Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

home are

Include if 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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The children's home provision requires improvement because

 The garden and outside areas are accessible by the public. Security is not robust.  The sensory room belonging to the home is booked out to the public. The booking system for this is unclear. This leaves unknown people with access to the sensory room, garden and grounds.  The recording of injuries such as bruises is not consistent. The details of the recording and body maps are on occasion not clear and do not provide staff analysis.  Staff provide children and young people with safe basic care. The quality time with young people on some shifts does not happen due to the conflicting demands of the young people accessing the service.  Staff show good knowledge of young people's personal ways of communicating. Some equipment to progress individual's communication such as eye gazers is not used by staff because they do not know how to use it.  On occasion staff are recruited without all references being verified.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because

 In some instance staff roles are blurred and management are not clear on the tasks they are undertaking and their ability to do this.

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The children's home strengths

It is well decorated and resourced to meet individual's very specific needs. The environment meets the physical and sensory needs of young people. Bedrooms are well equipped with mechanical beds. Bathrooms have specially designed baths and hoists. Staff design sensory themed displays around the home covering seasonal topics like Halloween. Large colourful ceiling mobiles add to young people sensory experience.

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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

(2)In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – (c) that the premises used for the purpose of the home are located so that the children are effectively safeguarded; This is with particular reference to,

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Requirement Due date

 The homes lack of security. The pubic have full access to the garden, ground and car park from the street. Consideration to be given to the children bedroom widows being wide open at ground level.  The sensory facility in the garden. The signing in system for this is not clear. Access can be gained freely around the outside of the property. Consequently anyone could have access to this on site facility and the garden and ground of this home. Staff do not know who is accessing his service and if they are safe or not. 30/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure- (a) that staff- (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

 This refers to injuries to children being consistently documented in detail. Body maps to be accurate. Recordings to contain analysis of injuries and decisions to take further action of not. 30/11/2015 7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to – (a) ensure that staff- (iii) help each child to express views, wishes and feelings:

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Requirement Due date

 In particular reference to staff having the training and knowledge of how to use young people individual communication aids, such as eye gazers work. They use them effectively in practice. 30/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management Standard

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Requirement Due date

(2)In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to- reference to paragraph (1)requires the registered person to- (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child ;

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Requirement Due date

 With particular reference to managers planning the correct staff ratios to the mix of young people and their complex needs.

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Requirement Due date

 There is enough staff to meet individual's needs such as feeding. Untrained staff are not helping out with young people's care. They must be to be trained to deliver specific care such as feeding. 30/11/2015

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Recommendations

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

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Information about this children's home

 This is a short breaks service providing care for children and young people with complex needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Children and young people enjoy caring and nurturing relationships with staff. Staff provide a happy environment sharing jokes and creating fun sensory displays.

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people living in the home are

On some shifts the management planning relating to staffing levels and the mix of children and young people is not sufficient. As a result staff are stretched to the maximum. In addition there is no permanent cook. Consequently on some shifts staff are trying to manage cooking and individual's needs. This is adding to staff pressure and taking them away from children and young people. Staff provide safe and basic care, however at times they cannot afford to follow some individual's choices or to spend quality time with children and young people. Consequently some quieter, non-mobile individuals are left waiting while staff attend to others who are mobile, demanding higher levels of attention.

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people living in the home are

Children and young people have a range of very complex communication needs. Staff are able to gain young people's wishes and feelings as they know the intricacies of how each young person communicates. Some young people have communication aids such as eye gazers. Staff do not know how to work them. This limits individual's ability to progress with their communication and express their wishes and feelings in more detail.

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people living in the home are

Children and young people all smiled or said `yes' when asked if they enjoyed attending the setting. From visiting this home young people gain greater social opportunities. They enjoy social meal times and activities with others, such as the sensory room. One relative commented `She has made friends here. It's great.’

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people living in the home are

The home is well resourced to meet children and young people's very complex needs. As a result of the resources and the specialist care staff offer children and young people can enjoy experiences they cannot access anywhere else. One relative commented `She really looks forward to coming here. She loves the bath because we do not have one at home. She looks forward to this, The staff are brilliant.’ A requirement set at last full inspection around replacing the internal roof at one side of the building is about to commence. Judgement grade

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people are helped and protected

There is a public facility that shares the site with this home. The garden and grounds do not have any separation from the car park or road. They are open from the street giving access to anyone attending on site facilities or not. This has resulted on occasion with strangers accessing the grounds on foot and by car. Crimes have occurred such as cars being broken into. The single level accommodation with no secure boundaries leaves the home vulnerable. Adding to this at times windows which lead to young people's bedrooms and the staff office are left wide open. This potentially gives anyone chance to climb in. The manager has addressed this immediately ensuring windows are kept on safety locks only.

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people are helped and protected

The home has a sensory facility in the garden which is rented out to the public. The signing in system for this is not clear. Access can be gained freely around the outside of the property. Consequently anyone could have access to this on site facility and the garden of this home. Staff do not know who is accessing this service and if they are safe or not.

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people are helped and protected

Despite management efforts to address documentation of injuries to children and young people, some recordings remain unclear. Body maps are not always accurate. Consequently there is no clear information or evaluation of decisions to take further action or not. This could potentially leave young people at risk of harm, due to an unexplored injury.

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people are helped and protected

Up to date individual risk assessments provide staff with the relevant information they need to help keep children and young people safe, in the home and whilst out in the community. Staff prepare well for outings and each child has a missing from home profile and plan. No young people go missing from this home, should this ever occur staff are prepared.

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people are helped and protected

All staff have had safeguarding training. As a result they are clear on safeguarding policy and can all provide correct actions they would take to protect a child. One social worker commented `He's well cared for and safe.' Another professional commented ` Safeguarding is always good there. There are no issues with their practice.' No children are involved in child sexual exploitation. Staff are trained in this area to recognised signs and respond swiftly should the situation arise. Judgement grade

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leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post since March 2010. She is suitably qualified and experienced to undertake this role.

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leaders and managers

The manager clearly knows the strengths of this home. Internal monitoring systems have not been robust. Consequently she has not consistently been able to fully identify weakness. Input around problem areas such as the documentation of injury's have not been fully effective. External monitoring systems have not identified concerns raised at this inspection. A requirement set at last inspection to ensure external monitoring systems provide opinion as to if children's wellbeing is promoted and safeguarded, has been met.

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leaders and managers

During staff recruitment on occasion new staff references have not been verified. This potentially leaves the manager without the full information to make an informed decision as to if people are suitable and safe for the role.

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leaders and managers

Staff benefit from attending mandatory training courses such as safeguarding and first aid. Specific training around feeding, and disability ensures that the majority of staff are trained to meet individuals specific needs. Staff helping out without training runs the risk young people's complex needs may not be fully understood and health issues may arise.

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leaders and managers

As a result of regular supervision staff feel well supported by the managers and shift leaders. This gives them confidence to do their jobs. One member of staff commented, `Management are all very supportive. I get regular supervision but we can always talk to them whenever we need to.’

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leaders and managers

Positive relationships with other professionals such as teachers and social workers ensures information regarding young people is effectively communicated. Any issues for children and young people are quickly identified and responded to. One social worker commented `They have bent over backwards to support his needs. They keep me informed by phone and email.' Good communication with parents helps them to feel in control and involved of their child's care. One parent commented `They keep me updated. They ring me or I stop and talk. I am always involved with any changes. They invite me to things going off.'

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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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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