Children's home run by Insight Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 1 Registered provider: Insight Care Group 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 privately owned and provides care for up to four children who may have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post. They are suitably qualified and experienced. They have 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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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 requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 2 August 2023, an assurance inspection was carried out at the home. Inspectors found serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. Compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 were issued.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 11 September 2023, a monitoring visit was carried out at the home. The steps in both compliance notices were met at this visit. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. They were all spoken to as part of this inspection. Although children were positive about their experiences in the home, there have been some challenging incidents, which at times staff have struggled to manage. These have affected children’s safety and experiences of living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is welcoming and homely. Communal areas are well decorated and comfortably furnished. Children’s rooms are personalised with hand-painted murals on the walls. However, managers and staff have failed to identify hazards in the home that could compromise children’s safety. For example, one child’s room did not have window restrictors or anti-ligature blinds, despite risks around these areas being known for the child. The manager ensured that the window restrictors were in place by the end of the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children are starting to build trusting and positive relationships with staff. Staff were observed to be nurturing and caring towards children. As a result, incidents are reducing. One child said the home is ‘10 out of 10’. Another child said the home was ‘Seven or eight out of 10. It’s better than other homes that I have lived in.’

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of education and how this promotes structure and routine for children. Two of the children are in full-time education, with good attendance. Staff work well with education professionals to support children who are not in school, ensuring that bespoke education plans are in place to support children’s learning. Children’s life chances are improved because of their engagement in education.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote children’s physical and emotional well-being. Staff ensure that children are registered with local health services. They also seek additional support from health professionals when required. When this is not meeting children’s needs, managers raise concerns with the social worker and look at alternative support, funded privately, to ensure that children’s health needs are being met.

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improvement to be good

Children have opportunities to share their wishes and feelings through a variety of formats, including weekly meetings, key-work and direct work sessions, as well as general chats. Children also have access to an independent advocate. Children said that they feel listened to and have people they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. These practices ensure that children can participate in and directly influence the decisions that affect their lives.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to have fun and positive experiences. Children have been on a variety of outings to places such as museums, a day at the seaside, city trips, the cinema Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 4 and trampoline parks. These experiences help children to socialise and make friends, which builds their confidence and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to keep in touch with friends and members of their families. This helps children to maintain relationships with those who could support them after they leave the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always take appropriate action to keep children safe. There have been occasions when staff actions and poor decision-making have put children at risk and caused children harm. For example, there was one occasion when staff did not securely store their own medication. As a result, one child took the medication and was required to go to hospital. Medical advice was sought and fortunately the child did not come to harm. On another occasion, staff allowed a child to buy an item, which included sharps, which the child could have used to self-harm. On this occasion, the child handed the item to staff without hurting themselves. Managers have now taken action to ensure that these incidents do not reoccur.

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improvement to be good

Children’s written plans are of variable quality. While care and behaviour support plans are detailed, one child’s risk assessment does not contain information on all the child’s known risks. Another child’s safety plan also lacks detail on how to support the child when they are in crisis. In addition, information is held in a variety of different documents, which may cause confusion for staff. This means that staff do not have clear guidance on how to respond to children, mitigate risk and keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

There have been occasions when staff have failed to follow children’s risk management plans. For example, window restrictors were not in place in one child’s bedroom, despite this being a documented strategy to mitigate risk. Staff have also not always completed room searches in line with the frequency stated in their safety plan. While these shortfalls have not caused any harm to children, they do have the potential to put children at risk of harm. Managers have failed to identify these vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not always ensure that employees’ recruitment files contain adequate information. They have failed to identify gaps in two of the staff’s employment. This shortfall does not help to ensure that adults caring for children are suitable to do so.

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improvement to be good

Despite these shortfalls, children say that they feel safe living in the home, and incidents are reducing over time.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from care are rare. When children are missing from the home, staff promptly respond. They follow comprehensive missing-from-care protocols. Staff search for children and communicate with police until children are found. The manager has requested that children have access to an independent person, so that Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 5 the children can talk to someone about why they went missing from the home and share any concerns they may have.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical intervention as a last resort. The manager has good oversight of all incidents. They ensure that both staff and children are spoken to after any incident. This ensures that when used, the intervention is necessary and proportionate. It also gives staff the opportunity to reflect and amend their practice to meet children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete focused work with children to enable them to understand their risks and make more-informed choices to keep themselves safe. When this takes place, it supports children’s welfare and well-being.

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

A new manager has been in post since October 2023. The responsible individual has not been able to visit the home in person for the last six months. She has supported the manager virtually. Directors of the home have been visiting the home in her absence. Despite the changes, staff say that they feel well supported by the management team.

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

Directors have not ensured that the manager has access to all the home’s important documents and files, for example staff’s full recruitment files and up-to-date maintenance certificates. This impacts on the manager’s ability to have effective oversight and review the quality of care that children receive.

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

Managers have not ensured that all staff have had training on children’s specific risks. Supervision is also not consistently provided in line with the frequency stipulated in the statement of purpose. This means that not all staff have the knowledge and skills to meet the children’s individual needs and staff may not get the support they require. In addition, this will not support staff to feel valued and developed. Managers have recognised this shortfall and have started to rectify this. As a result, the frequency of supervision has started to improve and training has been planned.

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

The management team is aware of the need to notify Ofsted of significant events. When they do submit notifications, reports are detailed and generally show that staff respond to events quickly, involving a range of other professionals. However, there have been three occasions when managers have failed to inform Ofsted of significant incidents. Consequently, the regulator is not always aware of what is happening in the home and how staff are responding to the incidents that occur.

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

While managers have reviewed the statement of purpose, they have not forwarded the revised statement to Ofsted. This has minimal impact on children. However, it means that the regulator does not have up-to-date information about the care that the home is intending to provide for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 6 Managers work with a range of professionals to ensure that children receive care that meets their needs. Feedback from parents and social workers is positive, particularly about the progress children have made since living in the home. One social worker said: ‘[name of child] is thriving. The communication from staff is excellent.’ Similarly, one child’s carer said: ‘[name of child] has grown significantly. It is lovely to see. He now has ability to regulate his emotions.’

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

Leaders and managers do have an overall awareness of the way that the home is working, the children’s progress and the way that the staff team works together. They have recognised that changes in management have at times impacted on the continuity of care that children have received. They are working with the staff to improve teamwork and promote consistent, good-quality care for children.

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

Leaders and managers have acknowledged the shortfalls found in this inspection and are committed to making improvements to the quality of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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. (Requirement 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is safe for the children who live in the home, and that children’s risk assessments, behaviour management and safety plans provide succinct, clear guidance to staff on how to support children, mitigate risk and keep children safe. In addition, ensure that staff consistently follow risk assessments and safety plans that are in place. 5 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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— 22 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 8 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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Part of this requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 September 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that a full work history is in place for all staff and that when staff have worked and lived abroad suitable enquiries are made about this period of time. 22 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 9 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 10

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted of significant incidents relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review and that they notify Ofsted of any revisions and send a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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: 2702129 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Insight Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ace House, 22 Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B73 5DA

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2702129 12 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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