Children's Home run by Aston Children’s Care Ltd in Birmingham

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC453726 1 Registered provider: Olive Tree Residential Care 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 registered with Ofsted in July 2022. It provides care for up to three children who have been affected by adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. The home is privately owned and forms part of a small social care organisation that offers therapeutic support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 7 December 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Three siblings live in the home and have done so since it opened. Staff have worked hard to create a family environment, and the children say that they are happy living there.

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The care of children

Staff support the children to follow their individual interests and have new and exciting experiences. One child plays football for a local club, and another attends Brownies. The children have also been on a recent trip away to Sherwood Forest, and there are other holidays planned in the coming months.

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The care of children

Staff help children to understand the importance of education. They encourage children to view school positively, and as a result, the children enjoy attending school. When issues arise, the manager and staff advocate strongly on behalf of the children to ensure that they receive the support they need to develop. As a result, all the children are making progress in their education.

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The care of children

The home environment is much improved. Children have contributed to the redecoration and furnishing of the home. This has helped the children to feel at home and encourages a sense of belonging.

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The safety of children

Children have positive relationships with staff and are able to confide in them and share their concerns or worries. Staff and managers have a good understanding of children’s risk factors and ensure that the care they provide helps the children to become safer.

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The safety of children

Managers and staff respond to safeguarding incidents and allegations against staff appropriately. They take action to ensure that the children are safe while concerns are escalated. Managers carry out thorough investigations and use the learning from these to improve their practice and the strategies they implement to safeguard the children.

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The safety of children

A requirement in relation to the recording of physical intervention was raised at the previous inspection. Insufficient action has been taken to meet this requirement. This is because not all shortfalls in the recording of a physical intervention have been identified or acted on by managers.

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The safety of children

Overall, managers notify Ofsted of serious incidents that occur. However, they did not inform Ofsted of a serious practice concern regarding a member of staff that Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 3 was identified during an investigation of another concern. This does not ensure that the regulator has all the relevant information when determining its response to the information it receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager who was in post at the time of the previous inspection is no longer in post. The current manager started in his role in December 2022 and has submitted an application to register.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager works closely with the professional network around the children, including the children’s social worker and educational professionals. There is good communication between managers, staff and the children’s professionals. This ensures that everyone is working together in the best interest of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff feel supported by the leaders and managers. They have regular supervision sessions with the manager. These sessions help staff to reflect on their own practice and the children’s progress to identify where improvements can be made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Overall, the quality of recording by managers and staff has improved. Managers have ensured that they and staff have attended additional training sessions on recording, which has had a positive impact since the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

However, the manager’s oversight of some areas has not identified shortfalls in practice. For example, he failed to identify that there were shortfalls in the strategies implemented to safeguard children when using their own mobile phones. He has also not addressed concerns regarding the quality of a physical intervention record. This does not provide assurance that the manager’s current monitoring systems will consistently identify and address shortfalls in practice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 4

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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

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager’s oversight and monitoring of practice in the home. The manager must have clear monitoring and review systems in place to identify shortfalls and improve practice. 1 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 1 June 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 5 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all behaviour management records and consequences given to children are regularly reviewed. Furthermore, leaders need to ensure that their evaluations identify shortfalls in recording and that action is taken to address them.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home that the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 6

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Olive Tree Residential Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chantry View, Moat Lane, Newborough, Burton-on- Trent DE13 8SS

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2679041 8 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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Inspector

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