Children's home run by Care 4 Good Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Good LTD

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is currently absent. An interim manager has been appointed.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This was the home’s first inspection. One child has moved out following the end of their placement. Although managers found this decision difficult, it was necessary to ensure the safety of both the child and staff. During their time at the home, the child made some progress in developing positive relationships with staff and engaging in a personal interest. A lessons learned exercise was undertaken, which identified areas for improvement in future practice. This learning has already been implemented and has informed the planning and impact assessment for the child currently living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As the current placement is still in its early stages, measurable progress is limited. However, staff demonstrate a strong commitment to building meaningful relationships with the child and helping them feel comfortable in their environment. Staff interactions are calm and responsive, and they regularly consult with the child to understand their preferences. This information is used to shape the daily routines and environment of the home, supporting the child to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide effective support for the child’s health needs. Specialist assessments are used to guide staff in meeting both physical and emotional needs. Managers actively promote consultation with external professionals to enhance staff’s knowledge and practice. Medication is managed through a robust system, and there have been no recorded errors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have supported the child to maintain their previous education placement, despite the distance involved. This has provided continuity and familiarity in a setting the child enjoys. Staff offer on-site support when required, working collaboratively with education professionals to meet the child’s needs. They are enthusiastic about learning and fully support the bespoke timetable in place. This approach has also contributed to the child’s successful engagement with a new tutoring service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a high standard, with quality furnishings throughout. However, damage to the property has affected the overall atmosphere, resulting in an environment that currently feels cold and less child friendly. Some repairs were completed during the inspection, and an action plan is in place to address outstanding issues. The child has had input into the decoration of their bedroom, choosing a theme and personal items to help them feel more settled.

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

Staff use playfulness and empathy effectively to support the child, particularly when they engage in self-injurious behaviours. When strategies have not prevented further harm, staff have reflected on their practice and promptly implemented new Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 3 approaches to reduce risk. Direct work with the child is carried out in age-appropriate ways, with sensitive topics addressed in a light-hearted manner that encourages engagement and discussion.

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

However, systems relating to guidance and boundaries within the home are not yet clearly defined or embedded. As a result, staff responses vary, which can lead to confusion and inconsistency for the child. This lack of clarity contributes to unpredictability in the child’s experience of care.

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

Staff respond effectively to incidents when the child goes missing from the home. They follow the home’s policies and procedures to ensure the child’s safe return as quickly as possible. When risks of going missing increase, staff review their strategies and escalate concerns to relevant external agencies. Following each incident, the child’s support plan is updated to reflect the most current information.

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

Physical interventions have been used frequently to manage behaviours that staff consider challenging. These interventions are used only as a last resort, with staff employing a range of de-escalation techniques to minimise the duration of each incident. Throughout, staff maintain communication with the child to ensure their well-being and to help bring the situation to a safe conclusion.

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

During the inspection, the child said that they do not feel safe. However, they were able to identify a preferred member of staff and expressed that they feel cared for by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Due to the absence of the registered manager, the inspection was jointly led by the covering manager and the responsible individual. Senior leaders have acted proactively to ensure that a manager is present to oversee the daily running of the home, providing consistent managerial support and continuity for the child. Staff describe managers as approachable, encouraging and readily available. Strong contingency planning has ensured that the home has not been adversely affected by the change in management arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders share a clear and consistent vision to support the child in achieving positive outcomes. The manager ensures that staff have opportunities to reflect on the child’s experiences of living in the home. The quality of care is reviewed in collaboration with the company’s clinical lead, who provides staff with a reflective space. Staff are described as engaged and eager to learn during these sessions, and they act on the clinical lead’s advice to improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a high reliance on agency staff, resulting in the child experiencing frequent changes in the adults caring for them. Permanent staff report feeling increased pressure when leading shifts alongside colleagues who are unfamiliar with the home and its procedures. This situation is unsettling and may affect the child’s ability to form meaningful relationships and experience stability. Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 4 To better meet the child’s needs, managers have introduced a new physical intervention model. However, not all staff have received training in this approach, leading to inconsistent responses during incidents involving physical intervention. This poses a risk of interventions being used ineffectively or inappropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders have implemented a range of systems to monitor the quality of care provided to the child. Oversight of staff practice is robust and, where necessary, leads to challenge and shared learning. Team morale is currently low due to ongoing changes and challenges within the home. Despite this, staff report feeling supported and confident in raising concerns, which are often addressed. Leaders are aware of staff well-being and are actively taking steps to address the issues raised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 5

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Statutory requirement

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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to having sufficient staff on duty to manage a child’s assessed risks and reduced agency use. 31 October

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where gaps in qualifications are identified, they should act to ensure relevant units or qualifications are completed in a timely manner at an appropriate level. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 68, paragraph 1.4)  The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff, and it must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. The home must meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the

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Recommendations

way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met, as doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 6 the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: 2789876 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Hamilton Road, Smethwick B67 5QE

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Inspector

Latoya Morgan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2789876 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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