Children's Home run by Accalia Care Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children's home: 2586947 1 Registered provider: Accalia Care Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered in July 2020 to provide care and accommodation for three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post who is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 8 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. This 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2586947 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report children's home: 2586947 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first full inspection since it was registered by Ofsted in July 2020. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. Two children are new to the home after recently arriving. Since the monitoring visit, one child has left the home as the staff team were unable to meet his needs and keep him safe. The registered manager ensured that the child had a planned and supported move to his new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home offers a welcoming and warm environment. The home is bright and clean. Significant improvements have been made to the outdoor space, which is now safe for children to use. Children have been able to personalise their bedrooms. This helps them to feel at home and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite significant changes in the staff team, children have received care from a small consistent group of staff. Children have developed, or are in the process of developing, positive relationships with staff. One child who has recently arrived at the home told the inspector that she likes it at the home and wishes to stay until she is old enough to live independently. She was positive about the home and the staff team. Children are able to develop positive and trusting relationships with the staff which develop their sense of safety and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of relationships and support children to see their families and friends. As a result, children maintain positive relationships even though they are living away from home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress in education is varied. One child generally has good attendance and engagement. However, there was a period of time when this was affected by another child who lived at the home who would encourage the first child to miss school. This happened despite staff’s efforts to prevent it. The second child did not have an education placement and has now left the home. Two children are currently waiting for their new school arrangements to be confirmed for September.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff do not support children to access and contribute to their records and care plans. This is a missed opportunity to help children understand their plans and inform the care that they receive.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding practices within the home are good. The registered manager takes swift action when responding to any safeguarding incidents. The registered manager communicates effectively with professionals when a concern arises. As a result, children are safeguarded effectively. Inspection report children's home: 2586947 4 Staff know the children well and take the necessary action to keep them safe. However, some risk assessments require further review to ensure that there is detailed guidance in place for staff to follow. In addition, staff are not routinely following the children’s risk assessments in relation to smoking. Despite providing key-work sessions to help children to reduce and cease smoking, staff do not always ensure that children hand in their cigarettes and lighters. This has the potential to put children at risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager has not always evidenced his consideration of the impact of new children coming into the home on the existing children. While this has not affected children’s experiences so far, as staff have been able to mitigate any impact, the shortfall has the potential to have an adverse impact on children’s experiences.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children go missing from home, staff take appropriate action to ensure that they return to the home safely. However, independent return home interviews do not take place promptly. This means there is a delay in providing children with the opportunity to explore why they go missing from home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager notifies Ofsted of serious incidents and shares the outcome of investigations. This helps the regulator to have overview of the home in between inspections.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are times when staff need to physically intervene to keep everyone safe. These interventions are appropriate and proportionate. On occasion, the recordings of these interventions are not as detailed as they could be. This could hinder the registered manager’s oversight of staff practice. The registered manager was aware of this shortfall and is addressing it with the staff team.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff use sanctions to address undesirable behaviour. On occasion, children’s pocket money is withheld, which is not an acceptable way to address behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager has not ensured that all new staff coming into the home are safely recruited. Staff have started in post prior to all references being obtained and verified. While this has had no impact, as there are risk assessments in place for these staff, this does not demonstrate safer recruitment practice and could result in adults not suitable to work with children being employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is supported by a deputy manager. Both are suitably qualified and experienced and together provide good leadership. They understand the children’s needs and risks, and they advocate on behalf of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff team have developed strong relationships with relevant professionals, including social workers. As a result, there is good communication between them, which promotes children’s welfare. Inspection report children's home: 2586947 5 The staff described the registered manager as being supportive and available. He ensures that regular supervision and team meetings take place. Team meetings are often used to provide additional training and learning opportunities. As a result, staff are well supported and have opportunities to develop their practice and the quality of care they provide to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive range of training opportunities, including essential courses such as safeguarding and first aid. Two members of the staff team have not completed all relevant training. As a result, not all staff have the relevant skills and knowledge for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s oversight and monitoring of some paperwork has been insufficient to ensure that all documents, such as risk assessments and the use of sanctions and reviewing their effectiveness, are accurate and detailed. Inspection report children's home: 2586947 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff’s implementation of children’s risk assessments and the day-to-day process in place to keep children safe. Also, to completing detailed impact risk assessments for new children coming into the home. 6 October 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 6 October 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2586947 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff receiving training to ensure they have the skills and experience to meet the needs of children. Also, to ensuring that the manager’s monitoring and oversight of documents is robust.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to withholding children’s pocket money as a form of sanction for their behaviour. 6 October 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children return from a period of being missing from the home that they are offered an independent return interview within the required time frames. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that recruitment processes for new staff are thorough, to ensure potential risks to children are minimised. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported to contribute to their records and care plans. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6) Inspection report children's home: 2586947 8

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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: Accalia Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Ciba Building, 146-150 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 9NX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leaford Williams

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2586947 9 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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