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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 1 SC423617

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Registered provider: Adecyn Children’s 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 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

There has been no registered manager since June 2022. The interim manager has been in post since 27 June 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2024 Full Inadequate 10/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. All the children were seen and spoken to by the inspectors. Since the last inspection, no children have moved in and no children have moved out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Overall, staff form positive relationships with children. When children are feeling upset, staff support their emotional well-being. However, one child still feels unsupported and does not feel listened to. This is despite efforts from staff to enable them to feel heard. Managers escalate concerns about the performance of the placing authority, particularly when there are delays in care planning. One child, who turns 18 in a few months’ time, still does not know what the plan is for their move on from the home. This has exacerbated concerns about their mental health. Managers are responding appropriately to ensure that they receive the support they need.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. However, one child does not have adequate means of sharing their views on their care. There is a general lack of consultation with children. The manager does not always respond swiftly to concerns expressed by children. As a result, children are reluctant to express any concerns they have as they do not always feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff have improved the way they support children to develop their independence. This remains a work in progress due to the several changes in management and staffing. This has unsettled children, causing them confusion and uncertainty. However, the staff team is now stabilising. Hence, children are receiving more consistent care.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy an array of activities. Two children are attending school regularly. Their attendance has improved and incidents have reduced, improving their learning environment. However, one child is not engaged in education or employment. Staff are supporting them to write their curriculum vitae. They have an interview arranged with a prospective employer.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to resume relationships with people who are important to them. One child has started to spend some time with their family members. They had not seen them for some time. Staff provide the child with a safe space to ensure they feel supported to do so.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean, tidy and well kept. The home provides children with a pleasant environment. Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 4

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improvement to be good

Overall, safeguarding practice has improved. Staff have received face-to-face training in relation to safeguarding children. In general, incidents between children have reduced. However, during one incident, one child kicked another child in the head. This was not reported to the children’s social workers. However, appropriate medical attention was sought for the child who was injured. Promoting positive relationships between children remains a work in progress.

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improvement to be good

During one incident, a child was not cared for by staff with adequate supervision. An incident occurred and the child made an allegation. This was not correctly reported or recorded. Therefore, action to ensure the safety of the child was delayed.

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improvement to be good

The quality of records remains inconsistent. Some incidents and safeguarding concerns are not recorded in the correct format. Children are not always spoken to soon after an incident has occurred. Therefore, the manager does not always understand the child’s views, wishes and feelings. Inevitably, children sometimes do not feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff better understand children’s complex needs. They help children to develop safer ways to communicate their needs. One child is now using words to verbalise how they are feeling rather than using their behaviour. Incidents in the home have significantly reduced. The use of physical intervention has also reduced.

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improvement to be good

The environment is calmer and more relaxed, and this has had an impact on how children are presenting. However, incidents of self-harm for one child have increased. This is due to a deterioration in their mental health. Staff are appropriately supporting the child. Leaders and managers are escalating their concern with the placing authority.

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improvement to be good

Staff implement routines and boundaries for children. This has been imperative for one child, who in general is much more settled. The child’s social worker described the child as ‘much calmer’. They also said that there is a positive difference in their presentation. Staff are encouraging the child to reflect. They are providing them with choices and options. This has had a positive impact on the child’s ability to process their emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager since June 2022. Since this time, managers have been appointed but not registered. Currently an interim manager is in post, but they are not applying to register. Leaders are recruiting for a permanent manager. They have identified a candidate, and recruitment checks are underway.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have received training in relation to the home’s model of care. As a result, some staff have improved skills and knowledge to meet children’s needs. However, this Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 5 practice is not yet embedded. The language of some staff is at times oppressive, stigmatising and shaming. This is also evident in children’s records. This does not support and help children to overcome traumatic experiences. There are some staff who are very supportive. Children like and trust these staff members, and they make them feel safe. Some gaps in training remain in relation to the home’s recording systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The arrangements for monitoring the quality of care that children receive are inconsistent. The registered manager has some monitoring systems in place. However, they are not well documented. The manager is driving forward improvement by upskilling and supporting staff. However, this sometimes distracts from their oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual recently completed a thorough audit. This identified many actions to improve children’s care and the manager’s oversight, such as the importance of staff receiving regular supervision. The manager has a support plan in place to help them complete the actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not always act efficiently after children make an allegation or complaint. They do not always reassure children about what action they are taking. This makes children feel worried and uncertain about what will happen. Overall, the provider thoroughly investigates any allegations or complaints. They have recently recruited external services to assist with this. 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 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. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings about how they are cared for are routinely ascertained. The registered person must ensure that children’s views are taken seriously, responded to and that any action taken ensures that children feel listened to.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 December

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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. 10 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 7 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;

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure a consistent approach to ensuring children’s safety. They must ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities to protect children and take action to prevent children from coming to harm.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff follow the guidance contained in children’s risk assessments 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 8 their views, wishes and feelings. They must ensure that children are listened to when they talk about their experiences, and that action is taken to ensure they are adequately supported.

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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 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—

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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

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

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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)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care children receive is continuously monitored. This includes developing consistent, effective monitoring and review systems that include consulting with children about their experiences.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 10 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 9 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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 which is non-stigmatising.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive in-depth training and upskilling in relation to the home’s recording systems. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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 10

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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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Inspectors

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC423617 11 and inspects to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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