Children's Home run by Nirmal Homes Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 1 Registered provider: Nirmal Homes 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 privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in January 2024. He is suitably qualified. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection, who spoke to the inspectors.

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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 and widespread 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, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Enforcement action since last inspection: None

Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child’s experiences and progress have been significantly affected by shortfalls in how the child has been cared for, helped and protected, as well as in the leadership and management of the home. There are immediate risks to the safety and well-being of the child currently living in this home. As a result, Ofsted suspended the home’s registration because the child was at risk due to serious and widespread failings to provide safe and effective care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers have failed to fully assess the potential impact of the needs, risks and behaviours of the child who moved into the home. They did not ensure that they had all the information about the child and their potential risks and vulnerabilities before they moved into the home. In addition, the manager has not ensured that staff have specific training to meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The environment is extremely poor. Managers have not taken action to provide the child with a clean and nurturing home, this includes stained wallpaper, light fittings fixed with tape and overgrown gardens. Most of the home needs repair and decoration. This does not provide the child with a hygienic, safe and comfortable place to live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff ensure that the child has positive experiences and tries new things. This provides the child with the opportunity to gain new experiences and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child has built strong relationships with the staff who care for them. Relationships between staff and the child are warm, affectionate and loving.

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

There have been some safeguarding incidents that placed the child at risk of significant harm. The manager and staff do not demonstrate that they have the skills and experience to keep the child safe. Incidents have not always been recorded and responded to appropriately by staff and managers.

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

There have been several incidents of the child harming themselves. Despite this, the manager and staff do not always recognise these risks and they fail to respond appropriately to keep the child safe. The manager’s and staff’s inability to identify and act on signs that a child is at risk of harm, at an early stage, places the child at further risk. Furthermore, the manager has failed to show professional curiosity when reviewing incidents and fails to identify what staff could have done differently to improve practise. This lack of effective oversight means that opportunities to learn from incidents are missed. For example, on one occasion, due to poor staff supervision, the child was able to harm themselves resulting in the child requiring surgery. This practise was not addressed, and risk assessments had not been updated following this incident. Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 3 Managers have failed to ensure that the environment is safe for the child. For example,

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

items have been removed from the child’s bedroom to prevent them from harming themselves but this approach to risk management is not consistent around the home. The manager also failed to assess that an internal door closer, in the child’s bedroom, could be used by the child as a ligature point.

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

The garden is overgrown with nettles and brambles. Loose bricks and rubble could be found in the garden. A yellow liquid in an unlabelled bottle was found next to the outside bin and sharp objects are on the drive. Additionally, the fire risk assessment has been completed for a house of multiple occupancy. This lack of action and oversight by managers to ensure the safety of the premises has left the child and staff at unnecessary risk of harm.

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

Managers fail to ensure that there are systems to ensure the safe administration of medication. Record-keeping is poor. Although some staff have received training, there are no procedures to reassess their competence following medication errors. Medication administration sheets give staff different instructions in terms of doses and frequency in what to administer the child with their prescribed medication. It is unclear whether the child has been too much or too little medication on several occasions. This has put the child at risk of harm, and it does not promote their well-being. Managers have completed a review of the premises to assess the suitability and location of the home. However, it does not consider how to minimise risk to the child from a nearby dual carriage way, train tracks and tall buildings. As a result, staff have not been provided with all the necessary information they need to safeguard the child when they are out in the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Poor leadership and management and failure to take effective action to improve the quality of care in the home have compromised the child’s safety, experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s monitoring is ineffective and fails to protect children from harm. There has been no senior management presence in the home for three months due to the responsible individual having unplanned leave. No effective oversight was provided to cover this period to support the manager. There are significant gaps in the manager’s knowledge and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The manager does not have effective systems to review the quality of care and fully understand the child’s experiences. They do not review and evaluate significant incidents effectively, including incidents of self-harm. Therefore, they do not understand the potential risks to the child and take steps to challenge poor practice and keep the child safe. Furthermore, they do not understand the impact of shortfalls in the quality of care on the child’s experiences and progress, and they do not set out clear plans to bring

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and staff do not have the necessary skills to care for vulnerable children with complex needs. There are significant gaps in training for both the manager and Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 4 staff team. Additionally, the quality of staff supervision is poor. The manager and staff do not receive regular supervision in line with the company policy. Managers are unable to assess whether staff have the skills and whether they understand their roles and responsibilities in providing care to the child and how to keep them safe. When poor practice from staff is not challenged and is normalised, this places the child at further risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not always notify Ofsted when there are serious incidents. As a result, the regulator does not have access to essential information that would enable them to have oversight of what is happening at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers fail to ensure that recruitment processes are effective and safe. For example, checks on staff suitability to work with children have not been undertaken before staff have worked in the home. This means that the provider has not assured themselves that employed staff are safe to work with, and care for, children. Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the environment is a homely and well-maintained place for children to live. 18 August 2024

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 18 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 6 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;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to keep children safe, risk assessments must be kept under review and give clear guidance to staff to keep children safe. The home environment must also be a safe place for children to live in.

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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

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,

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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)) 18 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 7 The registered person must ensure that there is effective oversight and practise issues are recognised and action taken to address poor practise. The manager should implement tools to drive the development of the quality-of-care children receive while living in the home. Additionally, all staff need to complete all mandatory training and any training specific to the child's specific needs living in the home.

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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

ensure that each child's relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that impact risk assessments are detailed and consider how they intend to safeguard children. They must take into account staff skills and experience, location of the home and consult with relevant professionals involved in children's day-to-day care. 18 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home. In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are safe systems for administration of medication, that records are accurate and that staff administering medication are competent to do so. 18 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 18 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 8 employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that recruitment processes are robust and in line with schedule 2 of the Children’s Homes Regulations (2015)

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that the manager and staff receive practise-related supervision and these are in line with the company's supervision policy. 18 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to,

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Requirement Due date

sexual exploitation; 18 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 9 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that HMCI is notified of all serious events without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the location risk assessment is kept under regular review and includes all location risks known in respect to the child living in the home. 18 August 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: 2725133 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nirmal Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 8SP

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Inspectors

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Caoimhe Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2725133 11 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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Inspectors

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