Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report children's home: 2533064 1 Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. The home offers medium to long term care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022 and is undertaking the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2533064 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2533064 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector observed warm and friendly relationships between children and staff. Staff listen to children and advocate for their wishes and feelings. Children are settled in the home and do not have incidents of behaviour which challenge. One child told the inspector that the staff treat them well and they feel happy living here. Dedicated staff offer children help when they need it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to attend routine health appointments and to access more specialised services when needed. Children enjoy a balanced diet and take part in a range of leisure activities. They make the most of local facilities and those further afield, such as theme parks and holidays. As a result, children enjoy good physical health and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make marked progress from their starting points in the home. All children are engaged in education and are achieving. Parents and professionals speak highly of the progress the children have made while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a clean and welcoming home. Children’s bedrooms are bright and modern, and they are encouraged to personalise them with posters and family photos. The shared living areas are clean and comfortable, and children enjoy spending time with staff in the cinema and activity rooms. Staff prepare good-quality food which the children choose and enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to share their views and develop their value systems as individuals. Views are sought through key-working sessions and utilise children’s preferred communication systems. Good attention is given to exploring culture, diversity and equality. A range of calendar events are celebrated. A recent example is a discussion about the Queen’s Jubilee. This helps to increase the children’s curiosity and understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain those relationships which matter to them. Staff advocate for the children with external services and raise challenge to ensure their needs are met. Time with family is encouraged. For example, one child sees their sibling in another home. Another child recently celebrated a birthday and had his family attend the home for a party. This demonstrates that staff understand the importance of supporting important relationships for children.

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

Three children currently live in the home long term. They feel safe and supported living here. There is no bullying and children interact well with one another.

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

The children do not go missing. Since the last inspection, staff have not had to physically intervene to keep children safe. Children have not had any significant Inspection report children's home: 2533064 4 incidents or caused injury to themselves or others. There have been no complaints or allegations. This demonstrates children are happy here and are having their needs met by the home.

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

The manager and staff take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Children experience good levels of safety planning and stability, due to informed and child-centred risk assessments. The manager and staff use their own knowledge, stakeholder input and children’s experiences to identify, assess and plan to reduce risk. As a result, children are protected.

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good

There have been significant changes to the staff team, particularly since the new manager has been in position. The home has relied heavily on the use of agency staff to cover shortfalls. Although these staff are experienced and trained, there have been occasions where staffing levels have been below what is required for the children. However, this has not had a negative effect on the children, and the home is actively recruiting staff to fill the vacancies.

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good

While staff are provided with a comprehensive induction and training programme, there are gaps in their knowledge and skills. Suitable oversight of their induction is not in place and, as such, there has been drift and delay. This means staff do not always have the skills needed to fully understand children’s complex needs.

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good

The manager’s review of the quality of care has not considered the strengths and weaknesses of the service in terms of staffing. Additionally, the views of important people involved in the home have not been gained.

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good

Day-to-day monitoring and review systems lack the scrutiny in key areas such as training and induction. Additionally, the monitoring system has failed to identify that one child’s review minutes have not been received, so any identified actions are unclear. This lack of oversight and review means that the manager has not suitably considered how to improve the quality of care.

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good

The manager has not reviewed the suitability of the home’s location assessment. Out-of-date information and lack of engagement with key people mean that any new potential concerns in the area are not known.

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good

Due to the high turnover of staff, and cover staff being utilised, there have been changes most weeks to the planned roster. The manager has not ensured that the duty roster is an accurate reflection of the actual shifts worked in the home.

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good

Staff feel well supported by the registered manager and feel very much part of the team. The registered manager is committed to the development of the team’s skills and knowledge. The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and has identified some of the areas for improvement. Inspection report children's home: 2533064 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure there are enough staff on duty who have the required training to meet children's needs.

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Requirement Due date

It also refers to ensuring that monitoring and review systems are effectively incorporated and used. 31 Aug 2022

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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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— 28 Oct 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2533064 6 the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that children's communications systems are utilised to ask their opinions and placing authority views are sought to inform the report.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children's home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked is kept. 31 Aug 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children's case records are kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Specifically, that the latest minutes from children's local authority reviews are requested and kept on Inspection report children's home: 2533064 7 file. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 children's home: 2533064 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Ltd

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Children's home details

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

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Children's home details

Registered manager: Depriye Stanley Goodluck

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2533064 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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