Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 1 Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children up to the age of 18 with emotional and/or behavioural needs. A private provider operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and is working towards the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Inspection date: 22 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 22 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 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 this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three children lived at the home at the time of this inspection. Since the full inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has left. The child who left moved on in a planned way with some good quality-work undertaken by staff to support her next steps to independence. The child who moved into the home has settled, after a well-considered admission process. Overall, children have a positive time while at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between staff and children continue to be strong and positive. Permanent staff understand children’s needs well and, overall, work hard to keep them safe. Risk assessments now include details of the actions staff will take to reduce identified risks. In addition, safeguarding matters are dealt with swiftly and information is shared appropriately with relevant agencies and children’s families.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite this positive work, the manager has not ensured that a child’s risk assessment includes information about overnight stays with a friend. This means staff do not have a clear plan to follow, including welfare checks and medication arrangements, when these visits take place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has a learning disability and a behavioural diagnosis. Additionally, the statutory plans detail past trauma and possible post-traumatic stress disorder. Not all staff have undertaken training to understand this child’s additional needs. This limits staff’s understanding and ability to provide all the support they can to facilitate the child’s progress and maintain their welfare.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has some good monitoring systems to understand the quality of care provided to children. However, these are not yet effective in all areas. For example, recommendations raised in a fire risk assessment have not been addressed promptly. In additional, the manager was unable to locate one child’s placement plan and could not confirm if all staff had read the latest plan for this child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children told the inspector that they like living at the home and feel safe. Staff talk through topics with children that are relevant to their care and safety. For example, staff discuss with the children the need to stay safe online and how children can do this. They also discuss issues such as exploitation and sexual health. These discussions reiterate important messages to the children to help them understand risk and how to reduce it.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff now receive regular and good-quality supervision. Children and staff speak positively about the support they receive from the manager. Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 3 Improvements have been made to the environment, with a remodelled garden and, inside the home, soft furnishings and some redecoration. There is a now a more homely feel to the environment, which children enjoy.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Working relationships with professionals and parents are good. Professionals speak positively about good communication and information-sharing between staff, the manager and themselves. As a result of good partnership working, children remain central to the care they receive.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

New employees are subject to an assessment of their suitability to work with children. This includes references being taken up and criminal records checks. The provider asks staff to complete a self-declaration about previous disciplinary matters and prior convictions, but records regarding this are unclear. Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 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 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 the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets the 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 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that information about a child’s diagnosis and past trauma are reflected in the child’s plans and that staff have access to this information.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 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 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 6 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children spend time away from the home with friends ensure that this is risk assessed and staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training to understand children’s complex needs, and that actions in a fire risk assessment are completed. 31 March 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice and that the recruitment procedures minimise the risk of unsafe adults working with children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 7

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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 for children's home: 1253711 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 28, Phoenix Business Park, Avenue Close, Aston, Birmingham B7 4NU

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1253711 9 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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