Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2516553 1

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Beacon Childcare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation and is registered to provide care and accommodation for four young people who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has a level 5 award in the leadership and management of residential childcare.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place due to the period of time since the last inspection of the home and in response to a recent complaint received by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the inspection, four young people were living in the home. One of these young people recently moved in. The registered manager carefully considered this young person’s needs prior to this admission. As a result, he has settled well and is forming positive relationships.

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This monitoring visit

One young person occasionally goes missing from the home. This is in part due to his frustrations with current COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions. Records of missing-from-care incidents show that staff miss opportunities to locate the young person and ensure that he is safely returned. For example, on one occasion, staff did not attempt to locate the young person despite him informing them of his whereabouts. On other occasions, the young person did not answer his mobile phone when staff contacted him to complete their welfare checks. Despite this, staff did not attempt to locate the young person in a timely manner to establish if he was safe and well. In addition, staff do not complete telephone welfare checks or search for the young person when he is missing from care overnight. This is a missed opportunity to locate the young person and return him safely. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2516553 2

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager does not always send notifications of significant events to the appropriate agencies. As a result, external agencies cannot provide oversight and guidance to ensure that the staff learn from events.

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This monitoring visit

Despite these shortfalls, staff demonstrate effective and robust safeguarding practice in other aspects of young people’s care. For example, the registered manager works closely with safeguarding agencies. In addition, she has worked hard to provide staff with a variety of specialist safeguarding training. During the inspection, staff clearly articulated their knowledge of key safeguarding issues to the inspector. As a result, children receive care from knowledgeable staff.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of young people’s one-to-one support is variable. For example, support sessions lack detail, and staff do not explore the context of young people’s challenging or risk-taking behaviours. In addition, staff set young people unclear and unrealistic targets. The registered manager had identified shortfalls in this practice prior to the inspection. She has plans to improve the quality of young people’s one- to-one support.

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This monitoring visit

Young people told the inspector that they are happy and settled in their home. They report that they can have sensitive conversations with staff. This open and supportive culture helps young people to feel secure. A young person told the inspector, ‘If I have an issue, I can talk to anyone. I’d score my home 10 out of 10.’

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager continues to embed her vision to develop the home. Staff and young people benefit from her passionate and child-focused approach. Staff feel supported by the registered manager. They benefit from high-quality inductions and frequent supervision. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘She is the best manager I have ever had.’

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager ensures that plans for each young person identify and support their needs. When necessary, the registered manager will challenge local authorities to ensure that their care plans reflect the needs of the young person.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, the registered manager and staff manage the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic well. There have been no outbreaks of infection in the home. The registered manager seeks advice from specialist agencies to inform her COVID- 19 risk assessment. On a small number of occasions, some staff have worked in the provider’s other children’s homes. On these occasions, staff are provided with personal protective equipment. The use of this equipment is optional. The registered manager confirmed that some staff choose not to use it. This has the potential to spread infection between homes. The registered manager plans to update staff guidance to address this vulnerability.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has worked hard to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. As a result, three of the recommendations are met. The Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2516553 3 inspector did not focus on the remaining recommendation during this inspection. This recommendation will be reviewed at a subsequent inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2516553 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

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff providing young people with appropriate one-to-one support. 17 May 2021

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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— 17 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2516553 5 that staff—

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 17 May 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31 to 33. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should develop robust processes to manage the risks associated with COVID-19 when staff work in the provider’s other children’s homes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2516553 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham GL50 3AT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ann-Cheri Callow

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2516553 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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