Children's Home run by Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 1 SC423617 Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

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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 up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 18 July 2023 and has applied 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 and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or 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: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Good 19/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There are widespread failures in safeguarding practice and in the leadership and management of the home. This hinders and compromises children’s experiences and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. All the children were seen and spoken to by the inspector. Since the assurance inspection in January 2024, one child has moved in, and no children have moved out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s experiences when they move into the home are poor. Leaders and managers do not thoroughly consider or prepare well for children’s needs and known risks before they move in. Leaders and managers do not consider the sufficiency or the skills of the staff team. For example, one child moved in when the home was understaffed. Children already living in the home are not supported to prepare for new children moving in. This has had a detrimental impact on the emotional well-being of all children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Incidents in the home have increased. One child said they do not feel safe when incidents occur. They said they stay in their bedroom. They also said that, on occasion, when out on an activity, they are unable to return to the home, due to incidents taking place. Staff do not always speak to all children after incidents. This leaves children feeling worried and anxious because they do not know what is happening.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child’s move into the home was poorly managed. They have not been able to personalise their bedroom. This does not support them to develop a sense of belonging. Their bedroom is bare and uninviting. There are no curtains or child-friendly decor, which adds to the unhomely feel of their bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some staff have formed positive relationships with children. However, since the last inspection, most staff have moved on or are absent from work long term. Some staff have left without saying goodbye. Despite significant changes, children have not been supported to process this loss. The impact on children’s emotional stability and their ability to trust is profound. One child said they are in fear about who is going to leave next.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not always listened to. When one child raised concerns about a staff member’s unsafe driving, managers failed to investigate the concerns adequately. The child felt unsupported and did not feel assured that their views are important and are taken seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home lacks a homely feel. For example, the walls are grubby in places and paint has peeled off the woodwork. Some of the doors to communal rooms have locks, which gives the home an institutional feel. There were also concerns about the fire safety Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 4 arrangements in the home. The manager took immediate action to address these concerns during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children say they like living in the home. One child said they like the home because people talk to them. All the children are engaged in education.

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

Managers and staff do not always take appropriate measures to safeguard children. The manager does not share accurate information with external professionals about children’s safety. For example, one child had displayed self-injurious behaviour. However, the details of this were not shared accurately with the child’s social worker. This compromised the social worker’s oversight and decision-making.

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

Guidance in children’s risk assessments is insufficient and inaccurate. Consequently, staff practice is inconsistent because they are unclear about their responsibilities. This is exacerbated by the frequent changes in staffing. Weak guidance and poor staff practice leave children vulnerable to harm. During one incident, a child who needed supervision when spending time outside the home, went to the park with staff. Unbeknown to staff, the child left the park and returned home. The staff member was not aware that the child had left the park until staff at the home contacted them.

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

Staff do not report safeguarding concerns in a timely manner. One staff member reported that they had observed a staff member raising their hand to a child. This was alleged to have occurred two days before. Once aware, managers took appropriate action to ensure children were safe.

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

Staff do not respond to children’s behaviour effectively. This is because not all staff understand children’s needs. Incidents escalate quickly. Children are left feeling frustrated and distressed as a result. Staff do not intervene to prevent children’s behaviours impacting on one another. This has led to children hurting one another and staff.

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

Staff do not respond appropriately to children’s needs. This is because they lack knowledge and skills. Staff are restrictive in their practice. They stand in front of children to block their movements, which causes children to feel frustrated. The recording of physical restraint is not always completed promptly. This compromises the manager’s oversight.

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

Agency staff work in the home. The manager does not liaise effectively with the agency when there are concerns about staff practice. After one incident of concerning practice, an agency staff member returned to work in the home. The manager did not speak to them about their practice. There was no agreed plan to monitor their practice. This does not ensure that children are protected from harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is not being led or managed effectively. The home has not had a registered manager since June 2022. The responsible individual has recently left the organisation. There are frequent changes in the staff team, meaning that children do not receive continuity of care. The current manager and deputy manager are leaving the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff team is unstable and morale is low. Due to a lack of staff, the manager often works directly with children. This prevents them from having effective management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The care children receive is not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The manager does not monitor children’s care plans to ensure their needs are met. For example, one child’s progress in relation to their independence has regressed. Staff have not supported them to undertake tasks such as their weekly shopping. As a result, the child has not been eating well. The manager has not recognised this and has not taken any action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children receive care from staff who are inexperienced and not sufficiently skilled. Staff are provided with some training. Managers do not measure the effectiveness of any training and lack an understanding of staff’s skills. Staff lack skills and knowledge, and this results in children receiving care from staff who do not understand their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management monitoring and oversight of the home are poor. For example, the manager does not speak to all children after incidents in the home. They do not identify any impact on them and therefore children are left feeling scared. One child said they feel ‘unsafe’ when incidents occur in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Record-keeping practice in the home varies. Some records are inaccurate, lack detail and contain language which could be stigmatising. As a result, it is not always clear what action staff take after a significant incident. Records are not always completed swiftly after incidents. This causes delay in the manager speaking to children about them. Consequently, the manager’s review of these incidents is not always effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not notify external professionals of all significant events. This compromises the external scrutiny of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 11 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 7 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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is effective management oversight of the home. They must ensure that the quality of care children receive is continuously monitored. This includes senior oversight of children’s care plans and how they are being implemented and monitored by the manager and staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must develop effective monitoring and review systems. They must ensure that staff understand the quality of care to be provided to children and their experiences and take swift action to address any identified shortfalls.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff receive adequate training which equips them with the skills to meet the needs of the children they care for. They must ensure that the effectiveness of training in staff practice is monitored and evaluated.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the children’s home is a safe, nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 8 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document; (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any complaints made by children are taken seriously and responded to and that any action taken ensures that children feel listened to. In addition, that children are supported to understand and process their feelings of loss due to staff frequently leaving. 2 September 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— 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 9 that staff—

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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;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff protect children from harm. They must understand their roles and responsibilities to protect children and take action to prevent children from being harmed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments contain accurate information about known risks and clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they speak to all children living in the home after incidents occur, to ascertain Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 10 their views, wishes and feelings. They must ensure that children’s experiences are listened to, and that action is taken to ensure they are adequately supported.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure they take every precaution to prevent the risk of fire in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children 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;

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(d)(f)(i)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s needs must be thoroughly considered prior to them moving into the home. The needs of children already living in the home must be considered, as well as the stability and sufficiency of the staff team and their skills.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, managers and staff must ensure that they encourage positive relationships between children as soon as 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 11 they move in. Children’s emerging needs should also be considered throughout their time living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)(2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is an effective behaviour management policy which is in children’s best interests. They must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities when responding to children’s behaviour. 2 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a home with another individual or other individuals, otherwise than in a partnership, if that individual and each other individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

A partnership may only carry on a home if each partner satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

each director of the organisation, except for a director who is the responsible individual, who is involved in the carrying on of a home by that organisation satisfies the requirements in paragraph (6); and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and 2 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 12 have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26(1)(2)(3)(4)(i)(5)(a)(7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must appoint a suitably experienced and qualified person to manage the home. They must also ensure that the appointed responsible individual has adequate oversight of the home and the skills to take effective action to improve the quality of care children receive.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation must include details of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40(1)(a)(b)(d)(4)(a)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all serious events are notified to Ofsted and all other relevant professionals. They must ensure that they provide the full details of these events in a timely manner. 2 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 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 and the use of non-stigmatising language. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 13

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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: SC423617 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Summerfield Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4PR

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 15 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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