Children's Home run by Arboretum House Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 1 Registered provider: Arboretum House Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a small private organisation. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post, and he holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of inspection, two children were living in the home. Both children are settled and are making good progress from their starting points. Children have positive and trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. Children say that they love living in the home, feel well cared for and want to live at the home until they reach adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child moved into the home for a short period of time before moving on. The transition into the home was planned, and the child met with the manager and staff before moving in. The child’s placement was brought to an end due to the child requiring additional staff supervision to keep them safe, which the provider could not accommodate at that time. However, during the child’s short time in the home, they participated in many meaningful activities jointly with the other children and started to build positive relationships with the adults who cared for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are at the centre of staff practice. Staff members adapt a nurturing and supportive approach to care for children. Children are open with their views, and staff ensure that children’s requests are responded to appropriately. In addition, children are encouraged to be part of their care planning meetings. For example, one child created a slide presentation to share with other professionals their views about their care plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive daily praise from the adults who care for them, along with rewards when they do something well. This motivates children to reach their own goals and provides them with a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is encouraged and promoted by staff. For one child, they are making great progress from their starting point and attending a full-time provision daily. For the other child, school attendance has been difficult. However, the staff team is working well to support the child with learning at home. The manager has requested that professionals come together to formulate a plan to help the child back into full-time education. The manager needs to ensure that this is escalated further if this continues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive regular therapy sessions, which has helped them to learn strategies to manage their own emotions more effectively. Children attend primary healthcare appointments and are in good health. However, staff have not ensured that one child has had a medication review as needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is beautifully decorated and provides a homely, welcoming feel. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and well maintained. Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 4

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

Children say they feel safe in the home, and staff keep them safe. Staff help them to understand risk and how to keep themselves safe. Staff undertake direct work with children on areas that cause them, children and others concern. Children are helped with coping strategies and techniques to help minimise self-injurious behaviours. As a result, such incidents have declined since the last inspection. When such incidents occur, staff take appropriate action to ensure that children are supported, monitored and kept safe.

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

Staff understand the risks that using the internet may pose for children based on their vulnerabilities and complex needs. There are well-developed strategies and monitoring systems to keep children safe online.

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

Children know how to make a complaint. Complaints are taken seriously, and children have been provided with feedback following the outcome. For example, two children made a complaint about a decision to rehome the house pet hamster. The decision was reviewed by managers, and the hamster stayed. One child now takes the lead in caring for the pet, which they enjoy.

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

When allegations have been made, managers take appropriate action and liaise with relevant professionals to share information and follow advice. For the most part, investigations are thorough. However, one record is not clear and does not show how the manager came to the conclusion that they did and if any learning was identified. In addition, children are not always provided with feedback about the outcome of the concerns that they raise.

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

Detailed risk assessments are in place and are updated regularly by staff. These records provide staff with clear guidance to help protect children and reduce risk. However, staff have not always followed this guidance fully, and this has led to children going missing from home. However, when children go missing from home, staff manage these incidents well to ensure that children return home safely. These incidents have not resulted in children being missing from home over a prolonged period of time or overnight.

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

Physical interventions have slightly increased since the last inspection for one child who lived in the home for a short period of time. On one occasion, the manager did not review the physical intervention record within the timescale, but they did take effective actions following a reported concern to keep children safe. The manager conducted a detailed and thorough investigation about the conduct of restraint practice. All relevant professionals were informed, and information was shared. However, following this, the manager has not reviewed the safeguarding whistle-blowing policies accordingly to incorporate improved actions to prevent any future delays in raising concerns in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An experienced and suitably qualified manager manages the home, supported by an equally experienced and qualified deputy manager. The manager is passionate about caring for children and strives for children to experience positive experiences and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals say that communication between the manager and the staff is effective, and the manager keeps external professionals updated on children’s progress. This shows that the manager works closely with the children’s care team around them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team has regular team meetings, which are child-focused and well attended. This shows that the staff are dedicated and passionate about the care they provide to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training is up to date, and staff have completed training relevant to their role. This helps staff to understand the children’s needs and associated risks further. However, the manager has not arranged training in criminal exploitation to support staff’s understanding of and confidence in dealing with this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

On one occasion, safer recruitment checks were not completed in full before a staff member started working at the home. Although there was no impact on this occasion, delays have the potential to allow unsuitable adults to start working at the home. Should there be a delay in some checks being undertaken, measures should be in place to ensure that staff are fully supervised while these are completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A stable staff team cares for children. However, not all staff are suitably qualified to work with children. Currently, one staff member has not completed their level 3 diploma within the required timescales. This was raised in the previous inspection and has not been addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

One staff member has not received their annual appraisal. Staff now receive regular supervision, but there are gaps in the manager’s own supervision, and he has not received supervision for a number of months. Consequently, the responsible individual has not ensured that there is consistent oversight of the manager or the management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring and review systems are in place. However, these are not implemented effectively and consistently. Although the manager has some understanding of areas to be developed, she has taken little action to improve in these areas. Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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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)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow the guidance in children’s risk assessments, that managers ensure all safeguarding processes are followed and that staff receive training around areas of risk associated with children. 16 June 2024

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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

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

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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)(b) (2)(h)) 7 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 7 The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2; and

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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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 1 st 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 1 st April 2014, 1 st 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete; Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 8 full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is repeated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive an appraisal. In addition, the responsible individual must ensure that the manager receives regular practice-related supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is repeated. 7 July 2024

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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: 2680787 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arboretum House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bluebird Care Walsall, 28a Willows Road, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 2DR

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Inspector

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2680787 10 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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