Children's home run by Bluejay Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 1 Registered provider: Bluejay Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children with learning disabilities and complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. Both children were present during the inspection and spoke with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a well-maintained, comfortable and homely environment. Staff work hard to create an atmosphere that is full of warmth and love. The children’s bedrooms and the living areas of the home resonate with a sense of individuality, achievement and special interests. Toys, photos, certificates and posters clearly reflect the individual hobbies, interests and achievements of each child. The decor, maintenance and organisation of the home clearly suggest that those who live there are important, valued and respected .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a stable and consistent staff team. Children form strong relationships built on trust and affection from staff. Relationships between staff and children are warm, affectionate and loving. Staff are continually curious about, and reflect on, how they can help children grow in all areas of their development. This helps children to build trust and to feel safer and relaxed in their surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about living here and say that the best things about living here are how the staff look after them and the opportunities they have. One child described the team as amazing and said, ‘I am proud of how my confidence has grown. I will now read aloud in class and I participated in sports day. I would never have done this before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a positive ethos around the importance of education. As a result, children do well in education and have full-time attendance. The home advocates for children’s education and works closely with educational establishments to ensure children achieve the best possible outcomes academically. This support helps children to grow in confidence and self-esteem. It also provides them with a better opportunity to reach their full potential and increases their life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home places great emphasis on children making memories and having shared experiences that they can cherish and keep forever. This is evident in the home through a vast range of pictures and memory books. The staff have been hugely creative in providing a wide range of activities, holidays and projects. For example, staff and children all raised money for an autism charity by climbing Snowdon. They also enjoyed participating in a local car boot sale where the money raised was donated to the Blue Cross charity. This has given children the opportunity to create links in the community and to develop their social skills and empathy towards others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have a good understanding of children’s health needs. Children are supported to attend health appointments and staff ensure that children who use medication have this reviewed regularly. Staff promote children’s health needs by encouraging physical activities and providing freshly cooked meals. However, at times, there has been a lax approach to supporting and encouraging one child to wear their glasses every day. The manager is taking appropriate action to rectify this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 4

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

Staff educate children about risk. Children take part in key-work sessions and engage in meetings when safeguarding scenarios are discussed to address identified risks and raise their awareness about topics of concern. This includes work on online safety, racism and property damage. This positive work enhances children’s knowledge of risk and allows them to take the lead in their learning.

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

The manager and staff demonstrate a great understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and potential risks posed to them. Children’s risk assessments are detailed and clear. Staff are directed in how to manage and mitigate the risks identified for each child. Staff are highly skilled in diversion, distraction and de-escalation techniques. Strategies identified are being used and are effective.

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

Due to the positive relationships enjoyed between the children and staff, the use of physical intervention is rare. When restraint is used, this is a last resort and is necessary and proportionate. Clear and supportive discussions are held with children after an incident. This gives children space to reflect and learn from these incidents.

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

Managers and staff place a high priority on keeping children safe. They work in partnership with placing authorities to protect children and promote their safety. The effectiveness of these relationships helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, and they have a good knowledge of whistle- blowing procedures.

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

Staff ensure that the home environment is safe for children to live in. A range of health and safety checks are carried out to assess whether there are any hazards which could pose a risk to children. Children take part in regular fire drills and have personal emergency evacuation plans to ensure that they know how to safely evacuate in case of an emergency. The manager’s review of the location identifies all known risks in the area and there are plans to mitigate any risks. However, the manager has missed an opportunity to further strengthen the safety of the location by not consulting with relevant people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and development needs of the home. He is enthusiastic and child-focused, and children are at the centre of everything he does. The manager proactively sets clear standards of care. His committed and determined approach continues to drive improvements in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations and aspirations for children. The staff share the manager’s vision, which is demonstrated through the culture and ethos of the home. This ensures that children receive good-quality care from a dedicated and ambitious team of staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 5 Team meetings and supervisions take place regularly and are used as a place for reflection and learning and provide a comprehensive overview of the progress made by children. This allows all staff an opportunity to discuss children’s progress, generate ideas and have a consistent approach to the care provided. Important issues are tracked and discussed, and children are at the centre of all staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs. The manager distils learning from theoretical models of care for staff. This gives staff greater understanding of children’s emotional needs and supports them to deliver consistent and individualised care. Training in therapeutic approaches and an understanding of trauma-informed care underpin staff practice. This enables staff to better understand the reasons behind some of the children’s behaviours and provide a nurturing environment in which children thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers’ monitoring systems are embedded in practice, which ensures that they have a good oversight of the home and take action to address issues as they arise. This comprehensive oversight makes sure that all aspects of care and the running of the home are maintained to a good standard. This better assists the manager to identify concerns and make prompt changes to improve and maintain good standards of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Experienced staff speak very positively about the changes that the manager has made. The manager is well regarded and is nurturing towards the team, creating an environment where staff feel well supported. Support and challenge are effective, and the manager ensures that all actions are reviewed. This means that poor practice is addressed effectively, and that good practice is promoted. One staff member said, ‘It’s clear that he has the drive and passion to change children’s lives in the best possible way. We are with him every step of the way.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established strong connections with partner agencies. External professionals are unanimously positive about the communication with the staff team and about the care provided for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all children’s health needs are met, by ensuring that all actions are completed in line with local authority plans. 1 December 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the home is suitably located so that children are safeguarded effectively and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans. The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year, including consulting with relevant people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 2714869 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2714869 8 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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