Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 1 SC432966 Registered provider: N H Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children with physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024 and is suitably experienced.

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/01/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Inadequate 13/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was spoken to as part of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child recently moved out after living in the home for just over two years. During the inspection, the manager was arranging to send goodbye cards, gifts and photos to the child. These thoughtful gestures serve as reminders of the relationships the child formed and the positive memories from their time at the home, and they aim to provide a sense of support and closure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have their say by using their preferred methods of communication. These methods include, verbal communication, electronic voice devices and objects of reference. Staff get to know children well. For example, they have learned to interpret children’s vocal tones, signs, facial expressions and body language. As a result, staff can act on children’s wishes and feelings effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child feels valued, trusts staff and enjoys spending time with them. They benefit hugely from the affection and warmth from staff and seek them out for hugs. One parent said, ‘Staff treat [name of child] like their own.’ These positive relationships ensure that children feel safe and secure and provide the foundation for them to flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s education and learning, which results in excellent attendance. Staff work closely with education professionals to share information and what is working well for children. Staff visit children’s schools to better understand their education style and work alongside school staff to mirror the educational support provided to the children at the home. This proactive approach to partnership working promotes consistency for children and supports their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop their hobbies and interests and to try new things. Children enjoy walks to the park and visiting sensory play centres. One child, who enjoys swimming activities, has been helped to build their confidence in water. Additionally, children enjoy caravan holidays and holidays abroad. Staff take a risk-aware approach to support children to spend time in the community safely. This helps children to widen and enhance their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Race and ethnicity are valued and respected in this home. For example, staff support children to take part in cultural and religious events, such as attending regular church service. As a result, children can express and enrich their own identity and feel confident and proud of who they are.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and has plenty of space for children to explore. There is a sensory room for children to spend time in, and there is an array of toys, games and garden equipment for them to enjoy. During the inspection, the child was observed Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 4 smiling on the basket swing as staff gently pushed them. The child enjoyed the soothing motion and the supportive presence around them.

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

Children’s safety and well-being are central to all practice in the home. Risk management processes focus on safeguarding children, while finding creative ways that they can explore and learn about their environment safely. This allows children to have an appropriate degree of independence. Staff understand and manage the risks associated with each child. Risk assessments are in depth and robust and are used by staff to address children’s specific needs and any emerging vulnerabilities. The manager and staff regularly review the plans, and any updates are made immediately.

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

Very few safeguarding incidents have occurred since the last inspection. Safeguarding processes are robust. The manager immediately shares information with external professionals to prevent delays in protecting children from harm. This ensures a joined- up approach to safeguarding children.

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

When children hurt themselves, staff respond with sensitivity and compassion. This means that children know how to get help if they need it and seek this from staff. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in incidents of self-harm.

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

Restraint has not been used. This is because staff find alternative ways to help children to regulate their emotions. Restorative conversations encourage children to communicate their feelings. Staff have developed their skills and understanding of how to make things better for children when they experience difficult emotions, helping children to understand behaviours that may present a risk to them. This work has supported children to become increasingly safe.

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

Staff support children with their health needs. Staff receive training in managing medicine. They do not administer medicine until they have been assessed as competent. Medication administration is monitored effectively. There have been no medication errors since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a registered manager, who is supported by a deputy manager. The managers are experienced and child-centred practitioners who have high aspirations for children and the staff team. The managers create a culture of positivity and improve the lives of the children they are responsible for. The managers have created an ethos of continuous learning so that children receive the best quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are extremely positive about the support they receive from the manager. One member of staff said, ‘The manager is inspirational, and the deputy manager is exceptional.’ Another staff member said, ‘I would like to give special recognition to our new manager, for her hard work, and positive attitude, that motivates me, and we are in good hands to thrive.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 5 The home has a stable and consistent staff team. Staff say that morale is positive, and all the staff get on well and are supportive of each other. One staff member said, ‘I have a joy coming to work, this is like my second home.’ This culture promotes healthy working relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions and appraisals, which helps them to remain skilled and supported in their professional development. The manager is supported by the home’s operations manager. This level of support demonstrates positive relationships between the leadership team and staff. One member of staff said that the operations manager has been extremely supportive and has consistently praised and appreciated the hard work the management team and staff have invested.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds highly reflective and innovative team meetings, where she creates additional learning opportunities to develop staff practice. For example, staff take part in workshops on subjects such as health, dealing effectively with seizures and enhancing autism knowledge. The manager strives for excellence so that children receive the highest quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports staff to carry out their roles effectively. Staff have received a variety of relevant training to meet children’s needs, including their individual communication needs. Consequently, staff have the knowledge and skills to provide good-quality care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff with more than two years employment in residential care have the required level 3 qualification or equivalent. This means that some staff have failed to meet the regulatory requirement to attain their qualification within the relevant time frame. The manager acknowledges this shortfall and has robust monitoring systems in place to ensure that all staff complete their qualification within the time frame set for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers carry out regular health and safety audits. Despite this, some records have not been consistently updated when maintenance tasks have been actioned. The manager has acknowledged this gap in recording and has put processes in place to prevent this happening again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child has not had access to an independent advocate, to advise them and ensure that they have the independent support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and life. As a result, children may not understand their rights and have access to what they are entitled to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In the short time that the manager has been in post, she has developed a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. She uses monitoring systems to ensure good oversight of the home. The manager plans to bring in new practices to improve monitoring further. As a result, the manager has a good understanding of the child’s needs and can address any shortfalls quickly. Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the required qualification to meet the needs of the children. The qualification must be attained within the necessary time frame. 23 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support and have an independent advocate to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that all health and safety audits are updated once the outstanding actions have been addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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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: SC432966 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 69 Steward Street, Business Lofts, Steward Street, Birmingham B18 7AF

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Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC432966 9 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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