Children's Home run by SOLID GLOBAL LIMITED in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 1 Registered provider: Solid Global Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home cares for two children who are affected by mental ill health. It is owned and operated by a small private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in January 2022. A new manager has been appointed and is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit on 6 July 2022. Due to concerns identified at that visit, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the setting and issued a compliance notice in relation to regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 8 and 9 August 2022, following an anonymous complaint to Ofsted which raised safeguarding concerns. That monitoring visit took place to monitor the provider’s compliance with the restriction of accommodation and to review the progress made in meeting the steps outlined in the compliance notice issued under regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

One child continues to live in the home. The provider has adhered to the notice of restriction and no children have moved into the home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made the improvements needed to meet the steps in the compliance notice. All staff have completed mandatory and specialist training as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. The new manager has revised the behaviour management plan for the child and it now reflects the home’s therapeutic model and provides guidance for staff to follow. Core staff are being upskilled to Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 2 help them to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to provide the child with a better quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

The new manager has implemented a quality monitoring system which is enabling her to identify and address some shortfalls in a timelier manner. This includes oversight of health and safety and staff training and is enabling the manager to begin to improve the quality of care provided to the child.

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This monitoring visit

Despite some progress in safer recruitment outlined at the previous monitoring visit on 8 and 9 August 2022, shortfalls remain. Checks on the new manager are incomplete and it was not clear that managers had satisfied themselves that an agency member of staff had been recruited safely by the agency they came from.

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This monitoring visit

Managers failed to notify Ofsted of an allegation made by the child against a member of staff working in the home. They were aware of this allegation prior to the monitoring visit on 8 and 9 August 2022 but did not inform the inspector, despite being asked if there were any current safeguarding concerns. This raises concerns regarding the honesty and integrity of the provider.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not ensured that an independent visit takes place each month and a report is sent to Ofsted. This was raised as a requirement previously and is repeated. This shortfall means that there is limited external oversight and Ofsted is not kept abreast of what is happening at the home. In addition, the provider has not produced a quality of care review report. This does not help managers to understand and act on areas for improvement.

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This monitoring visit

Weaknesses remain in care planning. The provider and the child’s placing authority have failed to come together to review the child’s placement and set out clear expectations regarding the clinical input from the provider. Despite the provider giving notice on the child’s placement and the authority wanting to move the child, no meetings have taken place to determine what is happening and how the child will be supported with a move from the home. Despite some challenge from managers to the child’s placing authority, no resolution has been reached and this inability to work together effectively is having a detrimental impact on the child’s behaviour and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing in the home has at times been insufficient and unsafe, with the child being cared for solely by agency staff who were not familiar with her needs and lacked relevant training. Recently, the provider has taken steps to address this, ensuring that agency staff are working alongside a core member of staff and that all staff working in the home have received relevant training. This work needs to continue to provide continuity of care to the child from people who know her and have the skills and knowledge to care for her appropriately.

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This monitoring visit

Arrangements for the administration of medicines in the home have improved. Staff are all trained in medication administration and appropriate guidance is in place. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 3 However, some medication had unclear labelling. Managers took immediate steps to rectify this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

In the child’s daily records and incident reports, staff have, at times, used inappropriate language, which has the potential to stigmatise the child. The new manager had already identified this issue and has arranged reporting and recording training for staff in the near future.

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This monitoring visit

The new manager has reviewed the location of the home and liaised with key people to understand any local risk. This understanding is being disseminated to staff to support them in keeping the child safe. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2021 Full Good 28/09/2018 Interim Not judged 05/06/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the home does not rely wholly on agency staff to cover the rota. 18 September

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; 25 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 6 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider and local authority devising a care plan detailing the arrangements for clinical oversight and transition from the home.

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to a failure to disclose a safeguarding concern to the inspector during a visit. 18 September

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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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff have a full employment history and that overseas checks are undertaken where relevant.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 18 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 18 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 7 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry)

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified;

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Requirement Due date

and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that a visit is facilitated each month and a report sent to Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 18 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months 18 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 8 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. Specifically, that children’s medication labels are clear and display the dose and strength of the medicine. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  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. Specifically, that non-judgemental language is used in

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Recommendations

children’s records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solid Global Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite G, Eldon House, 24 Central Square, High Street, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 6RY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Octovus Muchemenye

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Inspectors

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1259178 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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