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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC446152 1 SC446152

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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. It provides care for three children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and has been registered with Ofsted since March 2021.

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Inspection date: 4 February 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 4 February 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC446152 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

No children have moved into or out of the home since the last inspection. The three children currently living in the home have lived there for between one and three years and regard it as their home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children said they have positive relationships with staff and the other children living in the home. All children were spoken with as part of the inspection. One child said the manager ‘is amazing, she’s the best manager. She’s my family, this is my home.’

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Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to attend education. One child had not attended school for over a year before living at the home but is now attending full time and making good progress. Engagement in education is a difficulty for one child; however, staff have worked with them to develop a timetable to work on independence tasks instead while they are not attending school. Despite the child being involved in developing this plan, they are finding it difficult to engage with the activities. However, staff have demonstrated resilience by continuing to encourage and support them.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff promote children’s health. They support children to attend routine appointments and to go to hospital to be checked following incidents or injuries. Due to the support and encouragement of staff, one child has recently been to the doctor and dentist, after refusing to do so for a long time.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to express their emotions and understand their feelings. Close relationships with staff help children to talk about their emotions and feelings. One child is now able to discuss their feelings more and as a result there has been a significant reduction in behavioural incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff say they are happy working in the home and there is a stable staff team. Staff feel supported by the manager and by their colleagues. The manager is very committed to the home and the children who live there, and staff are confident that they can rely on her for advice and support.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers follow the correct processes when allegations are made. Relevant authorities are notified and internal investigations are completed when necessary. Appropriate action is taken to ensure the safety of children.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practice and understand how to keep children safe. Staff understand children’s behaviours and risks. However, children’s plans do not contain enough detail about the risks and how to manage them. Information is split across several different documents, which Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC446152 3 does not provide clear guidance for staff. Despite the shortfalls in the documents, staff demonstrate a consistent understanding of how risks are managed.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff manage children’s behaviour well. Physical interventions are only used when absolutely necessary and all staff have received appropriate training to help them manage situations safely. Since the last inspection, staff have completed additional training. Records of physical interventions are generally clear; however, debriefs with staff are factual rather than reflective, which limits the manager’s ability to identify areas for development.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has sufficient staff to meet the needs of the children currently living there. Very few staff are qualified but they have received a wide range of training to assist them in their roles. Some staff have worked at the home for two years but have only recently enrolled for their qualification. This delay means that they are outside of the required timescales. In addition, one member of staff has still not received a probation review. This was highlighted at the last inspection but has not been addressed. The manager should ensure that staff have the required skills, qualifications and knowledge to provide good care for children.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager was unable to provide a record of visitors to the home. The inspector was not asked to sign in when entering the home and a social worker who was visiting was also not asked to record that they were there. The visitors book was provided when requested but the last entry was several months ago. This oversight means that staff cannot be confident who was in the home at any given time, and also poses a risk to visitors should there be a fire.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/05/2023 Full Good 07/12/2022 Full Good 01/09/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC446152 4

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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

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(b) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 1 April 2025

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or 1 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC446152 5 works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff are supported to complete the relevant qualification within the required timescale.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to maintaining a record of all visitors to the home and the reason for their visit. 1 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept that enable them and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

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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

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC446152 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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