Children's home run by Insight Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 1 Registered provider: Insight Care Group LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and may care for up to four children who may have learning difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection the home had a registered manager. However, the day after the inspection, Ofsted were notified that the manager was no longer in post.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 2

p.1

improvement to be good

At the time of inspection, there were two children living at the home. Children’s experiences of living in the home are mixed. One child is settled at the home. However, the other child is due to leave the home due to recent significant incidents.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children have formed positive relationships with some of the staff and they enjoy activities together, such as going to the cinema and shopping. However, staff have less-positive relationships with other staff. Several factors have contributed to this, including poor shift planning and an inconsistent approach in caring for children by staff.

p.2

improvement to be good

The manager has not sufficiently challenged other professionals when they are not satisfied with decision-making around children’s education. This has contributed to there being drift in children’s educational progress.

p.2

improvement to be good

One child’s bedroom blinds and curtains need replacing or repairing. Other aspects of the home need improvement as walls are damaged or are in need or repainting. The responsible individual took action during the course of the inspection to address these issues.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children are consulted with and encouraged to share their views and express how they feel. The staff listen to children’s feedback and, in most instances, use this to influence children’s care.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children have a key worker who provides one-to-one key-work sessions. However, sessions are unplanned and do not link well to the children’s plans. Furthermore, these sessions are not evaluated, and the records do not show how the staff intend to address any issues or help the child to improve the situation. This affects the quality of the support that children receive. Plans are in place to improve this system moving forward.

p.2

improvement to be good

Risk assessments show what strategies children may respond well to, but lack clear steps for staff to take should an incident arise. It is not clear if risk assessments have been read by all staff.

p.2

improvement to be good

When contemplating new children coming into the home, the needs of the current children are considered. However, there is little evidence of leaders and managers considering the current skills and experience of the staff team and if they can meet the needs of the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 3 There have been several incidents outside of the property, involving the children and staff, which have resulted in complaints from neighbours. The manager has responded appropriately to the complaints.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff work hard to manage children’s behaviour and have had some success. For example, children have not gone missing from the home. However, children have need to be restrained on some occasions. Records of these restraints are not clear, and do not always include the names of staff who were completing the restraints. Furthermore, records have, in some instances, been completed by staff who were not present during the restraint.

p.3

improvement to be good

The responsible individual has responded appropriately to an allegation in the absence of the manager. Safeguarding professionals were consulted, and action taken by the home was recorded well.

p.3

improvement to be good

Recruitment records for staff members who have been recruited since registration were clear and evidenced safe practice.

p.3

good

At the time of the inspection the home had a registered manager. The registered manager was not present for the inspection. Ofsted were notified the day after the inspection that the registered manager was no longer in post.

p.3

good

Leaders and managers do not always monitor the quality of care effectively. The manager has not identified areas for development in staff practice. For example, one child has formed an inappropriate attachment to a member of staff. The manager did not support this staff member or offer any guidance.

p.3

good

Staff receive mandatory training at induction. However, not all staff have received specific training around children’s behaviours to ensure that they can meet children’s needs. The manager did not have monitoring systems in place to identify or address this shortfall.

p.3

good

The provider has missed an opportunity to support and develop the staff team. Supervision sessions have not taken place for staff or the manager for a three- month period. This is despite all the staff being in the probationary stage of their employment due to the home only being registered in January 2023. This means that the staff do not receive the support that they need to reflect on their practice and learn.

p.3

good

During the past four weeks, a quality assurance manager has been appointed. He has provided the staff with advice and guidance, and has carried out a safeguarding audit to identify gaps and shortfalls in practice. Early indications suggest that this additional support has helped the responsible individual in formulating an action plan to support the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.4

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1) (a)(b)(c) (2) (a)(i)(x)) 11 August 2023

p.4

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—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 11 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 5 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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

p.5

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)(b)(e)(g)(i)(h))

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.5

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3) (a)(ii)(v)(vi)(b)(ii)) 11 August 2023

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4) (c)) 11 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, maintained and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. Homes must also meet children's basic day to day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child's basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.7)

p.6

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: 2702129 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Insight Care Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ace House, 22 Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B73 5DA

p.7

Inspector

Mark Dickinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8