Children's home run by Motivations Activity Projects Ltd in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 1 SC470284 Registered provider: Motivations Activity Projects Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns this home. The home is registered to care for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. All were present during the inspection and were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered for two homes with Ofsted since December 2022.

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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: 5 September 2023

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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: SC470284 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/09/2023 Full Outstanding 04/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/02/2022 Full Good 25/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said they are content living in their home, feel safe and can identify an adult they can confide in if they have any concerns. The staff have established a nurturing and secure environment, which is essential for the well-being of the children. Children are supported to engage in activities that they are interested in, such as bike riding, gaming, watching movies and baking. Additionally, the children are encouraged to join local community groups, such as police cadets and sea cadets, to form friendships and enhance their social skills. The staff have formed trusting relationships with the children, resulting in relaxed and warm exchanges between them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are making progress from their initial starting points. They are supported to attend school and achieve positive outcomes. When children face challenges in attending school, staff arrange meetings with the virtual school and the education provision to explore solutions. Two of the children have been living in the home for a short period, therefore consistent progress cannot yet be measured. One of the children is currently not attending school, although staff are actively advocating on their behalf to secure an appropriate placement quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s healthcare needs are met effectively. Staff offer positive messages about health, encouraging children to attend medical appointments and access health services. As a result, children have positive healthcare outcomes. One child, for example, has significantly reduced their smoking since moving to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, warm and nicely decorated. The children’s bedrooms reflect their individual personalities and are personalised. For instance, one child proudly displays their collection of toy guns on the wall, while another has sparkly lights around their room, creating a cosy atmosphere. Staff consider the children’s requests and act on them, such as providing a double bed for one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

However, the presence of door alarms on children’s bedrooms, as well as locked offices and designated bathrooms for children and staff, can give a more institutionalised feel rather than the feel of a family home. The registered manager is currently reviewing the use of locks and alarms to ensure they are necessary and proportionate to the needs of the children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home displays photos of children, both past and present, participating in activities with staff. Events such as birthdays are celebrated, and children are supported to buy presents for their family members and friends. Family time is facilitated by staff and families are grateful for the support they receive. One parent said that their child is now ‘more confident in himself’ and that the staff are ‘nice people who send me weekly updates’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 4 Independence planning is a strength of the home. Children set their own targets in areas such as cooking, health, sexual education, budgeting, risk management, travel and friendships. They outline how these targets will be met and by when and reflect on the difficulty level. Children are actively involved in the planning process and complete plans with their key workers, who support them in achieving the goals they have set for

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

themselves. This approach has enabled staff to successfully support two children to move to independent living. They have maintained contact with the children, offering advice and support after their departure.

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

Children’s care plans are detailed and up to date. They provide staff with an overview of the children’s needs and the strategies required to support children effectively. Care plans are tailored to each child’s needs and include their wishes and views, which helps staff to provide individualised care. The registered manager has designed step-by-step procedures to guide staff in various situations, such as handling safeguarding concerns, addressing medication errors or responding when a child goes missing from home.

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

Before children move into the home, they are supported to visit and meet the staff and children who are already living there. A risk assessment is completed to consider the care that could be provided by the staff. However, for one child, not all their needs were identified from the information available. Consequently, the leaders and managers were unable to make sure that the staff had the necessary knowledge and skills to adequately care for the child which resulted in them moving on from the home. Lessons have been learned, which the registered manager is taking forward.

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

When staff are challenged by children’s behaviours, they employ various strategies to help the children express themselves safely. When restraint is used, it is done so only when necessary and proportionate to the risk of harm, ensuring the safety of the children and others. The registered manager evaluates each use of restraint and supports both staff and children in reflecting on what could be done differently in the future.

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

Children are supported in accessing internet-enabled devices and social media platforms appropriate for their age and understanding. When online safety concerns are identified, staff take action to protect children from harm. A package of education and learning opportunities is provided to help children identify and respond to online risks safely. By working collaboratively with children, staff ensure that children feel assured they can seek support whenever they encounter worrying online content.

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

When children harm themselves, staff respond with care and compassion. Specialist therapeutic guidance informs the staff’s approach, helping them to understand the children’s feelings and to offer children alternative strategies for expressing their emotions. A chronology of self-harm incidents is maintained to identify any patterns and, as a result, the frequency of these incidents has reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Both the registered manager and home manager are enthusiastic about providing good care and knowledgeable about the children in their care. The registered manager uses internal and external monitoring to evaluate the quality of care that is being provided to the children. They are aware of their own and their staff team’s strengths and areas for development. The handover from the current registered manager to the new registered manager has been smooth, with no noticeable impact on staff or children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff appreciate the support they receive from the registered manager and senior managers, feeling valued in their roles. Supervision is reflective and supportive, with actions identified being reviewed at the next month’s session. The staff team is still new and is working to build a positive culture in the home. Agency staff have not been used since the last inspection, which means children have consistent staff that they know and trust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals can identify the progress that the children have made. They gave positive feedback regarding the care and opportunities provided by the staff. One social worker said, ‘I am currently happy with the home and the level of care they are providing for my child living there.’ They acknowledged the collaborative approach taken by leaders and managers and praised the committed and enthusiastic staff team for meeting the individual needs of the children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager doesn’t ensure that children’s personal information is not displayed or included in the statement of purpose. Guaranteeing privacy is crucial to maintaining the children’s safety and well-being. Protecting their personal information aligns with good safeguarding practice and helps foster a safe environment where children can thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When the responses from external professionals regarding the care of children have been inadequate and have impacted children negatively, leaders and managers have taken appropriate action to challenge these professionals and escalate their concerns. They supported one child in making a complaint, which resulted in them being allocated a new social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to increase their knowledge and awareness of good practice for safeguarding children. They are starting to implement their learning in day-to-day practice, though this is not yet consistently embedded. Some staff lack a comprehensive understanding of the ethos and practices outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff have received specialised training on how to respond to incidents of self-harm, children going missing from home and bereavement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 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 privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that children’s personal information is not displayed or included in the statement of purpose for professional or public view. Children should be granted access to all areas of the home, particularly the bathrooms, as deemed appropriate. 30 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they review the use of locks and alarms to ensure they are necessary and proportionate. Children’s homes should seek to maintain as far as possible a domestic rather than institutional impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 7

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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: SC470284 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Motivations Activity Projects Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Matthews Business Centre, Duddeston Manor Road, Birmingham B7 4LZ

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Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC470284 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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