Children's Home run by Berry Gifford Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2541440 1 Registered provider: Berry Gifford Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2020 and is owned by a private company. The home offers care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability which has resulted in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been in post since January 2021. The manager has submitted his application to become registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, Ofsted suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted last visited this setting on 9 March 2021, to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: This is the home’s first full inspection since registration.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2541440 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: A notice restricting accommodation was issued following the monitoring visit in March 2021. This was because Ofsted reasonably believed that new children coming to live at the home may be placed at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection two children lived at the home. The provider has complied with the notice of restriction of accommodation because no new children have moved into the home.

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improvement to be good

Children do not live in a homely environment that is maintained to a good standard throughout. Staff do not help children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy and managers do not ensure that damaged furniture and decor is repaired quickly. This does not enable children to feel valued or learn to look after their belongings. In addition, excessive signage around the home gives it an institutional feel.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to complain and have opportunities to have their say and express their views. Children have weekly meetings where they talk about the day- to-day running of the home. When children told staff there was not always enough money to buy sufficient food, this was rectified. However, managers and staff do not always act on what children say. For example, one child had explained that he was not happy with his night-time routine and, while managers took note, they failed to ensure that staff implemented the required changes. Consequently, children are not always listened to and this affects their experience of living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff largely promote children’s health well. Children are registered with health practitioners and staff support children to access medical treatment when necessary. However, staff do not always tell children’s families about this treatment promptly. In addition, while healthy eating routines are recommended in children’s plans, this is not always implemented, which may impact on children’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children develop positive relationships with some core staff. That said, staff turnover detracts from children receiving consistent care. On occasions, children have overheard conversations between staff about team members leaving and this has the potential to cause children anxiety as they want to know what is happening and why some staff leave.

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improvement to be good

The two children get on well most of the time and enjoy spending time together. This contributes to the positive atmosphere at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy spending time with their families. Staff take one child long distances so that he can see his family in his home town and another child enjoys seeing his Inspection report children's home: 2541440 3 mum at the home. They enjoy playing on the trampoline in the garden together, challenging each other on computer games and going for walks. Staff are working well to help children return to their families in line with the aims and objectives set out in their individual care plans.

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improvement to be good

Staff communicate well with children’s teachers and provide some good routines that support the children’s learning. Neither child was in education when they came to live at the home. Both now have bespoke part-time education programmes to suit their needs. Staff have helped one child return to his home town to sit some educational assessments and another child has increased the amount of time he spends in school each day. With staff support, children have made progress from their starting points.

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improvement to be good

Both children spend lots of time playing computer games. In addition, the children go out walking with staff, play football at the park and make good use of the trampoline in the garden. During national lockdowns imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff ensured that children had fresh air and exercise. When restrictions eased, staff were quick to book an adventure activity and the children had a lovely time. And one child was particularly pleased to have been able to have his hair cut on the day hair salons reopened.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not manage children’s behaviour well. Positive behaviour is encouraged through the use of a rewards system and staff use sanctions rarely. However, this is not effective in helping children to manage their frustrations when gaming. Children lose their tempers and cause damage in their bedrooms. A lack of boundaries, unclear expectations and ineffective responses by managers and staff do not help the children to manage their frustrations and learn socially acceptable behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Following the monitoring visit in March 2021, managers arranged for staff to receive physical intervention training. Staff are not trained in Team Teach, which is the approach to restraint outlined in the home’s statement of purpose and behaviour management policy. Managers could not articulate what the new approach is and what techniques staff are now trained to use. The impact on children is low because neither child has required the staff to physically intervene to keep them safe. However, left unaddressed, this lack of understanding is a vulnerability of the service which may undermine the safety of children.

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improvement to be good

Managers do not ensure that new staff and agency staff are safely recruited. Gaps in employment histories, not verifying references and not being curious about limited information from employment agencies means that there is the potential for unsuitable staff to work at the home and to care for children.

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improvement to be good

Most health and safety checks are up to date. While children participate in regular fire drills, not all staff have done so. One member of staff who undertakes waking nights and spends a lot of time in the home has not practiced a fire drill. This means Inspection report children's home: 2541440 4 that this member of staff is not well versed in how to exit the home quickly in the event of a fire.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they feel safe and know who to speak to if they are worried about anything. Staff understand risks relating to self-harm and respond appropriately when such incidents happen. In addition, for one child, risks relating to going missing from the home and drug misuse have reduced considerably. As a result, the child no longer goes missing from home and does not engage in drug misuse. Helping the child to understand these risks and better manage them has promoted his safety and welfare. It has also enabled him to be safer when visiting his family.

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improvement to be good

When concerns arise about staff practice, managers liaise with relevant agencies and take action to investigate. Timely responses to concerns promote children’s safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

Managers ensure that staffing levels are kept under review in line with the children’s plans and in consultation with placing authorities. Progress for one child is such that the level of staff support he needs to keep him and others safe is reducing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although managers understand the strengths of the service, they do not recognise the areas for development. As a result, leaders and managers do not understand the impact of the quality of care on the progress and experiences of children. This lack of understanding limits the capacity for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not met all the requirements raised at the monitoring visit. Staff rosters still do not clearly show who works at the home and when. Shortfalls remain in staff recruitment. Failure to bring about timely and necessary improvement highlights weaknesses in leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff turnover remains an issue. Professionals spoken to during the inspection said that they are concerned about the changes in staffing and the impact this is having on children. Managers do now have a settled core group of staff, but they had got to this point twice before since the home was registered in February 2020 only for staff to then leave. Failure to retain staff means that children do not always receive continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to ensure that staff complete training so that they can consistently meet the identified needs of children well. For example, staff have not received training in understanding attachment or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although some staff have attended one workshop on developmental trauma, this is not sufficient. In addition, the manager refers to a therapeutic approach being delivered at the home linked to play, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE). This approach is not implemented at the home and staff have not received training to help them to understand these issues or this therapeutic approach. Inspection report children's home: 2541440 5 Staff are not suitably experienced and qualified. Only the manager and deputy manager have a level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. Two staff have recently enrolled on the course. Although a number of agency staff work

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

at the home, leaders and managers do not know whether these staff have achieved the level 3 qualification within the required timescales set out in regulation or if they are working towards it. As a result, they do not have an accurate assessment of the skills, qualifications and experience of all staff working at the home and caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management monitoring and oversight at the home are weak. The six-monthly quality-of-care report does not set out clear objectives to bring about improvement and so there is no strategic plan to bring about change. Recording systems are not easy to navigate and the manager does not consistently review children’s records to understand children’s needs and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The unkempt state of children’s bedrooms shows a lack of care and leadership. As a result, expectations for staff are unclear and children are not learning to value their own private space, their belongings and themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not operate the home in line with the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. This document states that the children’s home is designed to, ‘manage and implement a formal programme of safer recruitment, staff selection, training and personal development to enable the children’s care needs and objectives to be met’. Failing to operate the home in line with the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose means that professionals, parents and children are misled about the quality of care provided at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The notice formally restricting accommodation has been lifted following this inspection. The manager and responsible individual recognise that they need to carefully consider the matching of any new child who comes to live at the home and are committed to doing so. Inspection report children's home: 2541440 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the use of signage in the home, repair damage quickly and ensure that staff help children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. 30 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(c)) 30 May 2021

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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. 30 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2541440 7 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, help children manage their behaviours when gaming.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 30 May 2021

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 30 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2541440 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff recruitment practices, including the use of agency staff, are robust. In addition, ensure that all eligible staff are enrolled onto a level 3 course 30 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2541440 9 and a clear plan is in place to monitor their progress and completion. In addition, undertake a review so that managers understand whether agency staff have the required level 3 qualification or equivalent, and that managers take action when needed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, review the approach to restraint that staff are trained to use so that managers are confident in what this is and update the behaviour management policy as needed. 30 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff rosters accurately reflect who is working at the home and when. 30 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. In particular, implement healthy eating routines in line with children’s plans and makes sure that staff inform children’s parents when children Inspection report children's home: 2541440 10 receive medical treatment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home complies with relevant health and safety legislations. In particular, ensure that staff participate in a fire evacuation drill. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, 2 Mercury Park, Amber Close, Tamworth B77 4RP

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Inspectors

Jackie Line, Social Care Inspector Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2541440 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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