Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Requires improvement

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.

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because:

 Not all young people make good progress. Some do not consistently go to college and are drifting towards disengagement with the home.  There is a lack of clarity around the assessment of risk where child sexual exploitation is concerned.  The Registered Manager's scrutiny of the home's performance is not robust enough to identify shortfalls, escalate concerns and drive forward improvement.  Preparation for independence does not help young people to gain the competences and skills they need to make a success of adult life.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people enjoy long term security and stability. They experience warm and emotionally rewarding relationships with staff.  Young people have a voice in the home. They feel involved and that their views are respected and listened to.  There is good partnership working with professionals, family and friends.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

5 In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, with particular reference to ensuring that return home interviews are undertaken, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff- (c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. 30/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard.

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Requirement Due date

12 In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to clarifying and prioritising risk around child sexual exploitation, the registered provider must ensure that staff-

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. 30/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard.

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Requirement Due date

13 In order to meet the leadership and management standard, specifically to improve the quality of the manager’s scrutiny of the home the registered person must-

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Requirement Due date

(2) (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 30/10/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all their staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint and any restraint techniques appropriate to the needs of the children the home is set up to care for as defined in the home's Statement of Purpose (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 49, paragraph 9.57). Specifically ensure that staff do not participate in restraints until they have received training.  As well as longer-term support for children to move on from the home effectively (regulation 6.2)(b)(vi)), the home has an important role in supporting each child leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both

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Recommendations

practically and emotionally. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 57, paragraph 11.9). Specifically ensure that planning for independence is structured more directly to the young person's specific needs.

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Information about this children's home

This home is run by a local authority. It is registered to care for up to 5 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. 

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement

Some young people do not achieve good enough progress during their time at the home. They are not fully engaged in education, have difficulty in adhering to boundaries and are somewhat disengaged from the home. They tend not to take advantage of a number of activities on offer and live at the home very much on their own terms.

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requires improvement

In contrast, other young people do exceptionally well, emerging as confident young adults who are focused on their future careers. They are establishing meaningful relationships with others, taking up driving lessons and generally planning for their future. Some participate fully in the opportunities on offer, such as going on holiday abroad.

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requires improvement

Young people are at the older age-range of the home's criteria, and so many are engaged on planning for independence. The home's own independence programme states that, 'the young person will need to demonstrate a knowledge, awareness and practical skills in offering competences in order to move on to future accommodation', but young people are not sufficiently supported to achieve these competences.

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requires improvement

This programme lacks a structured assessment and systematic planning. It is hard to see what young people have achieved and need to achieve. Competences are generic and basic rather than being adapted to meet the needs of each individual. This means young people may be ill-equipped to manage on their own and bar them from securing accommodation in the community.

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requires improvement

The home's ethos is to provide, 'warmth, predictability and responsiveness to need…in a safe, stable and consistent living environment’. This ambition is clearly met. It provides for young people a very nurturing environment which is high on warmth and low on criticism. This helps to support their emotional health needs. This approach is supplemented by advice and guidance from mental health professionals, who work both with staff and directly with young people if required.

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requires improvement

Young people are of an age where they take responsibility for meeting their own health needs. Staff still provide strong support and guidance on these matters to ensure young people are fit and healthy and are up to date with immunisations and routine health checks. Healthy eating is promoted, with balanced menus that take account of young people’s choices and a multi-cultural perspective. Staff use key working opportunities to very good effect. They often have very frank discussions with young people about, for example, sexuality, relationships and contraception. This helps young people to reflect on these matters and steer them, hopefully, towards sensible decision-making.

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requires improvement

Staff bring a wealth of experience to the job; they have insight into what it is like to be young, without family support and experiencing difficult times. They have a good rapport with young people and there is a real sense of 'family' and belonging. Staff are good at persevering in trying to get things right for young people who enjoy long term security and stability here. A social worker noted, 'The young person I work with feels valued and nurtured by staff. Her needs are understood and she trusts staff. They've promoted engagement in therapy, constructive activities and education.' Staff actively consult with young people and seek their views on a range of matters. For example, one young person confirmed they were asked to help to choose meals, activities and equipment for the home. They have a say in decisions made about them, and have recently become involved in aspects of the running of the home, such as helping to conduct an audit.

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requires improvement

There is confusion in the status of young people's risk to child sexual exploitation (CSE). Where risks are identified these are not prioritised. It is not always clear what the exact risk is. Risks associated with CSE are sometimes combined with other behaviours. This makes it hard for them to clearly stand out as matters of concern. In practice, staff have reduced young people's potential exposure to CSE but a lack of clarity and prioritisation around such risks may delay effective action to safeguard young people.

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requires improvement

The manager and staff take appropriate action to make sure young people are safe if they go missing. As a result the number of these incidents is reducing. One independent reviewing officer (IRO) commented, 'I am the IRO for a girl who used to go missing. If staff knew where she was they would go and get her. They worked not only with her but with her boyfriend to keep her as safe as possible and picked up the pieces when it all went wrong. She does not go missing anymore.' None of the young people who have been missing have received a 'return home' interview. This gap in service delivery has not been noted or escalated by the manager, although staff do engage with young people about the reasons for their absence.

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requires improvement

Developing strong relationships is a key element to behaviour management in the home. One social worker noted that staff, 'respond in a calm and measured way when there are issues.' As a result behaviour is managed well and restraints and sanctions are few. On one occasion however a newly appointed member of staff became involved in a restraint, prior to him having undertaken training. This had no direct impact on the child or situation but potentially put everyone at risk of injury.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has been in post since September 2008. He is a qualified social worker and holds the equivalent to the Level 5 award in leadership and management.

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requires improvement

The manager's own scrutiny of the home is not robust enough to identify where there are gaps in performance or where things need greater focus. For example, not identifying the lack of return home interviews, or greater evaluation on why things are going very well for some young people and not so well for others. This lets those young people down and does not ensure they have positive experiences and progress well enough.

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requires improvement

The independent visitor provides an oversight of the running of the home making clear reference to areas of practice that need to improve for the benefit and safety of young people. This does not always assist the manager in ensuring internal monitoring covers all aspects of young people’s welfare.

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requires improvement

The staff team is well-regarded by other professionals. One social worker commented on the, 'very committed staff who care about young people.' Staff are skilled at working with teenagers. They are highly experienced and keep their knowledge and practice up to date with current research and training. The staff team is reflective of the community they serve. They bring their own valuable personal experience to assist young people when appropriate to do so. This is particularly effective in terms of addressing issues of identity and cultural background. Partnership working with families and other professionals is good. A professional noted, 'Staff work closely with us and keep us informed about any developments, progress and achievements.' This ensures that young people remain at the centre of professional focus.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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