Children's Home run by Resi-Action Staffordshire Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 1 Registered provider: Resi Action Staffordshire Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a small private organisation and provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

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

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager post has been vacant since June 2023. A manager is in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2023 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 3

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff support children to make good progress with their education. Collaborative working with other professionals including tutors and school staff supports children with their learning. For example, the encouragement of staff has helped one child, who has been out of education establish a better evening routine. Being well- rested has helped the child to engage with their tutor more regularly. As a result, this child is making progress with their education and wants to take their mathematics GCSE.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to maintain good health. Children are helped and encouraged to attend routine health appointments. When children struggle to attend appointments direct work with staff helps them to understand why looking after their health is important. One child can now attend health appointments on their own due to the support of staff.

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improvement to be good

Children have the opportunity to take part in hobbies and activities that interest them. As a result, children have enjoyed positive experiences including going on holiday, attending Pride events and taking part in a charity bike ride. Staff ensure that children are supported to practise their faith. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff value the children as individuals. Consequently, children have positive relationships with staff. Children feel secure with the staff who care for them and can identify a person to speak to if they have worries or concerns.

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improvement to be good

When children move out of the home this is well planned. Children are involved in their moving plans and experience positive goodbyes. For example, one child enjoyed a meal with staff and their peers. The child was also able to visit their new home before they moved in. This helped the child to feel prepared for the move and to have a positive start in their new home

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improvement to be good

Children are helped by staff to develop their independence skills. Younger children are given a shopping budget and are supported by staff to go shopping and choose enough items to make meals during the week. Children learn how to cook different recipes. External independence workers provide specific support for children to prepare to move into more independent living arrangements. As a result, children are equipped with skills that prepare them for adult life.

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improvement to be good

There have been improvements to the home environment since the previous inspection. Walls in the kitchen have been repaired and redecorated with new panelling providing a more modern and homely feel. Staff encourage each child to keep their bedroom clean. There is a plan to continue to develop the home to make it more inviting for children. A designated maintenance person is making good progress in completing improvements to the physical décor including redecoration of children’s bedrooms. Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 4

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improvement to be good

The health and safety of the premises is well managed. When issues have arisen, the manager has ensured that action has been taken promptly. Regular health and safety checks are completed daily, weekly and monthly to ensure the home remains a safe environment for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of children's risk management plans. Children rarely go missing from the home. When a child has gone missing staff have responded according to the child’s plan. Children are welcomed back and have return-home interviews. However, records do not always clearly show all the actions staff have taken when a child is missing.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is used as a last resort. Staff use de-escalation techniques well and are often able to redirect children. When physical intervention with child has been necessary this has been undertaken safely. The manager evaluates the effectiveness of staff actions. However, on two occasions records have not been reviewed within the required timescales.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are fair and effective. When consequences are used they are linked to children's plans and behaviour. Children have the opportunity to talk through and understand why a consequence has been put in place. The manager reviews the effectiveness of consequences. However, there have been two occasions when the manager's review has not been timely.

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improvement to be good

Leaders respond well when children make allegations. Investigations are comprehensive and learning is shared. Leaders ensure that clinical supervision is used to support staff in understanding how to support children more effectively. One member of staff said, ‘I had a clinical supervision, and it was all about my interaction with the young people, my personal and professional development. It gives me a critical thought process, looking at the next steps of how we work with children.’ Leaders ensure that relevant professionals are notified following allegations. However, on one occasion Ofsted was not notified about an allegation made by a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has been in post since June 2023. However, despite being in post for several months, she has not made a complete application to register with Ofsted. This means that in accordance with the social care common inspection framework the inspection judgement for leadership and management is inadequate. Because this is a graded judgement, the judgement areas of ‘overall experiences’ and ‘help and protect’ can be no higher than requires improvement to be good. Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 5 The manager is continuing to learn and develop her skill set. She is reflective and ambitious about supporting children to achieve the best outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The professional supervision of staff is informed by theory and this is helping the team to improve practice in areas including recording. Staff are positive about their experience of working in the home. One staff member said, ‘I've received good support from management for both my personal and professional growth, along with continuous training essential for my role.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The recruitment of new staff has improved since the previous inspection. Managers are now diligent in obtaining references for proposed staff and verifying them. Agency staff are safely recruited. Managers ensure that required checks are completed by the employing organisation before agency staff start work in the home. As a result, the manager is more assured that staff are safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are suitably trained. Staff complete mandatory and bespoke training which supports them to meet the needs of the children. Staff complete training a range of training including social pedagogy, autism awareness, safeguarding and gangs. Consequently, staff feel equipped to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager makes effective use of monitoring systems. She assesses performance against key indicators such as care planning and health and safety. This enables her to understand the strengths of the home and areas for development. The operations manager also completes frequent spot checks, to ensure the environment is well maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders do not always put in place appropriate risk management arrangements when information is received about the staff that could be of concern. Consequently, it is not clear how leaders are assuring themselves that they have promoted the welfare of children effectively. Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they review incidents and consequences in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that appropriate risk management arrangements are considered when concerns are raised about staff. 15 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the

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Requirement Due date

registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 15 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 7 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the person with day-to-day management responsibilities for the home applies to register with Ofsted.

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Recommendations

 Regulation 40 (1) and (3) requires the registered person to notify a specified list of people of significant incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2624155 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Resi Action Staffordshire Ltd

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Helen Verschoyle

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2624155 9 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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