Children's Home run by Hand In Hand Childcare in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 1 Registered provider: Hand in Hand Childcare Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children with a variety of complex needs. A private provider operates the home. The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021 and is undertaking a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 3

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inadequate

Children experience a poor quality of care. The planning for children in the home is not effective. Managers have not obtained the relevant paperwork from the local authorities to inform them of the children’s needs and risks. One child is currently living at the home. There is no internal care plan in place to provide guidance for staff on how to care for the child and how to keep him safe. There have been three children admitted to the home since the home was registered in July 2021. Two of these children left after a matter of weeks because staff were not able to manage their behaviours. There was no guidance on how to manage the children’s behaviour, despite staff using physical interventions. As a result, children do not have a positive experience while living in the home. Children also do not receive the necessary care to meet their needs and to keep them safe.

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inadequate

The home is registered to provide care for three children. A review of staff rotas demonstrated that there are not a sufficient number of trained and skilled staff employed by the provider to care for the number of children the home is registered for.

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inadequate

Although staff are in the process of working with relevant professionals to identify an appropriate education placement, the child currently has no education provision or daily structure. The absence of a structured daily programme means that the child currently spends the nights awake and sleeps for large periods of the day. The staff are not giving the child enough help with establishing a routine that prioritises learning, which means that he is not being prepared to attend school as soon as a place is confirmed.

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inadequate

The home is well maintained and comfortable. The inspector observed warm and friendly relationships between the child and staff. The child told the inspector that living at the home was okay so far and he liked the size of the garden.

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

Allegations made by children are not well managed. Allegations made against a member of staff have not been reported to the designated officer by the registered manager. Although the manager did not become aware of these allegations until the following day, the failure to report these allegations means that safeguarding agencies have been prevented from taking the necessary action to protect children. It also means that staff have been allowed to continue to work with children without an investigation taking place.

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

Risk assessments fail to provide information on the individualised risks to children or the strategies staff should use to keep children safe. The risk assessment for the child currently in placement refers to the provider’s other children’s home. The Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 4 child’s risk of going missing has been assessed, but the risk assessment does not contain guidance on who to call or what procedures to follow. The minutes from the child’s last looked after review noted that the child was recently hospitalised as a result of eating wild mushrooms. His current risk assessment does not mention any risk in relation to this. This means that children are at risk of harm because staff are not informed of the risks to children or the strategies to use to keep children safe.

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

Physical intervention records do not provide an accurate description of the restraint used, including the strategies that were used to prevent a restraint and those used to de-escalate incidents. For example, staff do not always accurately record details of when they have had to physically restrain children. Therefore, it is not clear if restraint practice is proportionate and safe, and there is no evidence that staff are using physical intervention as a last resort.

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

Records of discussions held with the children and staff following restraints are of poor quality and do not take place within the required timescales. In a number of instances, discussions have not taken place at all. Not all restraints are reviewed by someone who was not involved in the restraint. For example, the registered manager had oversight and conducted a debrief of a restraint she was involved in. A further physical intervention involving the manager and the responsible individual had not been reviewed. This is a missed opportunity to understand the effectiveness of the intervention, to ensure that children are safe and to consider how to reduce the number of restraints that occur.

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

The manager does not recruit staff safely. Records lack the required detail, such as proof of qualifications and references from previous employers. For example, a new member of staff had been working overseas until last year. There had been no attempt to undertake a criminal record check for that country. This means that the manager does not know if the staff are appropriate adults to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not demonstrate that she has the skills to manage the home effectively and safely. The manager has failed to respond appropriately to safeguarding incidents and allegations. She has failed to demonstrate and ensure that children’s needs are met, and that they are kept safe from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children are at significant risk because they receive care from untrained, inexperienced and unfamiliar staff. Since the home registered in July 2021, six staff have left. There are an insufficient number of trained staff members to meet children’s needs. A number of shifts have been covered by bank or agency staff. On multiple occasions, there have not been staff members trained in first aid and safeguarding on duty. The lack of sufficiently trained staff compromises children’s safety, particularly if there is a safeguarding concern or if they require urgent first- aid treatment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not ensure that staff receive mandatory training in safeguarding, first aid, food hygiene and how to respond to missing-from-care incidents. The Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 5 manager does not keep an up-to-date training record for staff, and is unable to provide details of the training staff have undertaken to meet children’s needs. A lack of attention to timely staff development leaves staff without essential knowledge and skills that would enable them to understand the children’s needs and to identify and reduce risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Arrangements for staff supervision and induction are poor. The manager has only undertaken three staff supervisions since registration. Some staff have received no supervision or support from the manager. New staff in the home have not met with the manager or received supervision. The manager did not hold a staff meeting until the end of September 2021, and this was the first meeting since the home was registered in July 2021. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that staff receive adequate guidance to support them in caring for the children, and a missed chance to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to notify the regulator of serious incidents, such as when staff have required the police to attend to help manage children’s behaviour. These shortfalls seriously compromise the external oversight of the safety and welfare of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective monitoring systems prevent the manager from understanding and responding effectively to issues in the home. Management oversight of staff practice is poor. The manager fails to identify and address widespread shortfalls. As a result, potential poor practice goes unchecked and is not responded to in a timely manner. The manager and staff do not keep children’s records, including those of significant incidents, up to date. In addition, significant incidents of allegations and physical aggression are not always recorded as incidents. The inspector witnessed staff carrying out a physical intervention with a child during the inspection. However, this was not recorded as an incident and was only briefly mentioned in the child’s daily notes. This means that managers do not ensure that staff follow procedures that help to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that an independent visit to the home took place in July and August 2021. The manager was unable to confirm the reason for this shortfall. The absence of independent visits means that an opportunity has been lost to use external oversight to support improvement and provide Ofsted with reassurance that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that the statement of purpose has been reviewed to reflect the changes in the staff team and the change of behaviour management model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

In response to the serious failings found in respect of safeguarding children and the leadership and management of the home, a restriction of accommodation notice was issued on 15 October 2021. Three compliance notices have been issued. Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff receive safeguarding training, that the home’s safeguarding policy is adhered to when there are allegations made and that risk assessments include the known risks to the child. 21 November Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 7 *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

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that there are sufficient staff and they have received mandatory training, induction and supervision. In addition, the manager must review and evaluate the quality of care. 21 November

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Requirement Due date

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; and 21 November Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 8 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; (Regulation 14 (1)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that children have placement and behaviour plans that support a consistent approach to their care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 21 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that full schedule 2 information is obtained for staff working with children in the home. 21 November

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— 21 November Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 9 how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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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”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and 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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents of staff restraining a child are recorded. Also, this relates to the oversight of incidents requiring physical intervention with a child in the home, and the need to ensure that debriefs with the children and staff take place.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 21 November Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 10 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(d)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they notify Ofsted of incidents with children in which police involvement is required. Also, leaders should notify Ofsted and the designated officer when a child makes an allegation of abuse against staff working in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must use reasonable endeavours to ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 21 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should keep under review a statement of purpose (regulation 16 and schedule 1). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14 paragraph 3.5)

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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: 2634058 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hand in Hand Childcare

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 20 Birmingham Road, Walsall WS1 2LT

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2634058 12 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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