Children's Home run by Care and Management Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 1 SC470457 Registered provider: Care And Management Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is one of a group of four homes run by the same organisation. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who display complex behaviours as a result of their childhood experiences.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 11 August 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection that took place on 15 and 16 June 2021. The inspector identified significant shortfalls relating to the help and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 2 As a result, Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 25 (fire precautions) of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place on 11 August 2021. At this visit, the provider had taken sufficient action to address the steps outlined in the compliance notices and had met two of the requirements. Requirements under regulation 21 and regulation 40 were reissued. The recommendation was not judged during this visit.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2021 Full Inadequate 13/11/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/04/2019 Full Good 10/12/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have a good understanding of the needs of the children and provide them with individualised care and support. Family members are positive about the care provided to their children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to take part in after-school and community-based activities. For example, one child attends gymnastics and police cadets and goes to the local gym. Also, one child went on holiday in the summer. As a result, children are able to try new things and access activities that they enjoy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers support children to become more independent. For one child, the plan is to move to semi-independent living. Staff have considered the individual needs of the child and supported them to work towards clear learning outcomes. This enabled the child to develop their independent living skills, which will support them in their future.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children told the inspector that they are happy and they experience positive relationships with the managers and staff. During the inspection, the inspector observed staff responding to the needs of the children and supporting them. Overall, children spoke positively about their relationships with staff members. As a result, the children feel valued and cared for, enabling them to flourish.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have progressed in education. One child passed important exams and is now actively seeking an apprenticeship. Staff and managers have a positive view on education and work with education providers to make sure that children are supported. Consequently, children are working towards positive educational outcomes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers respond to the health needs of the children and support them to attend health appointments. One child, who is working towards independence, is encouraged to arrange their own health appointments. The manager communicates with health professionals and raises concerns when required. This ensures that the children’s health needs are met.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers support children to stay in contact with important people in their lives. One family member said that staff are ‘really supportive when it comes to contact’. As a result, children maintain a sense of identity within their own families.

p.3

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

Managers and staff have a good understanding of children’s risks. Risk assessments are updated regularly, and safety plans are in place. When incidents happen, staff take appropriate action to safeguard the children. This practice ensures that children are safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 4 Managers and staff successfully support children to manage their feelings and behaviour. Managers and staff consider triggers for children’s behaviour and seek advice from external professionals. For example, the manager has regular case discussions with a psychiatrist and meetings with a social worker. This ensures that strategies to keep children safe are regularly reviewed and that staff have the information they need to keep children safe. For one child, staff’s interventions have led to a reduction in incidents.

p.3

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

Staff only use restraint as a last resort and to keep children safe. However, on occasion, records do not contain all the required information about the incident. For example, the duration of the restraint in one incident was not recorded. This can hinder the manager’s oversight of restraint practice.

p.4

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

Managers ensure that allegations are responded to appropriately. When an allegation was made, the responsible individual responded to this in a timely manner and information was shared with appropriate agencies. This practice demonstrates that managers respond to concerns about children and take action to ensure their safety.

p.4

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

Staff and managers support children to understand themselves and how to keep themselves safe. Key-working sessions relate to the needs of the children and provide an opportunity for them to learn about risk. As a result, children’s awareness of risk has increased and they understand the actions they can take to make themselves safer.

p.4

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

On one occasion, staff believed a child to be missing from the home when they were in fact in their bedroom. Staff took appropriate action when they thought the child was missing. However, searches by staff failed to identify that the child was in their bedroom. Managers have taken action to prevent a similar incident from reoccurring. Missing-from-placement plans are in place but lack clear guidance in places, which may hinder staff’s response to a child going missing from placement, which could compromise their safety.

p.4

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

The physical environment for children is now safe and secure. However, regular checks on the environment have not always taken place. For example, when a window restrictor was broken, a child was able to climb onto a roof and back through the window. While the child was not harmed on this occasion, the failure to carry out regular checks on the environment and address concerns could place children at risk.

p.4

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

Staff and managers have followed procedures when storing and administering medication. However, for one child, the record was only signed by one member of staff on three occasions. When this was cross-referenced with the controlled drugs book, it was evident that two staff members were present. Although the child had been provided with the appropriate dosage, staff failed to complete the records fully, which could lead to a medication error. Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations for what the children can achieve. For example, for a child where there are significant risks, they have worked with these risks, implementing and reducing measures where appropriate and promoting activities and future planning. This approach has a positive impact on the self-esteem and well-being of children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager monitors the progress of the children. There is regular communication with professionals to ensure that the progress and experiences of children are discussed. This allows the registered manager to take appropriate actions when necessary to support the children to develop.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that the staff receive regular and effective supervision and attend training courses that provide them with the knowledge and skills to care for the children. Consequently, children are cared for by staff with the appropriate skills.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager recognises the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and has responded to the concerns previously identified at inspection. The manager has developed systems that enable him to monitor and review the home on an ongoing basis so that he can make improvements to the quality of care that children receive.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff strive to embrace diversity. The manager recognises the importance of working towards practice that encourages and promotes individuality. For example, a child found it difficult when staff did not use the correct pronouns when talking about the child. This has been discussed in team meetings, and staff have completed, and staff spoke to the inspector about wanting to ensure that the correct pronouns are used. This practice recognises diversity and has a positive impact on children’s identity.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the manager ensures that the home is welcoming and comfortable for the children. However, the dining chairs are in a poor state and the curtains in one child’s bedroom were not replaced in a timely manner. These examples indicate that wear and tear is not quickly addressed, which detracts from the otherwise homely environment.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that all serious events have been notified to Ofsted. While staff take appropriate action, the failure to notify Ofsted hinders the oversight of the regulator.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not consistently escalated concerns when he has not received statutory documents from the local authority. This is with regards to a care planning meeting and a personal education plan. While this has not affected the care provided, not having the required information for the child could result in their needs not being met. Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that damage to the home environment, including window restrictors, is addressed in a timely manner. 16 December

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that monitoring systems are in place that ensure that all documentation is fully completed. 16 December

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 16 December Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 7 are kept up to date.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that medication case records are fully completed and the recording of incidents includes all required information.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that a notification is made to HMCI when a serious incident has taken place. 16 December

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to children’s behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept that enable

p.7

Recommendations

the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

p.7

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 Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 8 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: SC470457 9

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care And Management Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Park Business Centre, Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR

p.9

Inspector

Melanie Griffin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC470457 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10