Children's Home run by St. Benedict’s Care Solutions Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 1 Registered provider: St Benedict’s Care Solutions Limited 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 and is registered to provide care for up to three children with learning disabilities

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and has been registered with Ofsted for this home since it opened in August 2022.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first inspection since it opened. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. Children who move into the home receive a carefully considered introduction which takes account of their individual abilities and capacity. Staff are instrumental to ensure that introductions take place over a period according to the children’s communication and cognitive abilities. As a result, children quickly settle and feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and children are good, which has a positive impact on children’s lived experiences and progress. One child told the inspector that they like living at the home and that staff provide a good quality of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in developing their life skills from their starting point. This is because staff take the time to support children in what they want to achieve. As a result, one child is learning how to cook their favourite foods, wash their clothes and attend to their personal self-care. Successfully learning these new skills has resulted in the child developing their independent living skills for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are doing well and making good progress with their learning and school attendance. This is despite one school being some distance away from the home. Staff have realistic and high expectations for children making progress in their learning and educational achievements. They support children by attending statutory meetings and keeping in close communication with teachers. For example, when one child was subject to a fixed exclusion, staff communicated with teachers and the child’s learning was not adversely impacted. They ensured that the child returned to school at the earliest opportunity. As a result, this child is now making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children well to maintain important relationships with family members. They communicate effectively with social workers to evaluate the arrangements for family time. As a result, staff understand the importance of children spending meaningful time with their birth family and friends. This means that children have a sense of belonging and connection to their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and take an active role in supporting children to express their wishes and views regarding their care. There are regular individual sessions and house meetings between staff and children. As a result, children feel that they are listened to by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment of the home is welcoming, comfortable, nurturing and decorated to a good standard. Children take pride in their bedrooms. They are encouraged to personalise them with different themes in line with their wishes. Staff ensure that children are always well presented and have good-quality clothes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 4 However, other aspects of the home need improvement. For example, a children’s communication aid is not a feature throughout the home to help them to navigate their environment. Also, there are some minor maintenance works that require attention. Managers have a plan to address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are consistently met to a good standard. Staff ensure that individual health assessments are in place and recommendations from health plans are acted on. Children attend regular appointments with the dentist, general practitioner, optician and specialist services. Children are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. However, staff have not always been effective in supporting one child with maintaining a healthy diet. This has recently improved, and staff are promoting more nutritious options for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some staff continue to do some good work with children by having conversations with them about important topics. This helps children to understand about their emotions and behaviour and learn better coping strategies. However, this approach is inconsistent. For example, staff do not carry out effective work with children about exploring sexual health, extremism and keeping themselves safe online. This does not actively encourage children to keep themselves and others safe.

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

Risk to children is reducing, which is helped by the approach and care they receive from staff. Children have not gone missing from home. The registered manager has prepared detailed missing-from-care protocols in the eventuality that a child goes missing. Staff are provided with clear guidance on how to escalate concerns by working in partnership with the local authority, local services and the police to ensure that children return home as soon as possible.

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

Staff respond to children’s behaviours in a positive way. At the time of this inspection, no physical restraints had been used. Staff practice is balanced between embedding clear, consistent boundaries and providing children with care and protection. This helps children to develop a powerful sense of feeling safe.

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

The registered manager has reviewed the location risk assessment and has ensured that risk reduction strategies are in place for children in the house and when out in the community. This ensures that staff understand risk and children’s vulnerabilities and are clear about how to respond when the need arises.

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

Children are supported to take age-appropriate risks as part of their development and degree of freedom and choice. For example, one child has progressed to having unsupervised family time in the community. Also, staff introduced this child to have money to go out with his family. This shows that children learn new life skills and have better opportunities.

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

Staff are not always curious enough about the safety of children in their care. On the occasions when staff show professional curiosity, this has been effective in safeguarding children from harm online. However, this is not consistent for all Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 5 children. For example, staff do not implement security measures on one child’s electrical devices to stop the child from accessing inappropriate websites. The registered manager acted during the inspection to ensure that security measures were installed.

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

Most children’s risk assessments are detailed and contain the relevant information to provide staff with guidance and advice on how to help keep children safe. However, one child’s risk assessments have not been reviewed and updated since they moved into the home. Furthermore, it is unclear if staff have read and understood risk assessment documents.

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

The registered manager and staff use monitoring and surveillance equipment without good reason. For example, door alarms are in use to monitor children’s movements in communal spaces of the home during the day and night. These measures are not proportionate and appropriate as the children have close supervision. Furthermore, children’s risk assessments are void of information about why children require monitoring and surveillance. This places unnecessary restrictions on children’s ability to move freely in their home and infringes on their privacy.

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good

The registered manager does not always use her monitoring and review systems effectively to provide her with a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. For example, she has failed to ensure that staff have clear guidance and advice when managing children’s risks. Furthermore, the inspector found there was insufficient information documented prior to a new child moving into the home, to consider the impact this admission would have on another child. This limits the capacity of the home to make sustained improvement.

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good

The registered manager has not put in place systems for children who rely on communication aids. For example, one child does not have signs displayed throughout the home. Furthermore, this child gets confused about where to locate items and where his bedroom is located. This does not promote children’s confidence and self-esteem. It also has the potential to limit children’s freedom of movement in the home.

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good

Half of the staff team holds the required level 3 diploma qualification in residential childcare. An equal number are currently working towards this or are planned to be enrolled on a training programme. However, not all core staff have the skills and training to meet children’s complex needs. For example, staff do not have training in the organisation’s attachment and therapeutic parenting technique. In addition, some staff have not received training in communicating with children, ligature awareness and attachment and child development. This limits staff’s knowledge and skills in meeting children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 6 Some staff say that they feel supported by the registered manager and have a positive relationship with her. However, some staff receive regular supervision but others do not. Furthermore, staff do not always receive reflective supervision in accordance with the statement of purpose. This does not promote staff’s progress

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good

Relevant checks are carried out when new staff work in the home. However, when concerns are highlighted about references, the registered manager and senior management have not shown enough professional curiosity to follow these up thoroughly to seek clarity.

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good

The registered manager shows a genuine passion for supporting children in her care. Complaints are managed effectively. For example, she addressed concerns raised by a neighbour, which has improved relationships in the community.

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good

The registered manager recognises the importance of maintaining strong relationships with partner agencies. She and staff attend meetings with teachers and social workers to closely scrutinise children’s progress. Feedback from professionals is complimentary. An independent reviewing officer told the inspector that communication is good. They said that staff respond quickly and act on recommendations made at children’s statutory meetings. Also, one child’s social worker said, ‘Staff try to seek to get a better understanding of the child and work around [name of child]’s difficulties to support them.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff support children to explore their emotions and help them to build positive relationships. 28 April 2023

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any 28 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 8 harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager and staff ensuring that they understand and follow children’s risk assessments and that these documents are up to date.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that staff have a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring they and all staff receive essential training. 28 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 9 It also relates to the registered manager ensuring that they use internal monitoring systems more effectively.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that monitoring or surveillance of children is for the purpose of safeguarding. 28 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive regular reflective supervision. 28 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children regularly receive a nutritious and healthy diet. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should create a homely and domestic environment and ensure that the home meets the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 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: 2688362 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Benedict’s Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6a George Street, Nottingham NG1 3BE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Clifford Faulder

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688362 12 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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