Children's home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report children's home: SC446152 1 SC446152 Registered provider: N H Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for three children with learning disabilities and/or emotional and social difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered on 23 April 2021.

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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: Inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: As a result of the last full inspection, two compliance notices were raised. A monitoring visit on 14 June 2021 found that these compliance notices were met. Inspection report children's home: SC446152 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/05/2021 Full Inadequate 24/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/06/2019 Full Inadequate 07/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC446152 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A monitoring visit was carried out on 14 June 2021, which found that two compliance notices and seven requirements, set following the last inspection on 12 May 2021, were met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out. Two children are still living at the home. Staff have supported one child with a well-planned move to her new home. Before the child left, staff held a party to celebrate all the child’s achievements. During the party, staff and the child shared and discussed their positive memories of living at the home. This ensured that the child received a positive ending before she moved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children shared with the inspector that they feel safe and that they are well cared for. In part, this is because children have developed good relationships with staff. For example, one child told the inspector that the staff keep him on track by giving him lots of advice and guidance, and being there when he needs them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing and patient with the children. Children feel able to talk about their worries and receive a sensitive and caring response. This helps children to feel reassured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff because they do fun things together. Children are encouraged to try new things and develop their hobbies. For example, staff have taken one child fishing. The child told the inspector with pride what this experience has taught him. Another child has successfully worked towards going out with her friends for a meal. These experiences have given a boost to children’s self- confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in many aspects of their lives. For example, both children attend school and are making expected progress. Staff take the time to discuss with children the progress that they have made. This gives children a greater awareness of their achievements and develops their positive self-image.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s health needs and put in place any support required. For one child, this has contributed to the child’s health improving during the period in which they have lived at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to stay in touch with their families. One social worker said staff arrange transport and help make the time the children spend with their families as positive an experience as possible. Staff’s support helps children to sustain important relationships. Inspection report children's home: SC446152 4

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

Staff work hard to keep children safe. As a result, safeguarding incidents are rare. For example, children do not go missing from the home. This reduces the potential risks that children may be exposed to.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour support plans provide staff with clear guidance to prevent and respond to safeguarding matters. Staff understand and act on these. The suitably trained and confident staff can take proactive steps to respond to children’s behaviours and manage potential risks.

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

Children understand what the rules and boundaries are. Children’s respect for staff, and the consistency of approach from staff, mean that children know that staff care for them. Children understand and are proud of the positive changes to their behaviour since living at the home.

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

Effective monitoring by staff and the registered manager ensures that the home is a safe and suitable environment. Known risks are appropriately managed so that children’s safety is not compromised.

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

The registered manager ensures that all staff are safely recruited. Recruitment checks are thorough, with gaps in employment explored, employment references verified, and Disclosure and Barring Service checks obtained prior to the start of employment. This means that children are cared for by staff who have undergone comprehensive vetting and recruitment checks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is becoming increasingly established and confident in her role. She has worked hard to implement changes since the last inspection to improve the quality and consistency of care provided to children. The registered manager is aspirational for children and motivated to support them to achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are at the forefront of the registered manager’s and staff’s decision-making. For example, staff supervisions focus on how best to support children and ensure that they do their best. Children receive the support and encouragement they need to succeed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed training in a broad range of topics, including training in attachment disorder, self-harm and dealing with bereavement. As such, staff have the knowledge and skills to support children and to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual has recently made the decision to appoint a new independent person to increase the external scrutiny of the home and try to maintain and drive forward improvements in the quality of care. This is a recent appointment and the impact of this change is not yet known. Inspection report children's home: SC446152 5 Overall, staff record-keeping of the care provided to children is clear. However, in some examples, clerical errors have been made, with the wrong dates and initials for children and staff used. This undermines the accuracy of reports and could have an impact on the effectiveness of the registered manager’s oversight of the home. Inspection report children's home: SC446152 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that significant incident records and staff team meeting records state clearly names of staff and children involved, dates and provide a clear detail of the discussions that took place. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC446152 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 69 Steward Street Business Lofts, Steward Street, Birmingham B18 7AF

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC446152 8 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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