Children's Home run by Support and Sustain Care Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 1 Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been at the home since it was registered in July 2021. She is working towards a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 2

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improvement to be good

Since it was registered in July 2021, two children have lived at the home. One child has left the home as her behaviours in the local community placed her and the staff team at risk of harm. In contrast, the one child currently living at the home has settled quickly and is making good progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff have been successful in engaging the child in a range of activities in line with her interests, such as going to the cinema, walking, going shopping and eating out. In addition, staff organise activities in the home, such as crafting and baking. As a result, she is having fun, learning new skills and hopes also to go swimming and horse riding.

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improvement to be good

A tutor attends the home to provide education to the child. Since moving into the home, the child’s engagement and the number of hours she is tutored have increased. The registered manager has worked closely with the placing authority to plan how to reintegrate the child into a school environment. An education provision has now been identified for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff are in the process of establishing trusting relationships with the child. Staff carry out regular key-working sessions with the child to discuss feelings, behaviours and the day-to-day running of the home. This practice demonstrates a commitment to building meaningful relationships.

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improvement to be good

The home is well furnished, however, some areas look bare as pictures have been taken off the walls to prevent the child from self-harming. Alternative methods for hanging pictures, which would minimise the potential risk of harm to the child, have not yet been implemented. During the inspection, the inspector noted that other items in the home that presented a known risk to the child had not been noticed or removed by staff. This means that the child is at times exposed to unnecessary risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

The child’s risk assessments lack sufficient detail to support staff to identify risks and take action to reduce them. A lack of detailed risk assessments and staff understanding of risk-taking behaviours does not support the continuing reduction of risk and protect the child from harm. Despite this, the child has made progress and there has been a reduction in some risk-taking behaviours.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has not identified potential hazards related to the fire safety of the home. For example, the garden gate, which is an exit point in the event of a fire, was locked and staff did not have easy access to a key. Furthermore, signage Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 3 was missing from a fire exit. The home’s fire risk assessment was not accurate and had not identified hazards that needed to be addressed. The child’s personal emergency evacuation plan did not contain key information relevant to the child. The failure to identify and address these shortfalls has the potential to increase the risk of harm should there be a fire in the home. The registered manager took action during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are only used as a last resort. Staff have not used any physical intervention with the child currently living at the home. This is because staff are successful at promoting positive behaviours and preventing situations from escalating.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all necessary checks. This helps to ensure that staff who work in the home are safe to do so.

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good

The registered manager does not hold the required level 5 diploma in leadership and management. However, she is working towards completing this.

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good

Most staff are relatively new to the home. The staff have limited experience of working with children with complex and high-risk behaviours. The registered manager has not ensured that all staff have received the induction and training required. This means that staff do not have an in-depth understanding of how to implement the home’s model of care. As a result, not all staff are equipped to provide care to the child in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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good

The statement of purpose has not been updated in line with regulation. This means that Ofsted does not have the most up-to-date information about the care the home intends to provide.

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good

The management team’s use of monitoring systems has not been effective in identifying and responding to some shortfalls, such as fire prevention strategies and risk assessments. However, in other examples, managers have identified shortfalls in practice and taken action to improve. For example, after the first child moved out of the home, managers and the staff team undertook an investigation to look at lessons that could be learned. Required improvements were made and this contributed to the well-planned transition into the home for the second child.

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good

During the inspection, the registered manager and deputy demonstrated their child- focused approach. Steps were taken during the inspection to rectify shortfalls as they were identified by the inspector. This shows that they have the capacity to make the required improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 4

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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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)) 31 March 2022

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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

that the premises used for the purpose 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)(iii)(d)) 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 5 the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of the children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fir to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”). (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(c)(i))

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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 (3)(a)(b)) 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation reg 33 (1)(a)) 31 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— 31 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 6 understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff having an in-depth understanding of the home’s model of care and to use it in their practice to support children to make good progress.

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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 for children’s home: 2603750 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Limited

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2603750 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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