Children's home run by Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company

Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 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 seven children under the age of 18 with learning disabilities, as part of a short breaks service provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in 2012.

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Inspection date: 28 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a monitoring visit on 18 February 2021, two compliance notices were issued, for regulation 13 and regulation 32.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the full inspection on 12 and 13 April 2021 the compliance notice for regulation 13 was met. The compliance notice for regulation 32 was not met.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A further monitoring visit took place on 2 June 2021. At this visit, the compliance notice for regulation 32 was met. Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 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

Four requirements were made at the previous inspection. Two of these requirements have been met. Two of the requirements are raised again and one additional requirement has been raised as a result of this visit. One recommendation was made at the previous inspection and this has now been met. Two new recommendations have been made during this visit.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has worked at the home for several years and understands the service well. The home operates a short breaks service for children. There are a total of seven groups of children currently accessing the service, with up to five matched children in each of these groups. Children currently stay for approximately four days per month with their short breaks group.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, three new children have begun visiting the home and one child has moved on in a planned move to a longer-term home. One parent said they feel their child is settled and enjoys their breaks at the home so much that ‘they don’t want to come home by the end’. Parents describe their children making good progress, with one parent commenting that their child’s confidence in exploring their environment has improved because of staff’s support of their sensory needs. One child told the inspector that the home is ‘10 out of 10, the best you can get’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children stay in themed bedrooms with personalised artwork to help make their stays fun. Despite maintenance work having been completed in the home, there are still improvements that are required. For example, there was significant damage to a bathroom floor and radiator, a child’s headboard was damaged, and used and broken furniture was left outside in the home’s gardens. Some work was completed during the inspection. A requirement has been restated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children who access the service use specialist equipment, such as walkers, on a daily basis. However, the environment does not yet give them full access to all areas of the home. For example, the ground of the sensory garden was covered in tree debris, making it inaccessible for some children. This restricts children’s accessibility in the home. Managers acted on this during the inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager checks recruitment paperwork for new staff, and a clear induction plan and improved training has been implemented for newer staff members. However, the recruitment checks are still not being completed in line with schedule 2. For example, when staff have worked in previous roles with children or vulnerable adults, reasons for leaving have not always been sought and then verified. This has Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 3 meant that children could be cared for by individuals not suitable to work with them. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is being raised again.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff now benefit from regular supervision which is practice related, and children’s individual targets are the focal point. However, in one supervision, when areas of development in staff practice were discussed, this was not documented. This prevents staff and their managers from reflecting on their progress and keeping track of their targeted areas of development, to ensure children are cared for by skilled individuals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager now records important information about children’s progress and events in the home on a monthly basis to aid her monitoring. However, the manager has failed to identify some shortfalls. For example, a recent complaint, which was dealt with appropriately, has not been recorded, or further actions to improve identified. Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/11/2019 Full Good 19/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 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

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

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)(v)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to risk assessments being updated following incidents, and staff fully following children’s plans to help reduce the risk of children’s behaviour becoming heightened. Also, to ensuring that all areas of the home are clean and that any damage is promptly repaired. 26 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 26 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 6 The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that reasons for leaving any previous job roles where staff have worked with vulnerable adults or children are verified.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 26 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  The registered person should ensure that, as good practice, a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions should be kept and that both the person giving the supervision and the staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: 1273497 7

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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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Inspector

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1273497 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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