Children's home run by Nisa Care Home Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 1 Registered provider: Nisa Care Home 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

The home is run by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. The manager registered with Ofsted in December 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 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: 2519919 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2023 Full Good 25/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. This was in line with the child’s plans. At the time of this inspection, two children lived in the home. Both children have been living in the home for over three years. The inspector spoke to both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children effectively when they leave the home. The staff and manager supported the child through a smooth transition. Visits were arranged to the new home, allowing the child to familiarise themselves with their new environment. To make the move even more positive, staff organised a farewell party, giving the child the opportunity to say goodbye to both staff and the other children in the home. The child received goodbye cards, gifts and a memory book filled with their experiences and special moments in the home. This thoughtful approach helped the child settle in well by reducing any potential anxiety, creating a sense of closure and reinforcing positive memories, making their move feel less overwhelming and more supportive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff develop excellent relationships. Staff understand and meet children’s individual needs and invest in their progress. One child said, ‘Since I have been here, I have matured a lot. They have taught me so much and I have learned so much.’ Another child’s family member said, ‘[Name of child] blossomed at the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use various communication aids to interact effectively with children. These aids include picture exchange cards and social stories. The manager invests in high- quality speech and language resources to help children develop verbal communication, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. As a result, non-verbal children can now communicate using two- to three-word sentences. One child’s social worker praised the progress, highlighting how the child can now express his wants and preferences verbally, calling this an amazing achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make excellent progress in developing their independence skills. Children can make simple meals and tidy up their bedrooms. One child has excelled in their independence, and they are now able to travel independently, manage their own finances and look after their own health needs without staff support. The child successfully self-administers all their medication. The staff’s effective support develops children’s life skills and prepares them well for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make noteworthy educational progress from their starting points. Both children receive education, and attendance is excellent. Open lines of communication with schools enable staff to be highly attuned and responsive to helping children overcome their education barriers. These relationships have encouraged children to have a positive attitude towards learning. This support has resulted in one child completing their motor vehicle qualification. One education professional said, ‘Staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 4 support [Name of child] really well in the home through the learning platform, which has really helped them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a variety of activities that enrich their social experiences, such as trampolining and community walks. Children go on day trips to explore new places and environments. Additionally, one child enjoyed a holiday to the beach, while another child experienced a trip abroad. These experiences help children build confidence, develop social skills and create positive memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children took part in community and charity events. They cooked curries and baked cakes, selling them to the local community to raise money for a children’s charity. Children also participated in a local environment programme, helping with litter picking. These experiences teach children valuable life skills, help them gain a sense of responsibility and strengthen their connection to the community, while the community benefits from their positive contributions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Photos of the children enjoying various activities are displayed throughout the home, nurturing a feeling of inclusion that contributes to their emotional well-being. However, a couple of areas require maintenance work, such as a plaster crack on a wall. These issues slightly detract from the home’s overall comfort and appearance.

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

Children trust staff. They say that they like living in the home and know they can go to staff at any time. One child said, ‘I know I can speak to my carers at any time, day or night. They are always here to help me; I just love them.’

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

Since the last inspection, there have been no allegations or complaints. There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff clearly understand the actions to take if such incidents occur, and children have well-defined plans in place for staff to respond effectively.

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

Serious incidents are rare in the home. Since the last inspection, there has been only one safeguarding incident, which was managed effectively. This demonstrates good practice by showing that staff respond appropriately to concerns and prioritise the well-being of the children.

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

Staff ensure that children use the internet safely. Parental controls are implemented to ensure that children only access age-appropriate materials when online. Staff conduct checks on children’s devices as necessary and in line with their plans. In addition to this, dedicated staff take proactive measures to equip children with the essential knowledge and skills to navigate the online world responsibly. Through engaging sessions and the use of interactive resources, children learn about potential online risks and the importance of privacy and responsible behaviour online. One child said, ‘I have done lots of online safety courses and the training was good; this has helped me to stay safe when I am using the internet.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 5 Health and safety procedures, including fire arrangements, are in place. The home received the highest rating for food hygiene standards from an independent

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

organisation. Children take part in regular fire drills and have participated in fire marshal training to help them better understand safety procedures. This ensures that children live in an environment where high standards of care are provided and children know what to do in an emergency.

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

Physical intervention is only used as a last resort after staff have exhausted all de- escalation techniques. However, following the use of physical intervention, children are not spoken to or given the chance to talk about what has happened. Additionally, staff are not consistently spoken to following an incident of restraint. This absence of oversight and evaluation means that managers fail to identify whether restraint practices are proportionate, safe or effective and hinders opportunities for staff to learn.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced and dedicated manager, who is aspirational and effective. He knows the children well and is child-centred in his approach. His approach and drive are cascaded to the staff in a way that motivates them. One member of staff said, ‘He manages the home exceptionally well, and a great role model for children and the staff.’

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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 the children’s individual and diverse needs. Team meeting discussions are reflective and provide a comprehensive overview of the progress children make. This allows all staff an opportunity to discuss progress, generate ideas and have a consistent approach to the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervisions and annual appraisals, alongside a monthly employee award. Staff are recognised for their good work and are rewarded with a certificate and a monetary voucher. This approach boosts staff morale and promotes a positive working culture, motivating staff to maintain high standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and the areas of development. Overall, his monitoring and review systems are sufficient; however, they do not always identify shortfalls. For example, gaps were found in recording practices, such as information about incidents not always being recorded clearly. Additionally, the manager updated the home’s statement of purpose but did not send the revised document to Ofsted. The quality of care review report does not include actions to bring about improvement. The manager has given assurances that he will immediately implement processes to address these shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working with external agencies is effective. The registered manager and staff have developed strong relationships with external professionals. One Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 6 professional said, ‘Staff here, they model brilliance and such good behaviours, and communication is so good.’ A common theme in the feedback was the excellent communication from staff, the high standard of care and the fantastic opportunities and experiences provided for the children in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 7

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children and staff involved in physical interventions are spoken to within timescales and that this is recorded. 26 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is kept clean and well maintained and any necessary repairs are carried out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 8  The registered person should ensure that the internal monitoring systems are effective. This specifically applies to the review of the quality of care report, which should include actions to bring about improvement. Additionally, whenever the home’s statement of purpose is updated, a copy must be submitted to Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2519919 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nisa Care Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4200 Waterside Centre, Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham B37 7YN

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Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2519919 10 regulates 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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Inspector

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