of having the virus. Consequently, this visit was carried out remotely.

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This monitoring visit

Since the assurance visit the registered manager has resigned. A new manager has been appointed and started working in the home at the beginning of December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Social workers told the inspector that communication has been at times poor. There have been delays in social workers receiving reports about their child’s placement. At times, managers have been too slow to inform social workers about essential matters, for example, not being told that their child has tested positive for COVID- 19. These omissions have left social workers without essential details about their child’s care.

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This monitoring visit

Two children are still not accessing suitable education or training. To counter this delay managers have funded a placement for one child to attend a training programme two days a week. Despite this measure, children still do not have access to full-time education. This ongoing delay impacts on children being able to reach their academic potential. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 2 Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic a high proportion of staff have not been trained in using Makaton and Picture Exchange Communication System. To help to bridge this gap in knowledge managers who are trained in Makaton have produced some short videos to help the staff to increase their communication skills.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not yet managed to carry out a review of the quality of care. This creates a missed opportunity to improve the quality of care through self-evaluation.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are now clearer. These improvements mean that staff are now more informed about what actions to take to safeguard children who might go missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

The operational manager has helped the staff to begin to take a more child-centred approach to the development of positive behaviour. This change has seen the end of using sanctions and instead staff focusing on giving children praise to reinforce positive behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been redecorated and benefits from new furnishings. As a result, the home now looks fresh and homely. Children have helped staff to decorate the Christmas trees to make the home look festive.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2019 Full Good 10/10/2017 Full Good 29/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 3

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring placing authorities are updated about children regularly and there are no delays in communication. 31 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to raising concerns to the head of children’s services where children are not being adequately supported by placing authorities regarding their education. 31 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a 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

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to— 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 4 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 reflective of restrictions imposed by COVID- 19.

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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

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. 30 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 5

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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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Inspector

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC463639 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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