Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 1 Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and provides medium- to long-term care and accommodation for up to three children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in October 2019. A permanent manager was appointed in March 2021. She is experienced and qualified. The manager has yet to apply to register with Ofsted. A new responsible individual took over this month.

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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 home on 19 November 2020 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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: n/a

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not applicable, this is the home’s first full inspection since registration. Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 3

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improvement to be good

Staff have not received training in communication or sensory needs, which is an essential need for children with learning and communication difficulties. This hinders staff’s ability to fully understand the complex needs of the children in their care and to be able to effectively communicate with them consistently.

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improvement to be good

High staff turnover and regular changes in leadership and management mean that children have not had a consistent team caring for them. Due to the lack of consistent and clear management oversight, areas of practice which would improve the overall experience for children are weak, such as care planning.

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improvement to be good

One child has recently been admitted to the home in an emergency from a hospital setting. Leaders and managers did not appropriately assess the impact and risk that this child would have on the other children already living at the home. Because of the child’s complex needs and behaviours, additional staff were needed but not readily available. This led to high use of agency staff. The two children already living at the home experienced disruption to their lives with unfamiliar staff caring for them and some behaviours that affected their day-to-day experiences. It is to the credit of the recently appointed manager that the new child’s behaviours are now being better managed and the home is beginning to settle again.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is welcoming and provides appropriate facilities for children to play and relax in. There are large communal areas and a sensory and playroom. The gardens are particularly nice, with a trampoline and orchard.

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improvement to be good

Children are generally in good health. They are supported to eat healthily, exercise and attend routine appointments. These good lifestyle choices promote children’s physical and emotional health. Children enjoy mealtimes together and assist staff in preparing meals.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to achieve milestones by organising day-to-day tasks that they can participate in. Achievements are celebrated through reward systems, and positive reinforcement helps children to build their confidence and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Parents and professionals have positive relationships with staff. Communication is good and important people in children’s lives are encouraged to visit and spend time with them. Parents informed the inspector that they feel listened to, supported and that their child is making progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans do not always provide clear direction to staff and it is unclear if staff have read the plans. One child is prescribed emergency medication. However, its correct use and the thresholds for use have not been appropriately planned for and Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 4 communicated to staff. These omissions mean that children may be at risk due to poor planning and staff not knowing what action to take.

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improvement to be good

Since the home was registered, managers have safely recruited additional permanent staff. However, one agency staff’s file did not contain a full employment history. Although the manager rectified this during the inspection, it shows a lack of timely due diligence when recruiting temporary staff to work with children.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, it was noted that the room containing medication was locked. However, the keys for the medicine cabinet were not secure and were in the locks to the cabinet. This created an unnecessary risk should a child have gained access to the room. The manager acted promptly to address this issue.

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improvement to be good

Children develop some positive relationships with staff. The staff are enthusiastic and friendly and some have previous experience of working with children with disabilities. Staff use this knowledge to keep children safe.

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good

Since the home opened in October 2019, the registered manager resigned and, while two further managers had been recruited, they did not register with Ofsted. An experienced manager has now been appointed. In her short tenure, the manager has already made a marked improvement in the management of the home. There has been a detailed overview of incidents, recording and reporting systems as well as staff development. The manager has a clear plan for how she sees the home progressing.

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good

The responsible individual for the home has changed recently and this is the fourth time since registration. As well as changes in managers, shortfalls in staffing have been covered by agency and bank staff. This high turnover of leaders and managers, together with staff changes, has led to some instability and lack of consistency at times for children.

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good

The review of the quality of care has been completed and sent to the regulator within the required timescales. However, previous actions and plans for the home have not been reviewed or analysed. As a result, managers are unclear if these objectives have been met and planned improvements made. This shortfall is attributable to the changes in leadership which have limited the development of the home.

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good

The new manager provides supervision for staff through individual and team meetings. This enables staff to reflect on their practice and development. However, eligible staff have not had an annual appraisal. This means that staff have not had their performance reviewed.

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good

Relationships between the manager and external professionals are good. Professionals speak well of the good communication and information-sharing between staff, the manager and themselves. As a result of good partnership Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 5 working, children remain central to the care they receive and professionals are kept up to date about any difficulties and progress. Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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)(ix)) This is in relation to staff having the skills, direction and guidance to understand children’s behaviour and communication needs. 20 June 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— 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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)) This is in relation to ensuring that staff having training to meet the behavioural, communication and sensory needs of 20 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 7 the children and ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of trained staff to support new children who move into the home. The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) In particular, ensure that risks are appropriately assessed and plans understood and followed by staff. 20 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 20 June2021

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Recommendations

 The quality of care review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4) This relates to ensuring that previous actions set out in the quality of care review report are reviewed and addressed.  The manager should ensure that staff follow guidelines set out in Managing medicines in care homes (March 2014). The guidance states: Care home providers should include the following information in their process for storing medicines safely: how and where medicines are stored, including medicines supplied in monitored

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Recommendations

dosage systems, medicines to be taken and looked after by residents themselves (see recommendations 1.13.2 and 1.13.6), controlled drugs, medicines to be stored in the refrigerator, skin creams, oral nutritional supplements and appliances secure storage with only authorised care home staff having access. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.17) and (Managing Medicines in care homes (March 2014) section 1.12.2) This relates to ensuring that medicine cabinets are kept secure and access to the keys is restricted and clear guidance is provided about administering emergency medication.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 8

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Recommendations

minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards ‘, page 61, paragraph 13.1) This relates to ensuring that all relevant checks are undertaken for agency staff in a timely way.

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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’. Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 9

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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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Inspectors

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2533064 10 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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