Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Birmingham

Assurance visit report: SC377825 1 SC377825

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children. The home cares for children who experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, aged between 10 and 18 years of age.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 19 December 2019

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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 did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC377825 2

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The care of children

The children told the inspector that they are happy living in the home and that they like the staff who care for them. This has contributed to children being settled and having positive relationships with staff.

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The care of children

Children trust staff and feel able to go to them with their worries and concerns. Children feel listened to as staff act on their feedback. For example, the manager completed mediation work between a child and a staff member, following comments made by one child.

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The care of children

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have ensured that children have been able to access support to meet their emotional health needs. For example, one child received a therapy session via a video call. This enabled the child to have the opportunity to talk about their feelings with an independent person. This has had a positive impact on the child’s emotional health.

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The care of children

The registered manager and staff work in partnership with children’s local authorities and parents to support the plans for children to return to live with their families. At the time of the visit, one child was in the final preparation stages of returning home.

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The care of children

The registered manager has not been successful in escalating his concerns regarding the education for one child. As a result, one child’s attendance has been inconsistent. In contrast, another child goes to school full time and is making appropriate progress.

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The care of children

The home is looking tired and there are several outstanding maintenance issues. For example, the kitchen ceiling is damaged from a previous leak, the front door is cracked, and numerous walls throughout the home require plastering and decorating. The manager recognises the need for improvements, but administrative delays within the organisation mean that it is not clear when this required work will be completed. This means that children are not currently living in a well-maintained and homely environment.

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The safety of children

The registered manager does not always escalate concerns to professionals or agencies in a timely manner. For example, there was ineffective challenge by the registered manager in relation to the action taken by a designated officer and the child’s social worker following a recent safeguarding incident. This delayed the registered manager’s review of the measures in place to keep the child safe.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance on how best to keep children safe. Following significant incidents, the risk assessment is updated promptly and shared with all staff. This supports staff to work consistently to manage known risks. Assurance visit report: SC377825 3 Staff have the skills and knowledge to identify and act on signs that children may be at risk of harm. Staff work proactively to manage risk. As a result, there has been a reduction in children’s vulnerabilities.

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The safety of children

In most instances, staff manage children’s behaviour well. The use of reward charts, consequences and praise helps the children to make positive behaviour choices. This gives them an opportunity to reflect on their behaviour through discussions with staff. As a result, incidents of children going missing and being physically restrained by staff have reduced.

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The safety of children

Despite this, there have been isolated incidents in which staff have not been effective in their management of children’s behaviours. On one occasion, this resulted in a child being physically restrained. In part, this was because the child’s behaviour management plan did not provide clear guidance to staff on how best to manage the child’s behaviours.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weakness of the home. However, the registered manager has not used this knowledge to inform the home’s quality of care review or to implement a robust improvement plan.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager and deputy manager are enthusiastic and child centred. They have a detailed knowledge of each child’s needs. This contributes to the personalised care that children receive.

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Leaders and managers

Staff report that they feel supported by the registered manager and deputy manager. Staff receive regular supervision. Throughout the pandemic, a familiar staff team has looked after children. This has helped provide stability during uncertain times. Assurance visit report: SC377825 4

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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 order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(c)) 29 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— Use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(2)(b)(vii)) 29 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff— 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. (Regulation 5 (c)) 29 January 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s plans are kept up to date to reflect their specific health needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations Assurance visit report: SC377825 5 including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC377825 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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