Children's Home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 1 Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider. The home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since August 2023 and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 13 October 2022, Ofsted imposed a notice to vary the conditions of registration. The condition was that the registered provider must inform Ofsted of their intention to admit children and young people three months before any child or young person starts living at the home. The condition was adhered to and was lifted following notice given by the provider and a monitoring visit by Ofsted in August 2023. Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2022 Interim Not judged Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 3

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inadequate

This inspection was brought forward due to a complaint made to Ofsted by the police and concerns about the number of serious safeguarding notifications. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. Following the initial two- day inspection, inspectors returned to gather additional evidence, by which time the child had moved out of the home.

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inadequate

The child moved into the home in September 2023 and moved out after just one month. Managers failed to assess the child’s known needs, risks and behaviours before she moved into the home. Introductions for the child to the home were rushed. As a result, the child did not settle at the home or make any progress.

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inadequate

Staff failed to implement consistent routines. The child continued to have poor sleep and meal patterns. For example, they slept in the lounge on a mattress. Staff had not implemented a plan to address this.

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inadequate

Staff did not adhere to the child’s daily activity plan and, as a result, the child spent much of the day when in the home asleep. When the child engaged with activities, this often resulted in incidents occurring because staff were not able to manage her needs.

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inadequate

The child did not engage in education while living at the home. The manager was able to find a suitable education provision. However, staff were unable to engage the child or promote routines to encourage attendance. As a result, the child did not attend her placement.

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inadequate

The child did not attend any planned health appointments while she lived in the home, due to staff’s failure to engage with her and the lack of routine and boundaries.

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inadequate

Managers do not always arrange for repairs to be completed in a timely manner. The lock on the garage door is broken and has not been repaired. As a result, the child was using this as a gathering place to meet other children, who were not a positive influence and encouraged her to go missing. The child was able to choose her bedroom and had personalised it.

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

Managers and staff did not appropriately implement effective strategies to safeguard and protect the child living in the home.

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

Staff do not understand or follow child protection procedures to keep children safe. During the inspection, it was identified that an agency member of staff had twice Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 4 threatened the child living at the home and punched the wall above her head during an incident. There was a delay in notifying the manager and the allegations were not shared with the local authority designated officer or the child’s social worker. There was no clear and accountable record of events, with conflicting information about staff on duty at the time of the incident. No reassurance was given to the child that the staff actions would be investigated or acted on.

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

Staff failed to implement boundaries and rules. Staff responses were inconsistent and, therefore, unsuccessful in reducing the child’s risk-taking behaviour. Due to the level of incidents, staff stopped challenging the child’s behaviour. As a result, the child’s violent and offending behaviours continued to escalate, placing her and others at risk. As a result, the police were required to attend the home.

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

Plans to manage risk and behaviour were weak and did not clearly set out how staff should manage challenging behaviour. When there were incidents, staff did not always follow the child’s plan. Plans were not always updated following incidents.

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

Restraint practice is poor. There was a lack of consistency in approaches during incidents with the child. Agency staff do not have training in the same model of physical intervention as permanent staff, which has impacted on practice. As a result, attempts to restrain were ineffective in de-escalating the child’s behaviour. At times, this resulted in injury and harm to staff.

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

There were a high number of incidents of the child going missing. These were documented and the manager had overview of each one. Staff did take action to search for the child when she was missing. Despite this, police support was frequently needed to return the child home.

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

There is no record of a fire drill taking place with the child or any work to ensure she knew how to safely evacuate the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and deputy manager have started work on a relevant level 5 qualification. Only one member of care staff holds the required qualification. Other staff are enrolled to begin work on their qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a core staff team at the home. However, due to the number of incidents, several staff are not currently working at the home. Staff from the organisation’s other homes and agency staff provided staffing cover. This led to inconsistencies in the child’s care and, at times, conflict between staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Induction for agency staff is weak. Some agency staff have not read the home’s policies, despite this being on the induction checklist. The manager was not aware of the expected time frame for supervision of agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The organisation offers a range of training to equip staff to work at the home. Permanent staff are working through the training programme. However, this has not Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 5 equipped staff effectively for their roles at the home. Staff are not aware of their responsibilities and are not able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge to safely care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records contain some inaccuracies and there is insufficient detail. This does not allow for adequate management oversight, to assure that practice is safe or enable learning from incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Permanent staff are receiving regular supervisions. These are enhanced by team meetings, group supervisions and therapeutic consultations. The manager has taken some action to address concerns about staff practice. This included ending one member of staff’s employment during their probationary period. Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff promote children’s engagement with education through direct work and embedding routines. 19 November

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that —

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 7 children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff promote children’s engagement with health appointments through direct work and embedding routines.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 8 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff build positive relationships with children and that they provide clear and consistent boundaries and expectations of behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that staff respond to children’s behaviours in a planned and consistent way that promotes positive behaviour.

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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

that staff— 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 9 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff assess risk and take timely and effective action to protect children from harm.

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Requirement Due date

Also, to ensuring that staff know, understand and apply the home’s child protection policies and procedures, in particular, how to manage allegations.

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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 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 10 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

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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there is a staff team in place who have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of children, as per the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that managers provide clear guidance to staff to enable them to provide consistency of care to children.

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Requirement Due date

Also, that monitoring systems and records are reviewed and used effectively to review the quality of care and make improvements.

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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.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 11 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that managers make a thorough and realistic assessment of the ability of staff to meet a child’s needs, before making a decision for a child to move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that introduction and routines are in place that support the child to settle at the home.

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Requirement Due date

Also, that procedures for requesting formal review of children’s placements are made in a timely way, to enable a coordinated multi-agency response.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, as far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that fire drills take place, are recorded and staff take action to educate children about fire procedures at the home. 19 November

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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— 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 12 the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that records are accurately completed, in detail, enabling effective management oversight.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, 19 November Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 13 sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that at least one person on duty at any given time has a suitable first-aid qualification. Also, that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children and administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.2)

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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: 2620698 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Beacon Childcare Ltd, 28 Phoenix Business Park, Avenue Close, Birmingham B7 4NU

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Manager not yet registered

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Inspectors

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Jessica Forshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2620698 15 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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