Children's Home run by The Spring Children‟s and Transitional Care Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 1

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home may provide care for up to three children with a range of additional complex needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager.

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

This monitoring visit

On 5 and 6 April 2022, Ofsted undertook a full inspection. The home was judged inadequate. In response to that visit, Ofsted issued a notice of restriction of accommodation and two compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 32.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to consider the home’s adherence to the notice of restriction and the progress made towards meeting the two compliance notices. The provider has adhered to the restriction of accommodation, and there are currently two children living at the home. The two compliance notices were not reissued following this visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home remains without a registered manager and has done so since April 2021. Since the last inspection, a member of staff already working in the home has been appointed as the manager and intends to apply to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staff vacancies identified at the last inspection remains an ongoing issue and no new staff have been recruited. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 2 Managers have undertaken a review of staff recruitment files. These files now contain the required information. However, they continue to be poorly organised and difficult to navigate. A review of the previous manager’s recruitment file, whose employment ended in March 2022, shows that he was not safely recruited and had been allowed to work with children before relevant checks had been undertaken. As the manager has not been employed in the period since the last inspection, the provider has not been required to take action to address this.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The new manager has started to review children’s risk assessments. The manager has prioritised her efforts during the short period since the last inspection. Despite this, not all risk assessments have been reviewed by the manager or shared with staff. The manager recognises the need to address this shortfall in a timely manner. Until this action is completed, the effectiveness of the existing risk assessments is undermined.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Improvements to the home environment have been made, including repairs to the damage seen as the previous inspection. Steps have been taken to reorganise the configuration of the children’s bedrooms. This means that, currently, there are only bedrooms for the two children currently living in the home and there is not a spare bedroom to accommodate a third child, for which the home is registered for.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The two compliance notices raised at the last inspection have not been reissued. However, the notice of the restriction of accommodation remains in place. The other requirements raised at the last inspection were not reviewed as part of this visit as the end date had not passed. Those requirements are restated.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/04/2022 Full Inadequate 01/12/2021 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/05/2021 Full Good 14/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 3

p.2

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.3

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.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

p.3

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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that staff have received training specific to the needs of the children. As well as this, the registered person must review and evaluate the quality of care provided and use monitoring systems to identify and respond to shortfalls in practice. 30 May 2022

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 30 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 4 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.3

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 (1) (3)(a)(b))

p.4

Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the home’s statement of purpose includes accurate information about the home’s design and the care provided.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 30 May 2022

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)) 30 May 2022

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.4

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 30 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 5 that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.5

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.5

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff support children to understand their behaviours and their plans.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

p.5

Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; 30 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 6 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.5

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the recording of interventions used is clear. In addition, the provider should ensure that the effectiveness of the measure is evaluated.

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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home having an up-to-date rota. 30 May 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that repairs are carried out promptly, and ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. 30 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 7 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 May 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, Paragraph 14.4)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the quality-of-care review reflects the views of children and relevant others and provides an accurate assessment of the care provided to children and a clear plan for improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 8

p.7

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.8

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Spring Children’s And Transitional Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Grenville Drive, Birmingham B23 7YX

p.8

Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271519 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9