Children's Home run by Child First Residential Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 1 Registered provider: Child First Residential Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to two children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in day-to-day charge of the home and has applied to Ofsted to register. She is currently working towards the level 5 qualification in leadership and management for care services.

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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

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the monitoring visit in January 2023, Ofsted issued a compliance notice in relation to regulation 26, fitness of registered provider. This was in relation to concerns about the skills, capacity and experience of the responsible individual to oversee the management of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2022 Full Inadequate 25/07/2022 Full Inadequate 09/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have fun while enjoying a range of leisure activities. For example, one child had a great time when they went to see a show about dinosaurs, and another child was very excited because he was going to the cinema to watch a film he had been waiting eagerly to be released. During the Easter holidays, children enjoyed a range of planned events, such as trips to the seaside, the zoo and an activity centre. These opportunities and experiences are helping children to develop their confidence and try new things.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvements to the environment made by managers and staff mean that it is a comfortable and welcoming home for children. A child described the home as ‘a nice place to live’. Another child enjoyed getting involved in painting their bedroom. The children are beginning to invest in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good support from staff. This relatively new team works well together and provides consistent care for children. As a result, children are making positive relationships with staff and developing trust with the adults who care for them. This is having a positive impact on children. For example, a social worker described their child as the ‘most settled they have been’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aware of the children’s personal health needs and provide appropriate support. For example, staff are encouraging children to recognise the importance of eating regular meals and enjoying a varied diet. Children attend routine and specialist appointments, which promotes good health. However, managers have not ensured that an application for a child to receive a benefit that they may be entitled to has been made promptly. This means the child may not be in receipt of the benefit as quickly as they might have been.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences at school and progress with their learning are mixed. One child has made good progress, engaging well with their tutor while they have been out of school. They have recently returned to school and were prepared well for this by staff. This child is positive about returning to school to receive their education, and given their starting point, this is a significant step forward. Another child is experiencing difficulties with their peer relationships at school, and this is causing them some angst. Staff are providing appropriate support and liaising well with teachers at the school. Plans are being formulated to support this child with some areas of learning, and these plans need to be kept under review to ensure that the child does not fall behind in key subjects.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aware of sensitivities for children when keeping in touch with family members. They approach this with empathy and enable children to maintain links with those who are important to them when this is possible. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 4 Children develop independence skills in line with their age and needs. For example, one child is learning to develop better self-care skills. Another child is being encouraged to prepare and cook meals as well as visit the local shops without staff supporting them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Diversity is celebrated, and staff adopt an inclusive approach to care. Children are helped by staff to respect difference and individual choice. However, professionals involved in supporting one child are in disagreement with each other about how best to support them with their gender identity. This is unhelpful for the child, and managers have a responsibility to bring professionals together to discuss the way forward.

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

Staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities well and provide them with appropriate support. The trusting relationships children develop with staff are helping to keep them safe. For example, one child has been able to talk to staff about being bullied at school and has taken advice on board that is designed to help them.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from home, and significant incidents are rare. On one occasion, staff physically intervened to keep a child safe. This was well managed with good oversight by the manager. The staff and child were given the opportunity to reflect on and learn from what happened.

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

Children have recently been given mobile phones in line with their wishes, age and stage of development. Staff have put appropriate boundaries in place and discussed these with the children and their social workers. Consequently, there is a coordinated and agreed approach. Despite this, there are some challenges from and for children as they learn to manage the responsibility of having a mobile phone, and work to support them is in progress.

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

When a child made an allegation against a member of staff, staff and managers responded promptly and effectively. They followed safeguarding procedures, and the matter is currently subject to investigation. The child is being kept informed and well supported. Taking safeguarding concerns seriously and following due process help to keep children safe.

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

Children receive rewards and praise from staff when they do well. When they push boundaries, consequences are put in place by staff to help them learn from what happened. On one occasion, a consequence used was not proportionate to what happened and also affected another child. Managers were open to reflecting on this following a discussion during the inspection. The way negative consequences are recorded does not help managers to monitor them easily. Managers began to address this immediately.

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

New staff are recruited safely. Implementing good safer recruitment processes helps to prevent unsuitable people from being employed to care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 5 The manager has reviewed the home’s location risk assessment and sought the views of others in doing so. This assessment provides an up-to-date and informative overview of the local area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager commenced her role in January 2023 and has worked hard to bring about improvement in the quality of care being provided to children. The positive impact on children’s experiences, progress and safety is tangible. The manager is well supported by the deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Praise for the manager’s efforts is universal from children, staff and professionals alike. A child said, ‘[Manager’s name] is the best manager.’ A social worker described the manager as ‘absolutely amazing and really responsive’. A member of staff said the managers are ‘driven, committed and a breath of fresh air. They have recognised the need for change and have gone about implementing this change.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team morale is good, and staff work together well to provide coordinated care to children. Staff receive regular supervision and effective support from managers. A staff member said, ‘I can talk to them about anything. I don’t know everything, and I can ask and am given time to learn.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A high level of investment in training is benefiting staff and supporting improvement. A combination of online learning, face-to-face training and productive staff meetings mean that staff are being equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to care for the children well. New staff receive a good induction, shadow more-experienced colleagues and are given time to read important records. Most staff are qualified. The four staff members who are not are working towards completing this and are within the required timescale to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have implemented effective monitoring systems, and management oversight is evident. For example, a workforce development plan is now in place to help managers keep abreast of staff’s training requirements. When incidents happen, managers reflect with staff about what has happened and listen and act on what children say. Managers also use external monitoring well to develop the service, acting on recommendations raised by the independent visitor to the home and learning from inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual is attending training and receiving advice and support to develop his knowledge and skills. He is supervising the manager and overseeing the management of the home more effectively. The compliance notice raised at the last inspection is deemed to have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One requirement will be restated because the end date of this had not passed at the time of this inspection. Three recommendations are raised to support the ongoing development of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 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

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 quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that they have a system in place to help them understand the quality of care children receive. In addition, the provider must put in place a detailed plan of action that reflects all areas of development needed in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 May 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. In particular, they should ensure that all consequences used are proportionate and recorded in a way that makes it easier for clear and effective oversight by managers. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.37)  The registered person should ensure that personalised care is provided that meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account their gender, sexual identity, mental health, assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. In particular, they should seek to bring professionals together to discuss and agree the best approach to supporting a child with their identity, which balances the child’s needs with their wishes. (‘Guide to the Children’s

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Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 7  The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with professionals involved in the care of each child. In particular, they should ensure that an application for children to receive benefits is submitted promptly and that children’s academic progress in key subjects is understood and acted on as needed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)

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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: 2610371 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Child First Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 11 Hollyhedge Road, West Bromwich B71 3BP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rajinder Kudhail

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Inspector

Jackie Line, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2610371 9 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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