Children's Home run by Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 1 SC423617 Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since June 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 November 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Good 19/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 3

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improvement to be good

The care and support that the children and the leadership and management of the home receive require improvement. Significant changes have been made to the management of the home and the staff team which have impacted on the experiences of children and the oversight of their care. In addition, staff have been unable to consistently manage and reduce risks for some children who have been admitted to the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s overall experiences and progress at the home have been mixed. One child has had a stable experience of living at the home for over three years. However, since the last inspection, there have been three children who have moved into the home, all of whom have only stayed for short lengths of time. Two of the children were served immediate notice following an assault against another child at the home.

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improvement to be good

There are discrepancies around how well children’s moves to the home are planned for. Records show that the previous manager felt pressured into accepting a child moving into the home. He did not have all the information or adequate involvement from the placing authority to plan care accordingly. The responsible individual disputes that this was the case. The child only lived at the home for a short time, as the staff could no longer keep him safe.

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improvement to be good

There has been a very high staff turnover at the home. This has affected children’s ability to sustain trusting relationships with staff. Managers and staff do not communicate with children’s parents adequately. As a result, parents do not feel informed about children’s progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff engage children well in consultation, using incentives to increase participation. Children reflect on their own progress and make choices, for example regarding food and activities. As a result, children are listened to, which helps them to feel valued.

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improvement to be good

Staff engage children in relevant discussions to enhance their awareness and learning, for example around bullying. Staff educate children about keeping healthy, for example by carrying out direct work about having a balanced diet and the risks of vaping. Staff have sought formal health services around vaping cessation and children are learning about keeping healthy. However, they continue to make poor choices.

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improvement to be good

One child has continued to attend school. Staff strongly promote this routine at the home. Staff have been creative to engage children in some educational activities. This has enhanced their learning opportunities. Children seek out and enjoy staff’s company. They access a range of enjoyable activities. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 4

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improvement to be good

Staff attempt to reduce children’s risk-taking behaviours. This includes climbing on the roof and walking into a busy main road. However, staff are not consistent in de- escalating children’s behaviours. The location and building features have created additional risks to children. The location risk assessment has not been updated to plan for the management of these risks.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans outline what action staff must take to keep them safe. However, staff have not been consistent with the way they work with the children. For example, they have not followed strategies around removing devices at night, and there has been one incident where staff told a child they would purchase him a drink when they had no intention of doing so. This has resulted in an increase in behavioural incidents and risk-taking behaviour.

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improvement to be good

This inconsistency has led to a high number of physical interventions. Overall, individual incidents are recorded in full, and managers carry out a review. These reviews highlight that staff do not always have the confidence to intervene in a timely way when children display unwanted behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Complaints and allegations are taken seriously at the home. Children receive a written acknowledgement and response when they make complaints. This makes children feel listened to. Managers share learning from complaints with the team of staff to improve their practice.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans outline clear steps that the staff must take in the event of children going missing from care. If children go missing, staff are proactive in searching for them and reporting appropriately.

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improvement to be good

The organisation is vigilant in ensuring that safer recruitment checks are carried out. Action is taken when any concerns arise about staff during the recruitment process. A recent example is an offer of employment being withdrawn. This ensures that all staff at the home are suitable to work with children.

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good

There are significant weaknesses in the management structure. There is no appointed manager, and a new deputy manager is in post, who is on their induction. The home has been without a registered manager since June 2022. Since that time, there have been two managers appointed. However, despite making applications to become registered, neither remained in the role.

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good

The responsible individual has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development at the home. He is currently overseeing the day-to-day operation of the home. This has provided some stability for children and the staff. However, the responsible individual is trying to fulfil too many different roles, which reduces his Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 5 effectiveness. For example, he is on call to support staff 24 hours a day. This is at the detriment of management monitoring.

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good

There have been many changes in the staff team. Most staff have been appointed since the last inspection. This has resulted in instability and an inexperienced staff team. Without a permanent manager, new staff have not been fully supported to develop in their roles. As a result, they have not always been confident in caring for children. For example, staff are very reliant on the responsible individual making decisions about children’s day-to-day care.

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good

Managers work proactively with other agencies. This includes communicating and escalating concerns with placing authorities. Managers have taken a lead in education planning for one child and sought to overcome barriers in this.

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good

The organisation provides a well-planned induction and training programme to staff. This equips them with a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to provide care to children. The responsible individual has begun to deliver bespoke workshops to target areas of development for the staff. Staff benefit from a structured probation plan whereby they have regular reviews of their performance. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 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

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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 29 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that care and behaviour management are provided in a planned and consistent way by all staff to ensure that risks to children are reduced.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there is an experienced team of staff who are equipped to provide consistent care. This also relates to monitoring and review systems being utilised. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— 29 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 8 the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 29 September

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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: SC423617 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13a Pitsford Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B18 6LJ

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Inspector

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 10 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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