Children's Home run by Hand In Hand Childcare in Birmingham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 1 .

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Registered provider: Hand in Hand Childcare

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have suffered early childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has left since the last full inspection. An interim manager has been appointed.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection, in May 2023. As a result of the concerns identified at the full inspection, two compliance notices were issued, in relation to regulation 12 and regulation 13 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Ten requirements and two recommendations were made.

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This monitoring visit

This visit examined the progress made by managers and staff in meeting the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Three children were living at the home at the time of this monitoring visit. Two children are settled and are making some progress. There has been a review of one child’s placement because leaders and managers do not feel they can meet the child’s needs and keep them safe. Leaders and managers are working with this child’s placing authority to ensure that the child has a positive transition from the home.

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This monitoring visit

Work has continued to improve the home environment. A new kitchen has been fitted and children are involved in the plans to redecorate their bedrooms during the school summer holidays. Ongoing work is planned to support a more homely environment where children feel valued and can be proud of their home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 2 Written guidance and plans for children have been improved. These now provide staff with the information they need to help keep children safe. Missing-from-care protocols have been developed and now provide essential information that relates to each child. Staff are following protocols and guidance and so are taking action to keep children safer when they go missing from the home.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a continued focus on the development and upskilling of the staff team. Staff have completed training that helps them to understand their roles and responsibilities and support children better. This has included safeguarding training that has been tailored to the specific needs of children living in the home. Leaders and managers reinforce this learning through discussions and written exercises that help them to identify any gaps in learning and development.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, a review of the management arrangements has taken place. As a result, a new manager and operations manager have been appointed. The operations manager is now providing additional oversight to the home two days a week. This is a recent development. As a result, the impact of these changes cannot yet be tested.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring systems used in the home by managers have been reviewed and improved. Leaders and managers have ensured that there are systems in place to review and monitor the quality of care to children. However, these are not yet fully implemented and there continue to be shortfalls in the quality and management oversight of records. Children’s records do not always give them a clear narrative of their time in the home and the actions taken by staff to support their development. A recommendation has been made to support ongoing development in this area.

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This monitoring visit

A new shortfall was identified in respect of supporting children to safely use electronic devices and social media sites, in line with their age and independence. A restrictive rather than educative approach is being used to keep children safe online. This is not supporting children to develop skills to keep themselves safe and progress their independence in line with their peers.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices in relation to regulation 12 and regulation 13 have been met. Not all the requirements and recommendations have been reviewed at this inspection and will remain in place until they are reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2023 Full Inadequate 26/04/2022 Full Good 26/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/11/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 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, The 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bedrooms are clean and tidy and that the home is a nurturing, well-maintained and welcoming environment for children. 16 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; 16 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 5 regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager and staff ensuring that they support children to express their views and consult with them and provide feedback.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager and staff ensuring that children are supported to overcome barriers to their learning. 16 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. 28 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 6 This particularly refers to the registered manager and staff ensuring that children are supported to enjoy activities that have been planned for them. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager and staff must ensure that they help children understand how to keep themselves safe. This specifically relates to online safety and helping children to use electronic devices safely, in line with their age and understanding. 13 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager and staff ensuring that they help each child to prepare to leave the home, both practically and emotionally. 16 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 16 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 7 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a) (5)(a)(b))

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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 reflective supervision. 16 June 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hand in Hand Childcare

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 20 Birmingham Road, Walsall WS1 2LT

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Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2510328 9 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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