Children's Home run by BKY Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 1 Registered provider: BKY Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified and experienced registered manager is in post.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/02/2024 Full Good 22/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children were present during the inspection, and they spoke with the inspectors. One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and deputy manager carry out a comprehensive assessment before a child moves into the home. This helps staff to understand the child’s needs. Before moving in, the child can meet the staff. Children already living in the home are well prepared for the arrival of new children. This supports all children to feel prepared for the new changes facing them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, they do so with a plan in place. The staff carefully coordinate the move with the child and external professionals. They obtain the child’s views and feelings and support the child accordingly. When children leave the home, staff remain in touch so that they can access support from familiar adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children overcome any barriers to their education and learning. They work closely with educational professionals to support children’s regular attendance at school. One child had not attended school for several months before moving to the home. This child now attends school part time, and staff are supporting them with worksheets each day at the home. School staff have spoken positively about the progress this child has made in a short period and said that the staff at the home have taken the time to build relationships with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a nurturing approach to develop trusting and meaningful relationships with children. They know and understand children’s individual needs and speak affectionately about them. Children are positive about their experiences of living in the home, and staff regularly celebrate children’s achievements. One child said, ‘I love the staff. When I am sad, they give me a hug, and they always help me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children in spending time with their families and loved ones. They ensure that children maintain close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Family members are welcomed into the home. Communication with family members is consistent and happens frequently. However, on occasion, the information shared with families and professionals has been inconsistent. On one occasion, a parent and the child’s social worker received different versions of an incident.

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

Staff know the children well and understand the strategies required to support them when needed. Staff manage incidents effectively by using verbal redirection and provide a consistent and nurturing approach. Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 4 Physical intervention is used only as a last resort. Children are provided with opportunities to discuss any incidents that occur. The manager has oversight of all incidents and ensures that children’s views are considered and used to develop positive practice in the home.

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

Children engage in meaningful discussions with staff about a wide variety of issues that are important to them. This enables children to receive advice and guidance and helps them make informed decisions about their day-to-day care. The parent of a child said, ‘They are really good at getting [name of child] to communicate his feelings. He is starting to say when he is frustrated, that is really good, as it is something he has never been able to do.’

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

Staff understand safeguarding procedures and their responsibilities in keeping children safe. They receive training on safeguarding children. Managers discuss staff’s understanding of safeguarding as part of reflective supervision sessions and team meetings. This promotes an effective safeguarding culture.

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

Staff know the risks to the children and how to manage them. Risk assessments and plans are clear and detailed. However, on one occasion, an activity was not assessed for risk for a child, resulting in an incident in which a member of the public was accidentally harmed. This could have been avoided if the risks relating to this activity had been assessed beforehand. Furthermore, following incidents, risk assessments are not always promptly updated to reflect any changing or potential emerging risks. This may limit staff’s ability to keep children safe.

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

There has been one medication error since the last inspection, in which a child did not receive their medication. The error was identified within 24 hours. However, medical advice was not sought, and there was a delay in informing parents and the child’s social worker. The child suffered no direct harm as a result of this error. Learning has been identified for staff, and steps have been taken to reduce the likelihood of this mistake happening again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well, has built positive relationships with them, and is committed to providing good-quality care. The management team is strengthened by the role of the deputy manager, who is knowledgeable, experienced and child focused.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about working in the home. They feel supported by the management team and say that their views are valued and respected. Staff communicate effectively with one another and are enthusiastic about offering consistent, good-quality care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions and attend monthly team meetings, which they say are helpful. These meetings provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and develop their learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 5 The manager uses internal and external monitoring systems to ensure that staff provide good care to the children. This oversight promotes children’s safety and well-being. The responsible individual regularly visits the home and carries out monthly audits. This ensures a further level of oversight of the practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are working to repair community relationships following a significant incident that took place. This has involved the provider paying for repairs to cars that were damaged and encouraging the child to take responsibility for their actions. Staff helped the child bake cakes to share with neighbours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers do not always promptly notify Ofsted of significant events that happen in the home. On one occasion, they were directed to do so by external professionals. This compromises external oversight by the regulator of safeguarding practices in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has formed positive working relationships with other professionals. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive. The management team appropriately challenges professionals when they do not meet children’s needs. This ensures that any delays in children’s needs being met are resolved quickly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that: all activities for children are assessed for risk; risk assessments are updated immediately when new risks are identified; medical advice is sought following any medication errors. 2 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that notifications are made without delay. 2 May 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with other relevant persons, which may include services, individuals (including parents), Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 7 agencies, organisations, and establishments that work with children in the local community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)

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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: 2666560 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Fairlawns, Sutton Coldfield B76 1PQ

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Inspector

Kate Savage, Social Care Inspector John Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2666560 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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