Children's Home run by Berry Gifford Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 1 Registered provider: Berry Gifford 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 operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for three children who have experienced childhood instability, which has led to trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since December 2022. A new manager started in October 2023. They have not yet submitted a completed application to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2023

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 27 November 2023, Ofsted conducted an assurance inspection. There was already a restriction in place to reduce the number of children that could be cared for at the home, from three children to one child. No serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children were identified at that assurance inspection. Leaders and managers had addressed all the shortfalls and evidenced that they were ready to welcome more children into the home. This inspection is the first since the restriction of accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/06/2023 Full Inadequate 14/06/2022 Full Good 29/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Serious and widespread failures were identified in how well children are helped and protected. These experiences have had a negative impact on children and their progress and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home. However, one child moved out in an unplanned manner before the inspection was completed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Care planning and decision-making by managers about one child moving into the home have been poor. Leaders and managers did not exercise professional curiosity to satisfy themselves that they understood the child’s complex needs and that staff could meet these needs safely. These shortfalls caused disruption and instability for this child, who moved out of the home just a few weeks after moving in. The child already living in the home has also been negatively affected by poor care planning decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Inconsistent staff support does not help children to make good progress with their learning and development. A child has struggled to attend mainstream school regularly for several months and has not engaged with online learning delivered by a tutor. However, the child does sometimes complete work and revision sessions set by staff. The child has been supported to enrol on a college course of interest to them, which is due to start in September. Although a child is due to leave school, there is no clear plan in place to support and develop their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some areas of the home environment are comfortable and well presented. However, other areas are not. The garden is overgrown. It contains some debris from a broken Perspex roof, and there are heavy metal grids propped up in the rear garden that pose a risk of falling if disturbed. Children can access this area easily because the gate is broken.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have promoted one child’s identity. They have worked closely with the child’s parent to develop the child’s relationship with them and to progress their family time. The child’s parent has visited the home on occasions, which the child enjoyed. The child who has lived at the home for several months has enjoyed some positive activities, for example trips to a snowdome and to the cinema, as well as learning how to bake and cook.

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

When a child made an allegation against a member of staff, they shared their concerns with their former carer because they were not comfortable telling staff. This also led to the child going missing from home because they did not feel safe. Staff did not inform the manager and relevant professionals in a timely way about this concern. When the Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 4 manager was informed, he took appropriate action and worked well with the child’s social worker and local authority designated officer to manage the situation.

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

Some staff do not have the experience and skills to help children to manage their emotions and understand why some behaviours they engage in are harmful, inappropriate and unacceptable. One child has been threatened, and discriminatory language has been used against them by the other child. This child said, ‘I did not tell staff about this as there is no point, and staff cannot manage.’ Consequently, children do not always have confidence in the staff to help and protect them.

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

Although managers considered the location of the home when making decisions about a new child moving in, they did not use all the information known to them. In addition, when new information came to light, they did not use this to inform their risk assessment and management plans to support children’s safety.

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

Managers and staff do not understand and manage risks to children effectively. On at least two occasions, children have gone missing from the home without staff knowing. This was despite the children having two staff members supporting them. One child has been missing for significant periods of time. Strategies and learning to reduce the risk of children going missing from the home have not been implemented. This has left children at risk of harm.

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

Staff search for children when they are missing from home, notify relevant professionals and try to make contact with children to bring about their safe return home. However, they do not liaise well with children’s placing authorities to ensure that they arrange for someone independent to talk to the children following their return home. This means that staff and other professionals do not always understand what happened and consider different ways of reducing the risk of children going missing from home again.

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

Managers and staff do not notify Ofsted of all serious incidents that happen in a timely manner. This means that the regulator does not receive the required information quickly to help inspectors monitor the effectiveness of the care and support provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has not had a registered manager for almost 18 months. During this period, there have been three managers. Since the last inspection, several staff have left. Changes in managers, together with a high turnover of staff since the last inspection, have contributed to instability and inconsistency in the care and safety of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no clear system in place for staff to escalate their concerns about children’s safety and welfare when the manager is away from work. This has led to staff failing to act swiftly when an allegation was made about another staff member.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not make and sustain improvements for children. The quality and effectiveness of management oversight are weak. As a result, they do not make and sustain improvements for children. Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 5 Leaders and managers have not demonstrated learning from previous inspections regarding concerns about children’s safety. In previous inspections, poor care planning led to children going missing from care, being harmed and experiencing further instability when they had to move out of the home after a short period. These concerns have reemerged.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they feel supported and are supported by the manager. They receive regular supervision and attend team meetings. They also have access to a range of training, and the manager is introducing a therapeutic approach to parenting for children. Although staff try to use learning from these opportunities, they are not yet embedding this into practice with children. Clinical support is not readily available to staff as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. For example, the clinical psychotherapist does not attend team meetings regularly. Managers have not addressed this and taken steps to ensure that learning opportunities are effective, benefit staff development and help to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Due to the significant shortfalls identified as part of this inspection, one compliance notice and a notice to restrict accommodation have been issued. Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers and staff understand how to protect children, understand risk and take steps needed to reduce risks to children. This includes taking action to share concerns promptly with the responsible individual in the absence of the manager. 23 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 7 *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;

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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

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; and

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers implement effective monitoring systems to identify shortfalls and bring about positive change for children. This includes systems to evaluate staff learning and how this is implemented, as well as identifying and acting on areas for their development. 23 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 23 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 8 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they have all the required information to make informed decisions about children moving into the home. In addition, ensure that managers take into account staff’s experience and skills and that children receive well-planned care throughout their stay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and other relevant persons without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 23 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2541440 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Berry Gifford Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Mercury Park, Amber Close, Tamworth B77 4RP

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Inspector

Nurul Kabir, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2541440 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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