Children's Home run by Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 1 Registered provider: Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by Birmingham Children’s Trust as part of the local authority and has been registered since March 2018. The home provides care for up to 12 children under the age of 18 with learning disabilities. Young people can remain beyond 18 while they conclude education, if required.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted for this home since it opened and has worked as a registered manager in children’s homes since 2013.

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Inspection date: 11 January 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 11 January 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the previous inspection, six requirements and two recommendations were raised. Two requirements have been met, and four requirements have been restated alongside an additional requirement. Compliance notices have been issued for regulations 12 and 13. Two new recommendations have been made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Nine children live in the home. Two children have left the home and one child has begun living at the home since the previous inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has ensured that all fire doors in the home have been reviewed, and the home is now fully compliant with fire safety regulations. The registered manager has also moved the controlled medication cabinet to a more accessible location. Children take their prescribed medication at correct times, with guidance sought from medical practitioners should any alterations be made. However, staff do not always accurately record numbers of controlled medication when they are moved, which could lead to misplacing of potentially dangerous substances. This has not resulted in harm but requires closer monitoring to prevent any risk of harm occurring in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home environment remains in need of updating. Hazards have not been addressed in a timely way. Damage to glass in a bathroom has not been repaired. Inspectors also noted damaged and potentially dangerous equipment in the garden and damage to flooring near a bathroom. This is not only an unwelcoming environment for the children to live in but could lead to potential physical harm due to some of these hazards being unsafe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children move on from the home in a successful and planned way. The registered manager attends meetings with professionals to advocate for children about their moves. Staff prepare children well to move on, for example by visiting new accommodation to ensure that it meets children’s needs. Children meet their new carers, look at photos and visit their new accommodation prior to moving in. Changes are implemented at the child’s pace. This enables children to experience minimal disruption and supports them in making positive progress when they move on from the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff build positive relationships with children and know them well. Praise and encouragement encourage positive behaviour from children. Incidents where children become distressed are very infrequent and there have been no restraints since the previous inspection. When children do become upset, staff talk this Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 3 through with them, which results in children feeling calmer. Children say that they enjoy living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has worked hard to maintain staff consistency in the home and ensure that children are cared for by people who know them well. This has been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted on staffing. The registered manager and deputy manager provided care for children to ensure that they have sufficient staff. This enabled children to be cared for by staff who they have trusting relationships with, and, as a result, many children remain settled in their placements at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers do not ensure that children have the most up-to-date care plans from their local authority. They do not take enough action to advocate on behalf of children and raise a concern when statutory reviews are not completed in the required time frame. This means that children’s targets are not kept up to date and their progress is impeded.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff do not receive regular supervision. This was raised at the previous inspection. The system the manager introduced to track this issue is not effective. Senior staff are enrolled on courses to help them understand how to lead their own staff supervision sessions effectively. However, currently, staff do not have regular oversight to help them to reflect on the quality of care that children receive.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is in the process of updating staff training, for example in positive behaviour management. Subsequently, children are not yet cared for by staff who are fully skilled to meet their needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager does not use effective monitoring systems to support her review of the quality of care. This was identified as a shortfall at the previous inspection. While managers understand children’s needs, they are not skilled in reviewing the care provided. This is not a reliable way to have accurate oversight of the home’s activities and means that some of the shortfalls noted in this inspection were missed. The lack of clear oversight leaves the registered manager unable to make effective progress in developing the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager does not ensure that the independent visitor is providing a good enough service. Ofsted has not received any independent visitor reports since September 2021. Managers informed inspectors that they also have had delays in the home receiving these reports. However, this issue has not been addressed by managers in a timely way to support them to develop the home. This further weakens the supportive systems the home has in place to monitor the quality of care that children receive. Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that any areas of disrepair or damage in the home are fixed promptly to keep the environment safe for children to live in.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 23 February 2022

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that a reliable system is in place which enables her monitor and understand the quality of care. 23 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 6 It also relates to ensuring that the information gained from these systems and from feedback from others is used to inform the quality of care review.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home working with the independent visitor to ensure that reports after monthly visits are written and shared with the home and Ofsted in a timely manner. 23 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 23 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 7 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager having a record of staff supervisions and making sure that these are completed regularly to enable staff to reflect and improve their skills through practice-related supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

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 the registered manager ensuring that children’s care planning meetings and documents are completed at regular intervals and are used to support children’s progress.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 23 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing and supportive environment that is homely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff keep records of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.15) Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 8

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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.

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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: 1273663 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Third Floor, Zone 16, 1 Lancaster Circus, Birmingham B4 7DJ

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Inspectors

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Ricky D’Arcy, Social Care Compliance Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1273663 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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