Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children's home: 1253711 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 company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2020. The manager is working towards the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 8 and 9 September 2020 to carry out an assurance 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

Date of last inspection: 22 January 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1253711 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/06/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1253711 3

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improvement to be good

This is the home’s first full inspection since May 2019. The home received an assurance visit in September 2020. Since the assurance visit, one child has left the home and two children have moved in. At the time of the inspection, three children lived at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always provide children with a homely and well-maintained environment to live in. For example, the inspector found that areas of the home appeared bare, with no pictures on walls. One child’s bedroom had holes dotted around the wall, and another child had a television resting on a chair due to having no desk or table to put it on. This does not show a caring and proactive approach to meeting the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children attend a variety of education settings and their progress varies. Some children maintain good school attendance and are making good academic progress. However, other children lack motivation to attend education on time most days. For example, one staff member informed the inspector, ‘[Child] can be hours late almost every day despite encouragement from staff.’ Because of this, some children have not made academic progress and are left without meaningful activity during the day.

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improvement to be good

Children are aware of the complaints procedure and know how to complain. However, staff do not always support children to resolve conflicts positively following complaints. For example, on the day of inspection, one child was informed of a complaint raised against them by another child. A formal complaint was then raised in retaliation to this.

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improvement to be good

The children’s health and well-being are promoted well by staff. Staff ensure that healthcare plans identify children’s individual needs. Statutory health assessments have been completed and children attend required medical appointments. Children have access to specialist help when needed, such as substance misuse workers and mental health services. This multi-team approach ensures that children’s health needs are promoted effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children build some trusted and secure relationships with some core staff. Children informed the inspector that they have adults around them that they trust and can speak to if they are upset or worried. This helps children to feel confident about their relationships with staff and supports their progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to maintain positive relationships with people who are most important to them. One child’s time with family has increased and their relationship with family members has improved since moving to the home. Children see staff and their family working together and this enables children to receive coordinated care. Inspection report children's home: 1253711 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, three new staff members have joined the home. Relevant checks are undertaken. However, when concerns are highlighted about references, managers have not shown professional curiosity to follow these up thoroughly to seek clarity. This has the potential to result in staff working in the home who are not suitable to do so.

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improvement to be good

Staff use bedroom door alarms to monitor children’s movements in the home and lock doors to prevent access to communal rooms at night. It is not clear if these measures are proportionate and appropriate. Risk assessments are completed, however, the manager has failed to recognise that these assessments have been cut and pasted and are identical documents for each child. In addition, risk assessments do not always provide clear guidance to staff about how to manage behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond to children’s challenging behaviours in a positive way, with the use of restraints and sanctions kept to a minimum. The manager learns from incidents that happen and reviews plans to adapt the approach needed to reduce risk. The manager has reviewed the location assessment and has ensured that additional risk reduction strategies are in place following an incident involving a child in the community. This ensures that staff understand risk and children’s vulnerabilities and are clear about how to respond when the need arises.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager does not always ensure that staff understand how to respond to children’s known vulnerabilities. For example, risk management plans for children making complaints detail strategies such as ‘no lone working’, however, the staff structure in the home does not always allow for this strategy to be implemented. As a result, staff do not always follow risk assessments consistently, leaving staff and children in potentially vulnerable situations.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the home environment is safe for children to live in. A range of health and safety checks are completed to assess whether there are any hazards which could pose risks to children. Children take part in regular fire drills to ensure that they know how to safely evacuate the home in case of such an emergency.

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good

Management arrangements at the home have not always been effective. When the registered manager was absent, there was a lack of adequate cover. This meant that some aspects of monitoring have not been undertaken. For example, managers have not consistently reviewed records relating to sanctions given to children.

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good

There has been some damage to communal areas of the home. Managers have not ensured that the damage is quickly repaired. These delays leave damaged areas in a less than suitable condition and does not create a homely environment where children can feel valued. Inspection report children's home: 1253711 5 Staff report that they find supervision helpful and supportive. However, managers are unable to demonstrate that all staff have received supervision in line with the organisation’s policy. The manager provided a supervision matrix indicating that supervision meetings are planned. However, there were no records to show that staff have received supervision during the last two months. This lack of clear, timely recording means that managers lack oversight of the support that is offered to staff.

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good

The majority of staff hold the required level 3 diploma qualification. A small number are currently working to achieve this or are planned to be enrolled on a training programme. Plans are in place to ensure that staff complete this qualification within the required timescales. Good training informs staff practice and meets the children’s individual and diverse needs.

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good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with other professionals to ensure that children receive some good-quality care. Complaints are managed effectively and strategy meetings are arranged when needed following allegations of harm. This ensures a multi-agency approach to concerns and that children receive good support when incidents happen. One social worker said, ‘[Child] is always encouraged to meet with me. Our relationship is always supported, rather than undermined, by the home.’ Inspection report children's home: 1253711 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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home environment is well maintained throughout, damage is repaired quickly, rubbish is removed promptly and the environment is made homely and welcoming for children. 24 September

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; 24 September Inspection report children's home: 1253711 7 help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, explore why some children are consistently late for school and work with them to address this. In addition, when children refuse to attend education, that they are provided with structured activity during the school day.

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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

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without any harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children being supported to appropriately manage their relationships with each other. 24 September

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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—

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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. 24 September Inspection report children's home: 1253711 8 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to individualising risk assessments for each child and that they are clear and achievable.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the use of door alarms on children’s bedrooms and children not having access to all areas of the home at night. 24 September

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 24 September Inspection report children's home: 1253711 9 This specifically relates to the registered person reviewing sanctions following their use.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They should ensure that the recruitment procedures minimise the risk of unsafe adults working with children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for all staff. The record should provide evidence that supervision has taken place in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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: 1253711 10

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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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Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1253711 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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