Children's Home run by Blue Kite Children Care Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 1 Registered provider: Blue Kite Children Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A restriction of accommodation notice was served following an assurance inspection. This notice expired on 29 April 2025. Compliance notices issued under Regulations 12 and 13, both were found to have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2024 Full Good 20/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/07/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 3

p.2

improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Four children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. The inspector had the opportunity to speak to both children during the visit.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is well presented, clean and tidy. Areas of the home have been repainted, and items to make the environment feel more homely have been purchased for the internal and external areas of the home. Children’s bedrooms are clean and appropriately furnished.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are not always managed effectively. There is insufficient action taken in response to identified concerns about children’s health. This causes delays in the support children receive.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend school and staff help them work towards their educational goals. For example, one child has been supported to apply for college to pursue their interest in music. However, for children who do not attend an academic provision, or where part of their education plan involves home learning, leaders, managers and staff are unable to demonstrate that children are regularly encouraged and supported to participate in activities that promote their learning and development.

p.3

improvement to be good

Systems to capture children’s wishes and feelings are not used effectively. Children’s meetings are not regularly attended by children, and records do not demonstrate consistent consultation with all children about the care they receive. This limits children’s ability to influence decisions about their care.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their family. Leaders, managers and staff build good relationships with children’s family members and work together to make family time a positive experience for children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s moves out of the home are well managed by leaders, managers and staff. Children’s social workers commended the staff for their commitment to moving children on from the home in a sensitive and child-focused way. This ensures that children do not experience feelings of rejection and abandonment.

p.3

improvement to be good

Missing-from-home incidents are managed effectively. Staff search for children and work closely with the police to minimise the time that children are away from the home. However, when children return to the home after going missing they are not always Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 4 given the chance to speak to an independent person about the missing-from-home episode.

p.3

improvement to be good

Risk management plans outline children’s risks and the action staff should take to mitigate them. However, staff do not always follow these measures. This reduces the effectiveness of safeguarding measures and leaves children potentially at risk of further harm.

p.4

improvement to be good

Restraint practice is used as a last resort to safeguard children and others. Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive appropriate training to apply restraint safely. However, on one occasion, an unapproved hold was used with a child. Despite being aware of this, leaders and managers have not implemented measures to prevent a recurrence in the future. In addition, leaders, managers and staff do not always ensure that children have the opportunity, after the incident, to talk about how they have felt about being held.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not demonstrate a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities to safeguard children. For example, they do not consistently inform relevant partners when safeguarding incidents occur. As a result of this, opportunities to ensure that children receive timely and appropriate support are missed.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager has established relationships with partners and regularly participates in multi-agency meetings focused on the well-being and safety of children. External professionals report improvements in communication since her arrival. However, in her absence, partners are not always informed of significant incidents involving children to ensure that all strategies to safeguard children are considered.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager post has been vacant since September 2024. Since that time, the home has been managed by a permanent manager. She has submitted her application to become the registered manager of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, the home was registered to care for up to five children. However, the provider has since applied for a variation to reduce its registration to four.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have confidence in the manager’s leadership of the home. She is described as supportive and approachable. Staff access to practice-related supervision has improved. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that supervisions take place in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings take place regularly and are used as an opportunity for collective learning. Staff benefit from a comprehensive training package that includes needs-led training to help them meet children’s specific needs. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that all staff have completed the provider’s own mandatory training. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 5 Management oversight requires improvement. For example, effective action is not always taken to address shortfalls in staff practice. This is a missed opportunity to develop the staff team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has been unable to demonstrate that a child’s concerns about being restrained have been investigated. This does not assure the regulator that the welfare of children is always prioritised.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Insufficient staffing in the home has prevented children from establishing long-lasting, trusting relationships with the people who care for them. However, leaders and managers continue to try to recruit a permanent team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have complied with the restriction of accommodation notice previously imposed. This has now been removed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that leaders, managers and staff use measures to capture children’s wishes and feelings effectively.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Leaders, managers and staff should ensure that children are regularly consulted about the quality of care they receive. 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 7 Leaders and managers must ensure that when children raise concerns about their care, these are taken seriously and investigated.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(ix)) 12 June 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.7

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 8 that staff help each child to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that information requested by health professionals in order to help them manage children’s health needs is provided without delay.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders, managers and staff must ensure that children’s risk management plans are followed.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Furthermore, they must ensure that partners working with staff to safeguard children are, where relevant, updated about safeguarding incidents in a timely manner, based on children’s plans. 12 June 2025

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 9 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.9

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.9

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)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

p.9

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they use monitoring systems to regularly review the quality of care given to children.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive supervision in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff complete the home’s mandatory training in the required timescales.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that the day-to- day practice of staff members is closely monitored to ensure that the quality of care provided to children is not compromised.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that staff regularly liaise with partners to ensure that there is a multi- agency approach to meeting children’s needs.

p.9

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children go missing from the home they are always offered an independent return home interview on their return. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 10  The registered person should ensure that following the use of physical restraint, children have the opportunity to take part in a debrief about the incident that also considers how they felt about the hold. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.50)

p.9

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: 2718067 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Kite Children Care Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Midlands House Ltd, Gipsy Lane, Willenhall WV13 2HA

p.11

Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2718067 12 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12