Children's Home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Unique reference number SC033657 Inspection date 23/01/2012 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/11/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011).

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is operated by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for five young people of either sex between the ages of 15 and 17 years with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home provides medium to long-term care for young people getting ready for independence.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making inadequate progress.

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Progress

At the last full inspection this home was judged as good overall. At this interim inspection the home has been judged to have made inadequate progress as they have failed to adequately address the three recommendations raised at the previous full inspection.

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Progress

The manager described how she and her staff team were working collaboratively with other staff teams within the organisation to produce an improved filing system and format for placement plans. However, it has not yet been implemented at the home and it remains the case that young people's individual case files and planning documents are not arranged in a manner that makes them easily useable by staff or easily accessible to young people. The daily records and one-to-one records do not always reflect the content of the placement plans used or show the full extent of the action taken by the staff to meet the identified needs of the young person.

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Progress

The manager has clarified and recorded a policy around fire safety refresher training. However, the system for ensuring that staff receive it at suitable intervals is not sufficiently robust to ensure that all staff have up-to-date training to enable them to minimise the risks to young people and others in the event of a fire at the home. The manager demonstrated her continued efforts to secure this training. However, only two staff have received this since the last inspection and others are planned to attend the training on protracted dates up to the end of March 2012. This potentially compromises the health and safety of people in the home.

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Progress

A requirement has been raised to ensure that persons working at the home receive suitable, up-to-date training in fire safety. Recommendations to improve case records about young people are carried over.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) make adequate arrangements to ensure that persons working at the home receive suitable, up-to-date training in fire safety. (Regulation 32 (1) (d)) 01/03/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that the requirements of the placement plan are implemented in the day- to-day care of the child. For example, that action taken by the staff is clear in daily records and one-to-one records (NMS 25.2)  ensure that information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files, and also to staff. (NMS 22)

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