Children's home run by Albrighton Care Ltd in Cannock Chase

Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 1 SC484830 Registered provider: Albrighton Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The privately owned home is registered to provide care for two children who may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 24 July 2020 and he is qualified to QCF Level 5.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2019 Full Good 03/01/2019 Full Good 18/12/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

No children have left the home since the last inspection. Staff understand the individual needs of each child and tailor the care they provide accordingly. Children are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have been successful in supporting children with their education and have embedded a culture of educational attainment. For example, one child has achieved GCSE qualifications and is completing an Animal Care qualification. Another child’s behaviour at school has improved and they have been attending full time with no absences. One teacher shared that the staff work with the school to ensure that the child does well at school. Children are thriving educationally and are supported with their ambitions when leaving school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is not afraid to challenge professionals in the best interest of the child. For example, the registered manager has advocated on children’s behalf to ensure that they are receiving the same opportunities as any other child in education and health. As a result, children feel that they are listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive and trusting relationships with staff. One child told the inspector that he likes his key worker as he helps him with his education and in staying in contact with his family. The inspector observed positive interactions between staff and children. Because of this, children enjoy a positive experience of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are imaginative in the way they provide one-to-one support and group sessions to the children. For example, direct work is embedded into the day-to-day care provided to children. This has helped improve children’s self-confidence and self- esteem. Children know they can speak to staff openly about sensitive issues that are worrying them and they know that staff will listen and not judge them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children with their individual interests and hobbies. For example, one child enjoys various physical activities which includes attending a trampolining centre. Children have experienced a holiday away to Wales which they all enjoyed. This enhances children’s overall development and has helped children in building trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is effective in partnership working with external agencies. One social worker shared that they think that the care that the child receives is phenomenal. Communication between staff and social workers is excellent. This means that social workers have a clear understanding of the care-planning arrangements for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children with visiting their friends and family. The registered manager ensures that this is supported with the best interest of the child. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 4 facilitate visits with family members and help children maintain the relationships with people who are important to them. One parent shared that she has seen a positive change in confidence in her son and he is much happier. Another parent shared that the staff are good at understanding her son, if something was wrong with him, they do everything to get to the bottom of it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children tested positive with COVID-19 and became unwell, staff responded with warmth, care and were attentive to their needs and helped children understand the reasons for self-isolation. Staff were effective in their support during an emotionally challenging time.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have been successful in helping children to feel safe and make better choices. As a result, there has been no physical interventions, missing from care or significant incidents since the last inspection. This demonstrates the registered manager’s commitment to ensuring that children become increasingly safe while having a positive experience of care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding children is a priority for staff. Staff are attuned and responsive to the risks that are present for children individually and as a group. Staff demonstrate good safeguarding practice by following clear procedures when there has been a change of behaviour in the child. Their consultation with professionals and external agencies is effective and positive for children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are effective in helping children understand the dangers of sharing images and talking to strangers on social media. Staff provide guidance to children and discuss the importance of online safety. Because of this, children have developed knowledge in using the internet in a safe and responsible manner.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children benefit from a good level of individual support from staff. This helps children to develop trust with staff and develop a relationship based on mutual respect. One child shared with the inspector that he feels safe living in the home because of the staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff can confidently explain the home’s safeguarding procedures and they know what to do if they are concerned about a child. Staff shared that they know how to contact the local authority designated officer if they felt their concerns were not listened to by the registered manager or if there were concerns about the registered manager.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Despite the positives identified, risk assessments are of varied quality. This is because the registered manager has not considered all potential risks posed to children, including historical information shared by professionals. However, staff are well informed of the children’s previous vulnerabilities and know what action to take to keep the children and others safe. The registered manager took swift action to resolve this during the inspection. This has not had a negative impact on children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is very child focused and knows the children well. The registered manager is thoughtful and inclusive in their approach when dealing with both staff and children. The registered manager and staff work hard to promote positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensure that staff have regular supervision sessions. These sessions are thorough and include discussions about the children and staff members’ well-being. Staff say they are supported and listened to and know they can always turn to the registered manager for help and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent reviewing officers for all of the children speak highly of the registered manager and his staff team. All children have made significant progress while living in the home. This progress has been made possible by the dedication of the registered manager and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s monitoring systems are not always effective in identifying outstanding tasks that need to be completed to promote children’s needs. This has not compromised the outcome for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A team leader post is currently vacant and has been for more than six months. There are no arrangements in place to recruit to this post. This places additional demands on the registered manager’s time and has on occasions impacted on the effectiveness of consistent management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Placing authorities of the children living at the home do not receive the independent person’s monitoring report. This is a missed opportunity to keep commissioners and social workers updated about the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 6

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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

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

This relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff complete harmful sexualised behaviour training and that the registered manager uses monitoring systems to make continuous improvements to the quality of care provided to children. 1 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

the placing authorities of children. (Regulation 44 (7)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the provider ensuring that the independent person provides all independent visitor reports to the placing authorities of children. 1 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure there is a risk assessment for all risks posed to children, outlining what work is being completed by staff to minimise the risk. This includes those risks known by the registered person prior to the child living at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 9.5, page 42)  The registered person should ensure that they have recruited staff for the team leader position, as stated in the staffing structure of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 10.1, page 51)

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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: SC484830 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Albrighton Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4, Bermar House, Rumer Hill Business Estate, Rumer Hill Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0ET

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC484830 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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