Children's Home run by DMR Services Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 1 Registered provider: DMR Services 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. It provides care for up to four children aged between 11 and 17 who may have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 5 qualification.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2021 Full Good 11/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 25/07/2019 Full Good 22/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 3

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inadequate

The inadequate leadership and management in this home has compromised children’s safety and has had a negative impact on children’s experiences and progress.

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inadequate

The physical environment of the home is poorly maintained, dirty and in a poor state. Children’s bedrooms have mould on the window frames and ledges, there are stains on the carpets and there are marks and damage to the walls. One child has their own fridge in their bedroom. The fridge was in an unhygienic state with food stuck to the bottom of it, which had created an unpleasant smell. Another child’s bedroom had a broken chest of drawers and there were clothes and other items scattered on the floor. The condition of the home environment does not help children to feel valued.

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inadequate

Children’s bathrooms had mould and mildew in and around the shower basins. Bathroom walls and floors were dirty and stained. One child’s toilet had not been cleaned for a prolonged period. In addition, one child’s bathroom had holes in the wall that had not been noted by the manager or reported to the maintenance team. As a result, children do not have access to suitable bathroom facilities to attend to their personal hygiene.

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inadequate

The dining room was dirty and unsuitable for children to have their meals. The living areas were bare and not personalised, which does not provide children with a pleasant and welcoming space to spend time.

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inadequate

Children’s health needs are not being consistently met by staff in the home. For example, staff had failed to update and act on guidance with regard to one child’s oral health. This meant that a child did not receive the appropriate support required.

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inadequate

Despite the shortfalls identified, children enjoy a variety of different hobbies and activities. Staff encourage them to engage in different groups and sporting activities and this is helping them to develop their social skills. As a result, some children say that they like living at the home and that they get on well with the staff. Other children are less positive and say that they do not like living there.

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

Staff are not consistent in their approach to supporting children. This means that staff are not able to calm children when they are anxious or upset and in some instances staff’s actions result in children’s behaviours escalating. As a result of this, there has been an increase in physical interventions for children. When physical interventions are used, children and staff do not always receive debriefs. This means that opportunities to reflect on such incidents are missed. Furthermore, the Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 4 registered manager’s oversight of the physical intervention is poor and he does not identify learning to minimise the likelihood of the incidents from reoccurring.

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

Staff have been unsuccessful in managing children’s inappropriate racial language. This is because the staff do not consistently challenge these discriminatory behaviours. Furthermore, when children are spoken to, this is not successful in changing children’s understanding of why such behaviour is inappropriate.

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

The registered manager’s oversight of safeguarding arrangements to protect children is ineffective. When incidents occur, staff do not make a clear or detailed record of what happened. The manager has not identified or addressed this shortfall in staff practice. Furthermore, the poor quality of staff recording reduces the manager’s ability to assess staff’s actions and to make improvements.

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

The registered manager does not complete required investigations when allegations are made. This has the potential to expose children to harm. Furthermore, actions agreed by the local area designated officer have not been undertaken by the registered manager. This means that appropriate safeguarding measures are not always put in place to protect children.

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

Staff understand the children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are reviewed and updated when new risks emerge. The assessments provide staff with strategies and expectations of how to manage risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager’s oversight of the home has been poor. A requirement in relation to the home environment was raised at the full inspection in June 2021. Despite this, there has been a further decline in the home environment. Senior managers, including the responsible individual, had not assured themselves that this requirement had been addressed. This lack of action has had a detrimental impact on children’s experiences of living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager’s monitoring systems do not enable him to understand the shortfalls in how children are cared for and safeguarded. As a result, at the time of the inspection the registered manager and responsible individual did not have a good enough understanding of the home’s strengths or areas for improvement. However, in response to the inspection, some initial action was taken to make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A quality of care review has not been undertaken by the registered manager in the required timescales. This has compounded the registered manager’s poor insights into the care being provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not ensured that children’s placement plans contain up- to-date information relating to children’s individual care. For example, three of the children’s care plans have changed; however, this is not reflected in their placement plans. Essential local authority documents are missing from the children’s files. This Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 5 means that staff are not provided with guidance to ensure that they can provide care that meets children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite the shortfalls identified during the inspection, children’s social workers provided a positive assessment of the care provided to children and raised no concerns about being able to work in partnership with the registered manager and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has a full staff team whose members are experienced and appropriately trained. Staff say that they are well supported by the registered manager and deputy manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 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 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to the home being appropriately decorated, maintained and clean. 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

*The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(i)) 7 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 7 This specifically relates to children’s health needs being met.

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff undertaking work with children around racism. 7 August 2022

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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

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;

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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;

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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)(a)(f)(h)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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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

that arrangements are in place to— 7 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 8 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children having up-to-date plans that are reflective of their needs.

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that debriefs are carried out with children and that these are recorded. 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(3) (4)(a)(b)) 7 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 9 * These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 1278421 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: DMR Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 102 Queslett Road, Streetley, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham B74 2EZ

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1278421 11 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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