Children's Home run by TJY Care Ltd in Birmingham

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 1 Registered provider: TJY Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have experienced childhood trauma which has led to unmet emotional needs that require specialist care and support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2022.

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Inspection date: 1 November 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Outcome from the inspection

 Poor safeguarding practices that leave children at risk of harm.  Ineffective risk management strategies.  Significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home.  Education arrangements for children are poor.  Poor care planning arrangements.

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was conducted in response to a high number of notifications being submitted to Ofsted, relating to children being arrested for carrying offensive weapons, children going missing from care and staff’s ability to manage and respond to children’s escalating behaviour.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection found serious and widespread concerns in the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. The findings of this visit mean that Ofsted is not reassured that managers and staff have the capacity to make the necessary improvements with the urgency needed. As a result, a notice to suspend accommodation and compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) have been issued.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, children’s progress has deteriorated. External professionals confirmed that they have seen a deterioration in the children’s behaviours. They told the inspector that they are not reassured that leaders and managers have taken action to support the children. As a result, children are not receiving a good quality of care and do not have a positive experience living at this home.

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Findings from the inspection

Serious incidents have happened at night when staff have been sleeping. This has resulted in children being arrested for criminal damage and using an offensive weapon. Managers and staff have failed to put effective measures in place to prevent other similar incidents from occurring.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a significant increase in serious incidents since September 2023. Staff do not have the expertise to support children when their behaviours become challenging. Staff have not intervened to prevent incidents and have not been able to de-escalate them. This has resulted in police being called to manage children’s behaviour. One child was arrested and is now at risk of criminalisation. This impacts on their life chances. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 3 Education arrangements for children are poor. Children do not attend full-time education. One child is at risk of being excluded from school and another child suffered an assault at school. Managers are concerned that this child is at risk of exploitation when they attend school. Despite these concerns, appropriate action has not been taken. The registered manager and staff have been unsuccessful in promoting children’s educational needs, in line with their behavioural and learning

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Findings from the inspection

needs and vulnerabilities. A requirement under regulation 8, the education standard, has been issued on two previous occasions and remains unmet.

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Findings from the inspection

Children receive inconsistent and disorganised care. Leaders and managers told the inspector that staff dynamically risk assess. However, these strategies are not documented and are not shared between staff. As a result, staff are not working consistently or as a team.

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Findings from the inspection

Safeguarding concerns are exacerbated by poor care planning and out-of-date risk management documentation. Staff are not given clear direction on how to respond to new, emerging and known risks to the children. During the inspection, the registered manager was seen updating documents as the inspection progressed. This demonstrates that managers have failed to put in place proactive strategies to prevent incidents and to improve the children’s safety.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s care plans, missing-from-home plans, and risk and behaviour management plans are not individualised to meet the children’s behavioural and emotional needs. In addition, learning following incidents is not captured to inform future care practices. For example, known triggers and indicators of changes in behaviours and useful de-escalation techniques are not detailed in the children’s behaviour management plans. As a result, staff do not receive guidance that helps them to protect children from harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff do not look beyond children’s presenting behaviours and do not use professional curiosity to understand what is happening for children. The registered manager said he cannot explain the sudden changes and escalation in children’s behaviours. One staff member said that their relationships with the children are not positive and have deteriorated. They could not explain why this has happened. The failure to explore the reasons for the changes in children’s behaviour or to implement effective strategies has resulted in an increasing number of incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers’ oversight of the care and safety of children is poor. They have not sufficiently reviewed incidents or children’s experiences to reassure themselves that children are being protected from harm, or to identify learning to improve practice. As a result, incidents continue to occur and they are escalating in nature, increasing the risk of harm to children.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has a new staff team who have limited experience of working together. Some of the staff have joined the team in the last couple of months. On occasions, two new staff, who are still in the early stages of developing relationships with the children and have not fully understood the children’s needs, have worked together. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 4 These inexperienced staff have not been adequately supported, due to a lack of guidance and direction from the registered manager. As a result, children have not received consistent responses from staff. In addition, training has not been effective in upskilling the staff team to proactively care for children and support them to stay safe.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/08/2023 Full Good 02/11/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 5

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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— that staff—

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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

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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the staff have plans in place to support children in making educational progress and that the wider professional network is engaged in supporting a child if there are barriers to them making educational progress.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last two inspections and is restated. 31 December

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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. 31 December Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 6 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

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Requirement Due date

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii))

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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; 31 December Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 7 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that they seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships, in the best interests of the child. 31 December

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Collingwood Community Centre, Collingwood Drive, Birmingham B43 7NF

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2677270 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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