Children's Home run by AMMA Childcare Services in Solihull

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 1 Registered provider: AMMA Childcare Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home uses a therapeutic model of care. This home was registered on 23 August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first full inspection of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 2

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outstanding

Since the home has been registered, three children have lived there. Children told the inspector that the best part of living at this home is that they have everything they need, they like the way they are cared for and the staff understand them.

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outstanding

When children move into the home, they are welcomed by a caring staff team. The staff take time to get to know each child’s interests and use this knowledge to develop an individualised plan that helps children to settle quickly. Children experience extremely positive moves into the home. For example, children have overnight stays before moving into the home and receive a welcome party.

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outstanding

The registered manager and staff’s care of children is informed by a strong knowledge of research-based practice. This includes the home’s therapeutic parenting model. Staff develop warm and affectionate relationships with children. Children trust staff and feel safe and secure with them. These relationships provide children with the foundation to feel able to engage with staff’s support, try new things and go on to make excellent progress in all areas of their lives.

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outstanding

Children grow in self-confidence because they are supported well by a strong and motivated staff team. Children are actively involved in all aspects of their care. Staff’s encouragement and sensitivity have provided children with psychological safety that has allowed them to express themselves without fear of judgement.

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outstanding

Staff encourage a strong culture of educational accomplishment. Children’s attendance, attainment and engagement in education have significantly improved. One teacher told the inspector that this is because of the close working relationship between the home and school. Another teacher said that the staff are hands-on and provide the child with routine, structure and boundaries. This has helped the children to flourish at school.

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outstanding

Children’s emotional well-being and mental health needs are prioritised. Children attend therapy and have access to specialist mental health services. Staff work very closely with these services to identify any additional support children may need. This has resulted in children receiving comprehensive support for their mental health that was not available to them before they lived at this home.

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outstanding

Staff have successfully used role modelling to help children overcome barriers, such as their worries about going out in the community alone. As a result, children have become more confident and want to do more by themselves. In addition, staff have been successful in supporting children to develop independence skills in an age- appropriate and child-centred way. This has resulted in children going to school independently, cooking meals and managing their finances with little support from staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 3 The registered manager is an exceptional advocate for children. They hold placing authorities accountable in making sure the children receive the support they need. The registered manager is not afraid to challenge professionals when the child’s voice is not listened to. This means that the children’s care planning arrangements remain in their best interest, and children benefit from a high quality of care living at

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outstanding

Staff provide excellent support to children to maintain relationships with their families. All parents shared that their child has been happier since living at the home, that staff go above and beyond for their child and that they feel actively involved in their child’s care planning arrangements. This has helped children to flourish at the home while maintaining links with important people in their lives.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The children and staff start the day by providing each other with positive affirmations and messages. This helps children to feel valued and respected. As a result, children want to do well and engage with staff who they feel safe with.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The registered manager has developed a strong safeguarding culture that is threaded through all areas of practice. Safeguarding is discussed at every opportunity, including team meetings, staff supervision sessions, focused practice sessions and when reviewing incidents. This ensures that staff know their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe, and it means that every opportunity is used to improve children’s overall safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Safeguarding arrangements for children are highly effective. Staff are curious about what is happening for each child, and they try to understand what causes children to become distressed. Staff are solution-focused in their approach and will use various therapeutic strategies to help children to self-regulate their feelings. As a result, incidents that relate to children causing harm to themselves and others have reduced.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Staff’s risk and behaviour management strategies are comprehensive and individualised. These are informed by a research-informed practice and consultation from a therapist to tailor the behaviour management support for children’s specific needs. This has helped staff to identify the early signs of changes in children’s behaviour and provide support and reassurance to children very quickly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children know that staff will protect them from harm. Children use specific words when they need help or show emotion cards to tell staff the support they need. This helps staff to act swiftly in response to emerging situations. It has also helped children to communicate how they are feeling. As a result, since the children have moved to this home, there have been no missing-from-home incidents, and physical interventions are rare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 4 Allegations against staff are infrequent. When they do occur, the manager liaises with appropriate professionals and completes detailed investigations to identify if any lessons can be learned. Children and staff involved in any allegations are kept up to date and provided with an outcome. Restorative work is completed between staff and children when this is appropriate. The local authority designated officer said the registered manager ‘is on the ball and has excellent oversight to the

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

safeguarding practices in the home’. Children benefit from this excellent safeguarding practice and become increasingly safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is child-focused and visible and has created a culture of high expectations and aspiration. She is supported by an equally effective deputy manager and committed staff team. The staff team shares the registered manager’s vision for providing children with a nurturing environment to flourish in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

External professionals and parents said that the communication and coordination of the children’s care are excellent. This is because it is led by a highly effective registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Management monitoring and reviewing systems provide exceptional oversight of the home. The registered manager has meticulous oversight of the quality of care provided to children and staff performance, and this is supported by effective senior management oversight. The registered manager reviews all feedback from the children, staff, professionals, parents, monthly reports and the independent person’s reviews. This feeds into her plan for the home to ensure that there is continuous improvement and development in the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager takes comprehensive action to address any shortfalls identified. She monitors staff practice closely and uses supervision sessions to address staff development needs. When there have been concerns, the manager has initiated rigorous investigations to establish what has happened and used the learning to improve and enhance practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are very well supported by the registered manager and senior managers. They feel involved in decision-making and that their continuous professional development is always considered. One staff member said that they are proud to work at this home. In addition, staff have access to group clinical reflective sessions where they can share their thoughts and feelings in a safe space. This helps to strengthen staff practice and resilience and contributes to the happy, fun and relaxed culture in the home that children enjoy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are positive role models who motivate and encourage positive behaviour from children. Children benefit from meaningful discussions with staff. This is supported by research-informed practice that helps children to express themselves in a healthy way and allows children to develop better coping strategies when they are feeling distressed. As a result, children have better resilience. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 5 Staff have access to and have undertaken various training courses. This helps staff to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Despite this, the training that staff receive for understanding the risks posed to children who are missing from home, self-harm or mental health awareness is limited. The registered manager is aware of this shortfall and has addressed it through supervision and team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have access to training to support their continuous professional development. This specifically relates to training on self-harm, children going missing from home and mental health. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 2739801 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: AMMA Childcare Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: SKN Business Centre, 1 Guildford Street, Birmingham B19 2HN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kamilah Mullings

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739801 8 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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