Children's home run by A&M Care Solutions Limited - T/A Metropolitan Care Solutions

Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 1 Registered provider: A&M Care Solutions Ltd - T/a Metropolitan Care Solutions Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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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: 23 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Outstanding 07/02/2023 Full Outstanding 30/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented. The child’s artwork is displayed throughout the home. This helps to make the home personalised. The child and staff enjoy spending time together in the local area and further afield. They enjoy going to the gym, meals out and taking part in charity events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built meaningful relationships with the child, and they understand their needs well. Staff and the child are playful in their interactions and there is laughter in the home. The child can confide in staff when feeling upset or in need of support. This helps to promote the child’s well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child said that the manager and deputy manager advocate for them. The child is included in regular discussions and feels that their views are listened to. When the child’s views are not acted on, staff explain to the child why something cannot happen. This is something that the child values.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to maintain relationships and spend time with people who are important to them. The child’s family and friends are welcomed to the home to spend time with the child. Staff support these meaningful relationships to develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are considerate when supporting the child to manage feelings of loss and grief. Staff recognise when the child may need additional support at different points during the year to mark special family occasions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although there is an education plan in place, the child’s attendance in education is not yet good. However, the manager attends regular education meetings to try and improve the child’s attendance. The child has also achieved a good result in an exam and was recognised by the college as the most improved student because of their commitment to their studies. This was an excellent achievement for the child.

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

The child has a consistent and supportive staff team around them. The external professionals spoken to by the inspector commented on the quality of the communication with staff. Staff support the child to manage risks and aspire for the future.

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

When serious incidents have happened, staff responses have been good and have prioritised the child’s safety. The child has a specific risk assessment in place with the professional network. This has helped to reduce the number of hospital attendances. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 4 The child is supported to share their views with external agencies and contribute to meetings.

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

Staff are attuned to the child and their needs. Staff have a caring manner and describe the staff team as being ‘like a family’ to the child.

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

Information is shared between the staff when there are changes to the child’s care plans. This is important to ensure that any new risks are well understood and responded to.

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

The child can demonstrate some behaviour that could place them at a high level of risk. On occasions, staff have used consequences to try and reduce some of these risks. However, these consequences have not always been reflected on appropriately, and plans have not reflected whether these consequences have been effective or proportionate in trying to reduce risk. For example, consequences have been used when the child has not taken their medication.

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

There are risks if the child does not take their medication. However, on one occasion, implementing a consequence in response increased the overall risk for the child. Following this incident, the manager did not reflect on why the child did not want to take their medication.

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

Staff are trained in first aid and the administration of medication. However, some medication administration records show that controlled medication is not always accurately recorded. This includes recording errors in the amount that should be administered to the child. Recording errors also include the amount that was prescribed to the child being incorrect. Both happened on more than one occasion. The manager did not notice this shortfall, which is a significant oversight.

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

The records of when medication has been given ‘when required’ do not yet enable any patterns in a child’s behaviour to be identified. For example, there has been no review as to whether some months have seen an increase compared to others or whether the child has perhaps been triggered by events. This is necessary to ensure consistency in when to administer medication but also to consider when alternative de-escalation strategies could be considered. Staff attend regular medication reviews that consider the impact and effectiveness of the child’s medications.

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

Although there are shortfalls in the recording and management oversight of medication practice, staff keep the child safe overall, and the child has not been impacted by this shortfall. Therefore, the safety of children is of a good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, external professionals and the child all speak highly of the manager and deputy manager. Staff say that team morale is strong and they feel listened to by managers. The manager and deputy manager are a committed team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 5 The manager understands and follows safer recruitment and vetting procedures for new staff. There is an induction and training programme for staff, and additional specialised training is sought when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On one occasion, a staff member on their probationary period of employment was not adequately monitored within timescales. This led to an unnecessary drift in performance issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Allegations are appropriately referred to the relevant bodies and appropriate actions are taken to ensure the safety of children living in the home while the matter is considered. However, one referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service was not adequately followed up by the registered manager. Although it was referred in the company, an outcome was not sought. This was necessary to ensure the safety of the wider children’s workforce.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Room searches are carried out as part of a child’s plan, and the child has articulated to the manager that they do not wish to be part of room searches when they take place. However, room search records are not clear and there is no description to explain if a child has been informed that a room search has happened or not. For example, when items have been removed from a child’s bedroom, there is no evidence on room search records of the child being informed of this having happened or their views being sought.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers give the staff regular and reflective one-to-one supervision, which staff say they value. Staff development is regularly discussed and ways to support progression are identified. Team meetings take place regularly and have the input of clinical support. Managers recognise and respond to the requirement to provide staff with any additional support they may need and check in with them after incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although there are some areas for development in the leadership and management of the home, the overall management is good. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 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 make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that —

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the recording of medication being accurate. Patterns of medication use should be kept under regular review by the manager.

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Requirement Due date

If a child refuses medication, there should be a multi-agency plan in place to address this in a way that is considered, proportionate and safe. This information should be documented in the child’s plan. 15 January 2025

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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

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)(c)(h)) 15 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 7 Any referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service should be adequately followed up by the registered manager to safeguard all children.

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Requirement Due date

The practice of staff on probation or on a performance plan should be kept under regular review by the manager to prevent drift.

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Requirement Due date

Records of room searches should be clear, and children’s views should be sought.

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Requirement Due date

Patterns of medication use should be kept under regular review by the manager.

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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: 2635562 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A&M Care Solutions Ltd - T/a Metropolitan Care Solutions

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Regent Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG1 5BQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Katherine Adkins

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Inspector

Caroline Hose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2635562 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 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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