Children's Home run by Quest Children’s Home Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 1 Registered provider: Quest Children’s Home Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The inspector spoke with both children living in the home during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager in post.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, two children have moved out of the home and two children have moved in. Leaders and managers have reflected on the challenges faced when children moved out unexpectedly and have taken steps to improve practice. Admissions to the home are now carefully considered and well planned. Staff meet with children prior to their arrival and, where possible, facilitate visits to the home. This reduces anxiety and supports children to settle quickly.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about life in the home. One child scored the home ten out of ten, and another gave it nine out of ten. These ratings are underpinned by the strong relationships children have with staff, who they describe as ‘great’.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. They feel that staff support them and understand them. One child spoke about how staff had taught him to tell the time, and to write. While another described the care and kindness they receive when feeling angry, saying staff talk to him and are nice. These nurturing responses help children feel safe and enable them to make positive progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care underpinned by detailed plans. The therapeutic model used in the home is well embedded, and staff benefit from regular consultation with the home’s therapist. This equips them to support children’s emotional well-being and personal growth. Children’s attendance at, and engagement with, education has improved. Where appropriate, contact and relationships with family members have also strengthened.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children recognise the progress they are making. One child reflected, ‘My life has got better... I used to be a troubled child; I am now more relaxed and listen better.’ He explained that staff speak calmly with him when things go wrong, which enables him to listen and reflect rather than become angry.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and mental health is a priority. Children benefit from consultations with the home’s therapist. Staff frequently have important conversations with children designed to help them to stay safer, support their learning and development, and nurture important relationships and interests.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities of their choosing. Among other things, they go rock climbing, ice skating, to the gym, to the cinema and play football. These activities help children to learn new skills, build friendships, and make memories. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 4 Although children experience high-quality care, the physical environment of the home requires improvement. During the inspection, several issues were noted including broken furniture, damaged guttering, holes in walls, and garden waste. These detract from the overall presentation and standard of the environment, and leaders are aware of the need for timely improvements.

p.3

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

Children feel safe living in the home. Staff have a good understanding of the risks to children and how to keep them safe. As a result, children are becoming increasingly safe. Since moving to the home, children’s incidents of violence in school and towards members of staff have significantly reduced.

p.4

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

Staff are skilled in calming challenging situations. Physical intervention is used only when necessary and proportionate, and as a result, incidents involving restraint are rare. When incidents do occur, there is strong managerial oversight, which focuses on learning so that children’s experiences can be improved.

p.4

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

Staff manage children’s behaviours well. Consequences are used infrequently and are proportionate to the behaviour they aim to address. Staff provide follow-up discussions to help children understand and learn from their actions.

p.4

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

When children make allegations, leaders and managers take them seriously. Leaders and managers act quickly to ensure that children and staff are kept safe. They notify the relevant professionals and keep children informed of the outcome. This contributes to children feeling listened to and safe.

p.4

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

Some restrictive practices are agreed and documented within children’s plans; however, they are not routinely reviewed. These include two-to-one staffing arrangements and restrictions relating to mobile phone use and children accessing the community independently. The lack of regular review limits opportunities to reduce restrictions when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have high aspirations for the children in their care and demonstrate strong commitment to improving outcomes. They foster effective partnerships with families and external agencies, resulting in timely and coordinated support. Feedback from professionals is positive, citing effective communication, nurturing relationships, and clear evidence of children’s progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff well-being is prioritised. Staff access regular individual and group consultations with the home’s therapist, which supports their emotional resilience and professional development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling valued, supported, and confident in their role. Supervision and team meetings are held regularly and provide valuable space for reflection, shared learning, Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 5 and development. Staff consistently speak positively about the support they receive from managers.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with training relevant to children’s needs, although oversight of training compliance is not yet fully robust. Improvements in this area would ensure consistent knowledge and skill across the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that restrictions to children are kept under regular review. And to ensure that any damage to the home is fully repaired as soon as it is practically possible. 10/10/2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they have good oversight of the training staff complete. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.24)

p.7

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: 2728028 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quest Children’s Home Limited

p.8

Inspector

John Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2728028 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9