Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 1 Registered provider: The Spring Children’s And Transitional Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home providing care for up to three children who have a range of complex additional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager.

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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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Inspection date: 1 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection was conducted due to Ofsted receiving information from the provider relating to a safeguarding incident that took place in the home. This will not be directly commented on within the report. Ofsted also received an anonymous complaint that raised concerns about the admission of a child into the home and the quality of care provided to children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are currently three children living in the home. Two of these children were living in the home at the time of the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not have a registered manager. A new manager has been appointed, but has not started in the role as safer recruitment checks have not yet been completed. The previous registered manager resigned from her post on 20 April 2021. She took up a role as a senior manager in the organisation and she is intending to take over as the responsible individual.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The former registered manager is still actively involved in the day-to-day running of the home. The capacity and efficiency of the former registered manager has been reduced by the need for her to cover shifts, help manage the home and undertake her senior management role. As a result, the management oversight has at times been poor. Four out of the six requirements made at the last inspection have not been met. These related to the leadership and management of the home, the statement of purpose, staff supervision and the home having no registered manager. A further four breaches of regulation were identified at this inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A quality of care review has not been completed since February 2021. This should be completed every six months. This is a missed opportunity to understand the home’s areas of development and to take timely action.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new independent person has been appointed to carry out monthly monitoring visits to the home. Managers have been slow to act on the recommendations made following these visits. This diminishes the usefulness of this independent auditing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A fire risk assessment stated that fire safety tests needed to be completed weekly. Records did not reflect that this was happening. The monitoring of these records by managers did not identify and address this shortfall.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector was unable to view several documents due to them being in a locked cabinet. The only person with a key to the cabinet was absent due to COVID-19. No Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 3 consideration has been given to how to access important records when certain individuals are absent or unavailable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s records that were viewed were disorderly and difficult to understand. For example, a record of a physical intervention was recorded in three different documents; two of the documents were incomplete and the third document was locked in the cupboard. This poor record-keeping hinders the manager’s monitoring of the care children receive.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s location risk assessment and statement of purpose contain inaccurate and misleading information that does not reflect the home or the location it is situated in. This could result in children being inappropriately placed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The current staff team is relatively new to the home. However, the staff have a good knowledge of the children and their needs. Children are making positive progress in some aspects of their lives. However, the home does not currently have enough staff. As a result, staff are working lots of extra shifts. This has been a drain on staff’s resilience. Despite the home having no manager and there being staff vacancies, a decision was made to move a child into the home. This decision was poorly considered and has contributed to the staff and manager being overstretched at times.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff say that they feel well supported and have monthly supervision sessions. However, the home’s statement of purpose details that staff who are in their probation period will receive supervision every two weeks. This has not taken place and the service manager was unaware of this policy.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector was unable to review staff training records because they were locked in the cupboard. However, staff reported they had not received training in the home’s chosen model of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff who sleep at the home overnight are not provided with an adequate place to sleep. They currently sleep in the living room, that leads directly to a child’s bedroom. Managers have not considered potential safeguarding risks relating to this. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2021 Full Good 14/11/2019 Full Good 21/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 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 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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered person uses monitoring systems to improve the service and ensures that the home is managed in accordance with the statement of purpose, and that there is enough staff to meet the needs of children. 16 January 2022

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 6 This specifically relates to the registered person considering staffing arrangements before children are admitted to the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The statement of purpose should contain accurate information about the service. 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that a manager is appointed. 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff having supervision and annual appraisals in line with the company’s policy. 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 7 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that any document relating to children’s care, including records of incidents and physical interventions, are up to date and contain all accurate information. 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. (Regulation 45 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, a quality of care review should be completed every six months. 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home’s location risk assessment containing accurate information. 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the design of the home provides those staff that sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 8 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 for children’s home: 1271519 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s And Transitional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham, Warwickshire B23 7YX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Blessing Manyara

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271519 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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