Children's Home run by SOLID GLOBAL LIMITED in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 1 Registered provider: Solid Global Limited Full inspection 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 needs to apply to register with Ofsted.

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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 and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

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

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A further monitoring visit took place on 8 and 9 August 2022, following an Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 2 anonymous complaint to Ofsted which raised safeguarding concerns. No additional enforcement action was taken following this visit.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A further monitoring visit took place on 17 August 2022 to review the provider’s compliance with the restriction of accommodation and action on the compliance notice under regulation 13. The compliance notice was found to be met. Concerns remained regarding care planning, staff skills, safer recruitment, and leadership and management. Seven requirements were made following this visit and the restriction notice remained in place. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 3

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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: 1259178 4

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inadequate

One child continues to live at the home. Shortfalls in care planning remain. Managers at the home and professionals from the child’s placing authority have not come together to review the child’s placement. Despite the responsible individual giving notice on the child’s placement and the authority wanting to move the child, no clear transition plan is in place. This has resulted in unplanned visits and unconfirmed leaving dates being communicated to the child. The uncertainty and poor planning are unsettling and are having a detrimental impact on the child’s behaviour and well-being.

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inadequate

Staff do not provide the child with consistent care and support that promotes their physical and emotional health. The child is sleeping in the lounge on a small sofa. They stay up late watching television in the evening and this affects their engagement during the day. Staff have not helped the child to develop a good routine, which affects their progress and well-being.

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inadequate

The child’s bedroom was in a poor state. The floor was covered in clothes, some of which were soiled. This shows a lack of care. This was addressed during the inspection and the child was really pleased with their clean and tidy room.

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inadequate

Staff have failed to respond when the child shared information with them about their identity. As a result, the child’s wishes and feelings have not been explored and support not provided to help the child. The lack of understanding and professional curiosity raises concerns about staff’s skills and experience to provide personalised care to children.

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inadequate

The child has developed positive relationships with some staff and enjoys some positive experiences. For example, they like going to the local shop with staff and going swimming. However, an inconsistent staff team means that the child does not receive consistent care from people who know them well.

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

Staff do not always respond to the child with care and empathy. For example, on one occasion, they used punitive language when talking to the child which caused the child to be distressed and anxious. Their actions showed a lack of regard for the child’s emotional well-being and a lack of insight into how to respond sensitively and honestly to a child who has had difficult early life experiences that have impacted on their behaviour and emotions.

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

When new agency staff start work at the home, it is not clear that a manager or staff member has verified their identification and checked their original Disclosure and Barring Service certificate. In addition, staff profiles provided by the recruitment Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 5 agency do not include a recent photo and confirmation that suitable references have been taken up. Managers have repeatedly failed to ensure that staff are recruited using procedures designed to protect children.

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

It is not always clear that agency staff working at the home have received the required training to meet the child’s needs. For example, the child sometimes needs staff to physically intervene to safeguard them and other people. However, it is not clear whether all agency staff have completed the required training.

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

Managers have failed to ensure that the environment is maintained to a safe standard. A broken radiator was hanging off a wall and annual health and safety checks are out of date. The provider took immediate action at the request of the inspector. Hazards in the physical environment of the home could pose a risk to the child’s health and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not demonstrated that they have the skills to manage the home effectively and safely. They have not maintained improvements noted at the previous monitoring visit. They have failed to demonstrate and ensure that children’s needs are met and that a safe level of care is delivered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual and manager’s oversight and monitoring of the home are weak. Existing monitoring systems have failed to identify shortfalls in staff practice, safer recruitment and some aspects of the quality of care provided to a child. Shortfalls in the effectiveness of management oversight have compromised the child’s welfare and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual is also a clinical psychiatrist and sometimes provides clinical input to children living at the home. It is not clear how the responsible individual balances his role in overseeing the management of the home with providing clinical input to children, and how he mitigates any conflict of interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On several occasions, only agency staff have worked at the home and provided care to the child living there. There are insufficient core staff to care for the child and the child has not been provided with continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Training was organised for staff in July and August 2022. However, staff are not using the knowledge they have gained to provide good-quality care to the child. Failures in the quality of care provided reflect this. As a result, it is not clear that staff have the required skills to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff do not have the required qualification to work with children, despite working in the home for over two years. These staff are now enrolled on the appropriate course. However, there is no plan in place to monitor this to ensure that they complete the qualification in a timely way. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 6 Staff have not received an annual review of their performance. In addition, they have not received regular or reflective supervision. This means staff are not supported to understand their strengths and areas for improvement. In addition, they do not receive adequate guidance to support them in caring for the child and to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has completed a quality of care review report. However, this does not include the views of the child or those involved in the child’s care. As a result, the manager is not using feedback to develop the home and improve the standards of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of this inspection, three compliance notice have been raised, in relation to regulation 6 (the quality of care standard), regulation 13, (the leadership and management standard), and regulation 32 (fitness of workers). In addition, a restriction of accommodation notice has been issued for a second time. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 7

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 7 November 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 are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 7 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 8 that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff support children to develop healthy daily routines and sleeping patterns.

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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

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

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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 7 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 9 Specifically, that leaders and manager formulate an improvement plan to address the widespread shortfalls in the management and staffing in the home.

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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; (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers and staff develop effective working relationships with the child’s placing authority. Also, that there is a clear agreement in place should the responsible individual provide clinical input to a child living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the previous inspection and is repeated. 7 November 2022

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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)) 7 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 7 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 10 (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i)(c))

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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 requirement was raised at the previous inspection and is repeated. 7 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 7 November 2022

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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.

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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 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b) (5)) 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 11 This relates to gaining feedback from children and key people and using this to bring about improvement in the quality of care provided at the home.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should comply with relevant health and safety legislation. In particular, take prompt action to repair damage and ensure that legionella checks are reviewed and any recommendations actioned. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1259178 12

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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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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1259178 13 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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