Children's Home run by Midlands Care Services in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 1 Registered provider: Midlands Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to four children who have a variety of complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 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 outstanding

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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: 2725985 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. They have both lived here for several months. The manager ensures that staff are skilled and equipped to meet all children’s needs. This enables 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 team provides children with a welcoming, warm and nurturing home environment. Children’s photos, certificates and belongings fill their bedrooms and the living areas of the home and clearly reflect their individual hobbies, interests and achievements. The decor, maintenance and organisation of the home clearly suggest that those who live there are important, valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and children are affectionate and loving. Staff speak about the children with love, warmth and enthusiasm. They demonstrate unwavering commitment to them. Staff provide a culture of respect, nurture and safety. They are enormously committed to the children. Staff are continually curious about, and reflect on, how they can help children grow in all areas of their development. This helps children to build trust and to feel safer and relaxed in their surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Internal care planning processes are structured and well recorded. Staff complete internal placement plans to a high standard. These plans detail clear targets and enable staff to track children’s progress and achievements. Children’s internal care plans detail longer-term aims and mirror statutory care plans. This promotes good- quality and consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about the care that they receive. One child said:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘The best thing about this home is the adults who look after me and my bedroom. When I have been missing from home, they genuinely care for me and do everything they can to get me home safely.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff make every effort and dedicate an immeasurable amount of time to obtain children’s opinions. Children have multiple opportunities to have their say, for example through children’s meetings, key-work sessions and in their care planning. This allows children to share and talk about their achievements, reflect on events and learn how to manage conflict. These opportunities provide valuable life experiences for children to learn how to communicate and listen effectively. Children’s views are promoted, and they say they are listened to.

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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. This helps children to maintain a daily routine that supports their academic progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 3 The staff place 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, treasures and reflection books. These books provide children with a valuable record of the time they spend living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have positive experiences and try new things. This provides children with the opportunity to have new experiences and fun. Staff identify and nurture children’s interests well. For example, one child has shown a passion for singing and acting and is due to start at a local theatre club. They carefully consider how activities help children’s development. They balance the number of free activities children go to with paid activities well. This helps children to achieve this balance in the future.

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

The positive relationships that staff form with the children are a significant protective factor in helping to keep them safe. As a result, incidents of restraint are rare. Staff physically intervene when children become unsettled and show behaviours which place themselves or others at risk of harm. Staff understand the reasons behind the behaviour that children display. They provide good support to children afterwards. This helps children to move on from the incident. Children and staff discuss incidents afterwards to reflect on their practice and explore the triggers for the incidents. This may include how they could respond differently in the future. The manager closely scrutinises all incidents and measures of control to ensure that their use is fair and proportionate. There is good management oversight and prompt action taken to address issues, which means that children are treated fairly and stay

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

Keeping children safe is seen as paramount. The manager has highly effective systems for recording, reporting and monitoring safeguarding concerns. Communication with professionals, such as the local authority designated officer and social workers, is effective. The manager shares information with them swiftly to avoid delay and ensure that children are protected from harm. The manager takes guidance from these professionals, and they work together to ensure that children are safe.

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

Staff educate children about risk. Children take part in key-work sessions and engage in discussions when safeguarding scenarios are discussed to address identified risks and raise their awareness about topics of concern. This direct work includes topics such as online safety, exploitation and strategies to support self- harm. 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

Incidents of self-harm are managed well. The staff team’s approach to supporting children who self-harm is nurturing and caring. Staff are comfortable talking to the children and gently challenge them to consider the effect of their risk-taking behaviour. Staff help children to work through their emotions and to talk more Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 4 openly about their worries. Staff and managers work in partnership to support children with their emotional health. Children who self-harm are provided with alternative strategies to keep themselves safe. Safety plans and risk assessments are kept up to date. The in-house therapist, children’s mental health services and children help to write these.

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

When children go missing from care, staff follow the joint protocol effectively. Searches carried out by staff and persistent attempts to make contact show children they are cared about. Proactive collaboration with parents, local authorities and police supports children to return home safely. Missing-from-care incident records are clear, which enables the manager to thoroughly monitor these events.

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

Managers and staff demonstrate a great understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and potential risks posed to them. Clear guidance and strategies to follow are recorded in written risk assessments. This awareness is embedded in staff’s day-to- day work, which reduces and minimises the risks for children effectively. Staff are directed in how to manage and mitigate the risks identified for each child. Observations show that staff are highly skilled in diversion, distraction and de- escalation, which demonstrates that the strategies identified are being used and are effective. This helps to ensure that children are protected from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is passionate about the service and advocating for children’s views. She keeps children at the heart of all she does and models a nurturing and therapeutic approach to children’s care. The manager has good knowledge of children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home. She is fully involved in children’s lives. The manager is clear about the progress children are making and has high aspirations for what they can achieve. She is enthusiastic in her efforts to be a trusted person for children. This makes her an excellent role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. She values and promotes good teamwork. She is inspirational and ambitious for the children and ensures that this ethos spreads through the entire staff team. As a result, children build positive relationships with the staff, whose skilled and caring practice increases the bonds between them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and therapy team distil learning from theoretical models to staff, and this is embedded into practice. This gives staff greater understanding of children’s emotional needs and supports them to deliver consistent and individualised care. Training in therapeutic approaches and an understanding of attachment theory underpin staff practice. Regular reflective meetings are used well and are effective in improving staff practice. This enables staff to better understand the reasons behind some of the children’s behaviours and provide a nurturing environment in which children thrive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 5 Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs. The manager has also provided the team with training and upskilling sessions specific to children’s needs, such as self- harm and ligature training. She is creative in her thinking and is constantly looking

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

for new and creative ways to support staff, to sustain the highest quality of care for children. This strengthens the staff’s understanding of the children’s needs and how to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff have outstanding motivation and enthusiasm. They strive to provide positive outcomes for children and improve the operation of the home. Leadership, management and staff cohesion are clear strengths of the home and ensure the safety and welfare of children. Strategic reviews of incidents at the home provide constant evaluation of staff practice and highlight children’s changing needs. Supervision sessions, reflective meetings, team development days and focused team meetings are highly effective management tools and address areas for development to ensure effective staff practice. These processes ensure that staff provide care that consistently exceeds good for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff have extremely effective working relationships with external agencies and schools, to ensure the best possible care, experiences and futures for children. Professionals speak highly of the quality of care provided and the standards of communication maintained by staff. One professional said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

‘This is the best home I have worked with, the communication and advocating for children is a strength. My child always wanted to move back to live with their family, now they want to stay here forever.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff love working in the home. The manager is well regarded, and she is nurturing towards the team. Staff are very well supported by the manager, who shows that she has a real commitment to the professional development of her team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The remarkable strong leadership of the home and the quality of care create an environment where staff are proud to work and children are proud to live.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 6

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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: 2725985 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Midlands Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 2a Blackthorn House, Mary Ann Street, St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1RL

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Inspectors

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Joanne Vyas, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 8 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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