Children's Home run by Spring Meadow Children's Home Limited in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581187 1

p.1

Spring Meadow Children’s Home

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant. A suitably qualified and experienced interim manager is currently in post.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit took place in response to an escalating pattern of concerns as noted in the safeguarding notifications sent to Ofsted. In particular, Ofsted was concerned about staff’s knowledge and ability to report safeguarding concerns promptly and whether there are enough staff to safely care for the young people. At the time of this visit, two young people were living in the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The designated officer for the local authority is currently investigating allegations of poor staff practice in the home. There is an associated police investigation linked to these matters. As these investigations have not yet concluded, Ofsted was not able to review the information related to these concerns as part of this visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

However, the responsible individual has not informed one young person’s local authority about these concerns. This does not demonstrate open and transparent practice. The responsible individual has agreed to address this shortfall and has made plans to update both young people’s social workers about what is happening at the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A young person has complex needs and displays challenging behaviours. Staff told the inspector that the young person requires two-to-one supervision and support. However, in the majority of instances, there are only two staff providing care for both young people. As a result, insufficient staff resources severely restrict their Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581187 2 ability to provide an appropriate level of supervision to the young people. The provider took steps during the inspection to address this issue, so that there would be additional staff each day to care for the young people. It is acknowledged that the provider is currently recruiting additional staff.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual had made a request to one young person’s placing local authority for funding for an additional staff member. This is assessed as needed to meet the needs of this young person. There has been a significant delay in the local authority deciding to approve this funding. Despite this, the responsible individual has not fully escalated his concerns. This is a missed opportunity to provide the young person with timely support in line with his needs.

p.2

This monitoring visit

One of the young people currently living in the home has only recently moved in. The interim manager considered the compatibility of both young people prior to this young person’s admission. As a result, the young people are living alongside each other well in these early days. However, the interim manager did not consider staffing levels and increase these accordingly to ensure that the individual needs of the young people were consistently met.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff provide young people with some good-quality support. This equips young people with the knowledge and skills required to manage challenging and risk-taking behaviour. For example, young people work alongside staff to complete a range of one-to-one sessions that help increase their awareness of the risks associated with unhealthy relationships and challenging behaviours.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Young people are settled in their home and continue to develop a sense of belonging. A young person told the inspector, ‘The staff are nice, I can talk to them. I don’t get bored here, there’s lots of stuff I can do.’

p.2

This monitoring visit

An experienced interim manager is currently managing the home. She is child focused, aspirational and is open to learning. The interim manager knows young people well and is passionate about their care. Staff told the inspector that they feel supported by the manager. The manager has a clear understanding of staffing strengths and areas to improve. Her practice strikes a good balance between healthy challenge and development.

p.2

This monitoring visit

In response to concerns about how some staff have responded to safeguarding matters, the interim manager has worked hard to enhance staff knowledge of safeguarding procedures. During the inspection, staff clearly articulated their knowledge of these procedures to the inspector and were able to show their recent learning. This promotes young people’s safety and welfare because staff are more knowledgeable about what to do when concerns arise.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual and interim manager have implemented a development plan to improve staff practice and the quality of the care that young people receive. There are early indicators that this plan is having a positive impact. For example, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581187 3 staff have increasing opportunities to reflect and develop their practice through good-quality supervision. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581187 4

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.4

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 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 (a)(b)(c)) Specifically, ensure that placing authorities are kept informed about issues affecting young people’s care. In addition, ensure that requests for additional staffing to safely meet young people’s needs are escalated to bring about change. 30 April 2021

p.4

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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(d)) 17 April 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

p.4

Requirement Due date

Specifically, to ensure that there is enough staff to support the needs of the young people who come to live at the home. 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581187 5

p.4

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.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Spring Meadow Children’s Home

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 106 Willes Road, Birmingham B18 4PX

p.5

Inspector

Gareth Leckey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581187 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.

p.5

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 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.6

Inspector

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

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6