Children's Home run by Caterpillar Care Services in Solihull

Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 1 Registered provider: Caterpillar Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to two children who may experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a Level 5 qualification and was registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: This is the first inspection since the home was registered in August 2021.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 2

p.1

improvement to be good

Since registration in August 2021, four children have moved into the home and three children have left. The registered manager has acted quickly when the needs of children could not be met to ensure that they are placed in the right setting. Although their moves out of the home have not always been planned, staff help to move children on in a sensitive manner, and, where possible, they celebrate the child’s time at the home. One child lives at the home. The child moved into the home a week before the inspection. This move was an unplanned emergency placement. Staff recognise the worries the child faced when moving to unfamiliar surroundings and helped her to settle quickly.

p.2

improvement to be good

Although the child has only been living at the home for a brief time, she is building relationships with staff and spending time with them. The child is beginning to trust staff and talk to them. This is helping staff to better understand her views and needs.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s health needs and ensure that the child has access to a range of health services. Some routine health appointments have already been attended. This ensures that the child’s health is promoted and supported.

p.2

improvement to be good

Prior to coming to the home, the child has been out of education for some. The staff and registered manager are working to support her educational needs in partnership with the virtual head. In the interim, the child is engaging well with staff and completing work at home while a new placement is found. This work is provided by her school. This ensures that the child’s learning opportunities continue to be promoted.

p.2

improvement to be good

A range of activities are accessible to the child, both in and out of the home. The child likes spending time with staff and is exploring how to spend her free time. During the inspection, the child went shopping with staff, baked cakes and enjoyed time at the local park. As a result, the child’s more active lifestyle is helping to improve her social and emotional well-being.

p.2

improvement to be good

The home environment is well maintained. However, some items have not been removed that have the potential to become hazards to the child. For example, a glass mirror and loose hanging vertical blind cords were found in the bathroom. The registered manager acknowledged this at the time of the visit and is taking remedial action. Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff have not always taken effective action to protect the child from harm. For example, despite the child causing harm to herself, staff have continued to provide the child with razor blades as part of her self-care regime. This is because staff and managers had not made the link between the risk of self-harm and the access to a bladed implement. Although the child’s injuries were superficial, the poor decision- making and lack of oversight by managers compromised the child’s safety. Steps were taken during the inspection to reduce the likelihood of this occurring again.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child’s risk assessment does not contain the correct information about her vulnerabilities or give clear guidance to help staff understand how best to keep her safe. While this shortfall was addressed during the inspection, it shows that management oversight sometimes lacks attention to detail.

p.3

improvement to be good

Most staff have completed relevant safeguarding training. However, two staff have not completed online training to support their understanding around self-harm. This has limited staff’s insight into how best to address this aspect of the child’s needs

p.3

improvement to be good

The registered manager does not always let Ofsted know of significant events. On two occasions, the registered manager has delayed reporting incidents to Ofsted.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child does not go missing from the home. In part, this is because the child likes living at the home. However, staff understand how to act should the child go missing from the home. One child who previously lived at the home used to go missing often. Staff went above and beyond to stay in contact and look for the child. This helped to return the child home safely.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff promote positive behaviour and offer praise and rewards. This recognition of good behaviour by staff increases confidence and motivates the child to behave in a socially acceptable manner. As a result, the child is beginning to understand what is expected of her.

p.3

good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified registered manager. He is supported by a deputy manager. The registered manager and staff team are dedicated and ambitious. However, the poor oversight by the registered manager has meant that shortfalls in staff practice are not always identified and acted on.

p.3

good

The registered manager provides staff with regular supervision sessions. This ensures that staff feel well supported. However, the responsible individual has not ensured that the registered manager receives monthly supervision sessions in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This is a missed opportunity to give the Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 4 registered manager feedback about his performance and assess his professional development.

p.3

good

The registered manager does not keep the admission and discharge register up to date. For example, the addresses of where children lived prior to and on leaving the home, the children’s placing authority and the statutory provision that children are accommodated under were not recorded in the register.

p.4

good

Significant events are not always reported to Ofsted without delay. For example, the registered manager did not inform Ofsted when a child was admitted to hospital. This lack of information-sharing by the registered manager hinders any action required to be taken by the inspector.

p.4

good

The registered manager works positively with professionals, who speak well of the effective communication and information-sharing between them. As a result, professionals are confident about the service offered. Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into ac- count information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if neces- sary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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)(a)(i)(vi)(d))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person assessing risk and ensuring that bathrooms are free from hazards. 25 March 2022

p.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 25 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 6 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff receive training to manage self-harm.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the registered manager receives regular supervision. 25 March 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager maintains the register. 25 March 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager reports incidents without delay. 25 March 2022

p.6

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 for children’s home: 2540092 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caterpillar Care Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 12–16 Station Street East, Coventry, Warwickshire CV6 5FJ

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered manager: James Montgomery-Williams

p.7

Inspector

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2540092 8 regulates and inspects 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.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8