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

Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 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 privately owned children’s home provides care for up to three children with EBD (social and emotional difficulties). The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 5 February 2020 to carry out an interim inspection. 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

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for children and support them to achieve their potential. Two of the three children are in full-time education and have made progress from their starting points. Managers and staff are strong advocates in education. The registered manager has supported the third child to obtain a place on a full-time college course that he is due to start shortly. As a result, children receive the support they need to access education and to progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have formed good relationships with a stable and committed staff team who provide consistent care and support. Consequently, children are thriving and making progress in most aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in a variety of activities, which improves their self-esteem and confidence. For example, children attend the gym, football and numerous other activities. As a result, children are engaged in meaningful activities that they enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager’s and staff’s dedication means that children receive a good standard of care from a consistent staff team. This means that staff and children know each other well and they enjoy spending time with one another.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is personalised. For example, there are photos of children displayed around the home. However, there are areas of the home that require further redecoration and minor maintenance to ensure that children live in a well- maintained environment.

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

Children are safe and feel safe in the home. Children have positive relationships with the staff team. While children do not always get along with each other, staff address any conflict or bullying quickly. As a result, there are minimal incidents of conflict between children.

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

Staff rarely use physical interventions. Instead, they focus on de-escalation of children’s behaviour. On the rare occasion that there is an incident or safeguarding concern, staff respond swiftly to ensure that children are kept safe.

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

Thorough selection and vetting procedures ensure that staff are recruited safely. This means that children are cared for by adults who have been suitably vetted.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. On the rare occasion that this occurs, staff do their best to stay in contact with children to bring about their safe return quickly. On occasion, there has been a delay in ensuring that an independent return home interview is offered to children. This means that there is a delay in providing children with the opportunity to explore why they go missing from home. Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 4 Good-quality risk assessments are in place and staff review these regularly. All staff have read these risk assessments and have a good understanding of children’s risks. However, the registered manager had not ensured that a risk assessment was put in place for one child who self-harmed. This did not compromise the safety of the child as staff know the child well and have a good understanding of the strategies they should use to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since May 2020. He is suitably qualified and experienced and provides good leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are respected by the staff, children and partner agencies. The registered manager fully understands each child’s presenting needs and how to support them to progress. The manager’s consistent leadership inspires staff and children to want to be the best that they can.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff team are motivated to enrich the care experience of children. They encourage and support children to engage in activities that build confidence and competence in areas such as music and sports. Children are supported to develop independence skills that prepare them for adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that the managers are incredibly supportive. They have regular supervision and use team meetings as reflective practice sessions that enable them to discuss the care of children, as well as their own practice. Staff have a comprehensive range of training opportunities, including essential courses such as safeguarding and first aid. In addition, they receive a range of training courses that are specific to individual children’s needs. This includes promoting positive behaviours, preventing bullying, self-harm and mental well-being in children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are confident and trusted by the registered manager, and this gives them freedom to explore creative and new ways of working with the children. Staff use online resources and research topics, such as Black Lives Matter, serious case reviews and safeguarding scenarios, which leads to informative conversations with children. This helps children understand risks in the community and national issues that affect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers maintain a good oversight of the running of the home. They use monitoring systems to scrutinise the progress and safety of all the children. As a result, the manager is able to adapt the quality of care to ensure that children’s needs continue to be met and they are supported to maximise their potential. Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 5

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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

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that there is a risk assessment in place for all children that self- harm. 6 December 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that children are offered independent return home interviews following an episode of going missing. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered manager should ensure that the home is decorated to a high standard and is well maintained in all areas. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report children’s home: 2494873 6

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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: 2494873 7

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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: 2494873 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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