Children's Home run by Midlands Care Services in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 1 Registered provider: Midlands Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to four children who have a variety of complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home. All children were spoken with during the inspection.

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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: 6 February 2024

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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: 2725985 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusting, positive relationships with children. Children say that they feel safe and have people to speak to at the home. A child who has only recently moved into the home said that it is ‘really good’. They said that staff are ‘really supportive’ and always help them to do things that they are interested in. A social worker said that their child ‘absolutely loves it’. They said that staff’s approach works well for their child and that, as a result, their child is doing really well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from well-planned moves that include visits into the home and, as a result, they settle quickly. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. This was due to staff being unable to meet the child’s needs. Despite the unplanned ending, staff tried hard to ensure that the move was positive and have stayed in touch through phone calls. Maintaining relationships helps to ensure that children feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is designed and furnished with their needs in mind. High- quality soft furnishings contribute to a nurturing atmosphere. The games room is highly personalised to children’s interests and provides an extra space for children to enjoy and relax in. Staff put up photos of children enjoying activities and a child’s artwork is on display around the home. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms and staff decorate the home to celebrate special occasions, for example Halloween. As a result, children feel a sense of belonging and feel valued in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise education, and all three children attend education that appropriately meets their needs. One child is accessing online tuition and staff are supplementing this with a creative programme of activities to support the child to stay engaged. As a result, children’s attendance is good and they make good progress. Two children have moved successfully into post-16 placements. Positive experiences with education help to enhance children’s opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to explore their interests, and all children enjoy a range of activities. Staff ensure that children’s experiences are captured in written records and create memory books for children that include photos. These records and books provide children with lasting physical reminders of their achievements and experiences at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Managers and staff foster positive relationships with children’s families. A parent said that the home and staff are ‘brilliant’. They commented on the homely feel and the progress that their child had made as a result of their time living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 4

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

Staff use a nurturing approach to de-escalate incidents that is rooted in their knowledge and understanding of children, and physical intervention is rare. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children safe. Records relating to interventions are clear and detailed. Staff discuss incidents with children, and children’s voices are recorded and responded to well. The manager completes comprehensive evaluations after incidents and ensures that learning is taken on board.

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

Children and staff benefit from the support of a clinical team. Staff receive training that is individualised to children’s needs. The clinical team leads reflective discussions with staff and helps to create strategies for staff to use to support children.

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

Children’s plans and risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance on the steps they need to take to keep children safe. Children are involved in the creation of their plans and contribute their ideas as to what will best help them. Staff find creative ways of supporting children to respond to risk. For example, one child has developed multiple ways of communicating their feelings without needing to use words. Plans about how staff should respond to the child’s expressions are clear.

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

Children benefit from individual discussions on areas of risk. Staff celebrate and promote children’s achievements. As a result, children’s risks are reducing in number. One child has not been involved in an incident for a significant period of time; this is substantial progress for this child.

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

Managers and staff complete regular audits of medication, health and safety. As a result, children are safeguarded from physical risks in the home and there have been no errors with the administration of medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is enthusiastic about the quality of care that children receive and is highly aspirational for the experiences she wants for children and staff at the home. The manager is committed to driving positive development and holds children at the centre of her decision-making. This is an approach that she fosters in the staff team. As a result, children are cared for by staff who promote their voices and ensure that children feel valued and feel a sense of belonging in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a comprehensive range of training, and the manager ensures that training is individualised to children’s needs. For example, staff completed specific training relating to a child’s diagnosis when there was potential for a child to move into the home. Staff say that they find training helpful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of recruitment and ensures that staff are suitably vetted before they join the home. As a result, children are supported by staff who are appropriate for the role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 5 The manager ensures that all staff receive regular supervision sessions. Staff say that they feel well supported. A staff member commented that they have found the environment to be ‘refreshing’. They said that they feel comfortable to talk to the manager about anything and feel she is always there for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses creative approaches to ensure that staff are continually developing. The manager leads workshops for staff that help to foster a positive team ethos and develop staff’s knowledge, understanding and skills relating to their role. As a result, children are supported by staff who understand how to provide good-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a lot of change in the staff team. The manager has explored the reasons for staff leaving the home and has put in place incentives to help ensure staff retention. This is an ongoing piece of work for the manager. A high turnover in staff has potential to impact on consistency for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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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: 2725985 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Midlands Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 2a Blackthorn House, Mary Ann Street, St Pauls Square, Birmingham B3 1RL

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Inspectors

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2725985 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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