Children's home run by Bluejay Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 1 Registered provider: Bluejay Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children with learning disabilities and complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is appropriately qualified and registered with Ofsted in March 2023.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. They were the first children to move in since its registration. The manager ensures that staff are skilled and equipped to meet all children’s needs. This enables the staff to prepare and support children well so that their moves into the home are smooth and successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming and has a family atmosphere. Children’s belongings fill the home, and their photos are proudly on display. Books and games are easily accessible, and soft furnishings help to create a nurturing environment. Children personalise their bedrooms, which allows them to feel a sense of pride in their home and promotes their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a stable and consistent staff team. Children form strong relationships built on trust and affection from staff. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the individual needs of children. This positive regard and culture help children to make good progress in all areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of education. They work in partnership with schools and the placing authority to find children a suitable provision that reflects their learning needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff sensitively support and encourage children with their identity and have skilfully supported children with issues around their sexuality. Staff and children have an inclusive attitude and celebrate diversity. Children were encouraged to celebrate their identity by hosting a LGBTQ party. As a result of this work, children have a greater tolerance of each other, and there is no bullying within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about living at the home. One child told the inspector, ‘This is the best place I have lived; the best thing is the staff who look after me.’ It is a home where care for everyone is promoted. Staff and children celebrate and cherish their individual and shared successes. These positive relationships and experiences have resulted in children developing a sense of security and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff place a great emphasis on children making memories and having shared experiences that they can cherish and keep forever. This is evident in the home through a vast range of pictures and memory books. The staff have been hugely creative in providing a wide range of activities, holidays and projects. For example, the staff and children are climbing Snowdon and raising money for autism awareness. This has given children the opportunity to create links in the community and develop their social skills and empathy towards others. Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 4

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

Children living at the home have complex needs and require constant care and supervision. Consequently, there are no incidents of children going missing from the home and no concerns regarding exploitation. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and discuss their learning and understanding of safeguarding practices in their supervision sessions. This ensures that safeguarding practice is strong and remains a priority of the home.

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

Children have individual behaviour support plans. Staff use de-escalation techniques to support children. As a result, incidents of restraint are rare. Staff physically intervene when children become unsettled and show behaviours that place themselves or others at risk of harm. Staff understand the reasons behind behaviour and provide good support to children afterwards. This helps children to move on from the incident. The manager provides close scrutiny of all incidents and measures of control to ensure that their use is fair and proportionate. Good management oversight and prompt action to address issues mean that children are treated fairly and stay safe.

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

The staff work well with children so that children understand behaviour that may present a risk to themselves. This direct work includes topics such as bullying and online safety. This positive work enhances children’s knowledge of risk and allows them to take the lead in their learning.

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

Staff and children have positive and caring relationships with each other. Managers and staff listen to children’s views. Children know how to make a complaint, and any complaints are taken seriously. As a result, children feel listened to and valued.

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

Staff ensure that the home environment is safe for children to live in. A range of health and safety checks are carried out to assess whether there are any hazards that could pose a risk to children. Children take part in regular fire drills and have personal emergency evacuation plans in place to ensure that they know how to safely evacuate the home in case of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the team. The manager keeps children at the heart of all he does. He is passionate and ambitious for the children and ensures that this ethos spreads through the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good knowledge of children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home. He is fully involved in children’s lives. He is clear about the progress children are making and has high aspirations for what they can achieve. He is enthusiastic in his efforts to be a trusted person for children. This makes him a good role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs. Team meetings take place monthly Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 5 and are used as a place for reflection and learning. Important issues are tracked and discussed, and children are at the centre of all practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is good. They enjoy working at the home. One staff member told the inspector, ‘The manager is supportive and approachable. He is very hands on and leads by example.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good connections with partner agencies. Professionals are positive about the communication with the staff team and about the care provided for the children. One social worker told the inspector, ‘I love the atmosphere; I feel the warmth from the staff. I want to do everything possible to keep my child here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. Effective auditing tools are used, which produce action plans to develop the staff’s practice further and promote consistency in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are regular and of a high quality. These help staff to generate ideas and reflect on their practice. New staff are well supported through a clear, effective induction process. This ensures that children receive high-quality care from skilled and well-informed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of the staff hold the required qualification. A small number of staff are currently working to achieve this, and plans are in place to ensure that they complete this within the required timescales. However, one staff member has not obtained their qualification in residential childcare within the required time frames. This means that not all staff have been trained to the required level to meet children’s needs. The manager is aware of this shortfall and has taken immediate steps to action this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 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, 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 within the given timescales.

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that staff have completed the required qualification within the appropriate timescales. 30 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 7

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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: 2714869 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 8SP

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 9 regulates 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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