Children's home run by YCPG Services Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 1 SC063813 Registered provider: DMR Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to six children who have experienced childhood instability, leading to trauma and associated risks.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 5 qualification and registered with Ofsted in November 2010.

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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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2021 Full Good 05/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are four children currently living in the home, and they are happy and making good progress. The children have lived at the home for long periods of time, which has allowed them to develop meaningful relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is an experienced management team that brings stability and certainty to the home and children. Staff support the manager to create a safe, nurturing environment for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children respond well to boundaries and set routines. This, coupled with the support provided by the education coordinator, enables children to regularly attend school and achieve their individual goals. One child, who has finished their education, is applying for an apprenticeship in hospitality with the continued support of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to make informed decisions. They sensitively consider how one child responds to situations and give him strategies to manage his emotions. For example, one child who has self-harming tendencies has set words that he uses so that staff know he needs support. This minimises the impact of risk-taking behaviours on children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff develop effective professional relationships with other agencies to help the children. The manager is a strong advocate and makes sure that statutory targets are achieved for the children in her care. For example, one education professional said, ‘The work that this organisation has done with [child’s name] is truly amazing. In my opinion, they have changed his life and set him on a positive path towards his future.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to take part in activities, make friends and see their families when it is safe to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and tidy. One child had requested a bedroom change to give them extra space for new furniture and to store personal belongings. The registered manager agreed to this and organised a refurbishment of the new bedroom and ensuite. This means children feel valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff build positive relationships with the children. They encourage the children to contribute to these home improvements and to strive to make the environment more homely. However, there are still some areas of the home that have unnecessary locks in place; for instance, the pantry and conservatory are routinely locked for no valid reason. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 4

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

Staff understand the children well, and through clear plans, they know the risks that they face. Support plans are put in place for children when they need further assistance. Staff spoke confidently to the inspector about the strategies that they use to increase children’s safety.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding policies and how to record these concerns effectively. They know who to contact should they have any safeguarding concerns for a child.

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

The registered manager responds to safeguarding concerns promptly and takes appropriate action to keep children safe. The registered manager and the deputy manager share information with children when appropriate to help them feel safe and listened to.

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

The children have positive relationships with staff. The staff respond confidently to children when they feel worried or anxious. As a result, one child felt able to raise concerns about a staff member working at the home. The registered manager handled and supported this situation sensitively, resulting in positive mediation and the child reconciling their relationship with the staff member.

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

Physical intervention documents are well recorded. They give a good level of information about the incident and what staff did to reduce the risk of harm to the child. Children and staff are debriefed following interventions. The use of physical intervention has reduced over the last nine months, and the records that were viewed indicate that instances of physical intervention have been in the best interests of the child.

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

The recruitment of new staff since the last inspection has been safe and effective. Safer recruitment practices and protocols are followed. This means that potential new staff are subject to clear vetting processes. This reduces the risk of unsuitable adults working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and dedicated registered manager leads this home. She is a positive role model for children and staff and ensures that a good standard of care is provided in this home. Staff feel well supported and have common goals for the children and home as a whole.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive an excellent level of support through regular supervision sessions with a member of the management team. These sessions are child-focused and task- driven. Staff also receive yearly appraisals. Induction for new staff is well planned, providing new staff with a positive introduction to the home. As a result, staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and are able to develop their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 5 The inspector found evidence of the role that the registered manager and the staff have played in advocating for the children. For example, the registered manager has challenged a placing authority that has not been proactive in finalising one child’s pathway plan. This practice shows how the home promotes the child’s voice so that they receive the opportunities they deserve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual’s input is not visible in children’s records. Furthermore, it is not apparent that they are actively involved in the child’s life at the home. They do not supervise the registered manager and do not actively support improvements made in the home. Because of this, they do not fulfil the role of the responsible individual. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 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

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the nominated responsible individual having oversight of the home and actively supporting the improvements required. 2 March 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21 (c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home, and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. Information on restraint and deprivation of liberty is contained in the protection of children section of the Guide from paragraph 9.41. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC063813 7

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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

Mark Dickinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063813 8 regulates and inspects 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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