Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in North Yorkshire

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:

 Challenges about the delay in providing suitable educational resources are not escalated to officers with the appropriate level of seniority within a local authority.  Alternative activities to education are not linked to any wider learning or educational outcomes.  Changes to prioritising young people's needs may not always be in line with their relevant plans.  The home's Statement of Purpose requires amendment to address inaccuracies and explain how the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention is measured.  Repairs to kitchen cabinets have not been undertaken in a timely manner.

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The children's home strengths

 The home offers security and stability for young people. Staff quickly engage with young people which helps them to settle in and accept the help on offer.  Staff persevere and work hard to improve young people’s experiences and quality of care.  Young people become increasingly safer because their use of drugs and offending behaviour is reducing.  Partnership working is effective. The manager and staff work well with other professionals work to support young people.

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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

In meeting the quality standards, with specific reference to escalating concerns to the appropriate level of seniority, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff-

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Requirement Due date

(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 the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. 02/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 02/01/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children's homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food, hygiene etc); however in doing so homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Specifically ensure that any damage is quickly repaired.  Children should be in full-time education whilst they are of compulsory school age unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full time attendance at school unless the child's relevant plan indicates this is not in their

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Recommendations

best interests. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  Where children are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school role for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim the child should be supported to sustain to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Specifically ensure activities are linked to clear learning outcomes.

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline: This is a private children's home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and mental health issues.

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Recent inspection history

This is the home's first inspection since it was re-registered in February 2015.

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Requires improvement

Young people have mixed fortunes at the home. Some have had rewarding experiences and successfully moved on to independence or other placements. All young people experience a degree of improvement, but not all have experienced good overall progress during their time at the home, despite having a positive start.

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Requires improvement

Educational progress has been interrupted for some young people because of the difficulty in securing appropriate educational provision, and their own disengagement. Structured activities are provided while young people are waiting for educational placements or alternative provision.

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Requires improvement

The achievements and new experiences gained from these activities would benefit from being linked to learning outcomes. This would help to show how these activities contribute to young people's overall learning and educational progress.

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Requires improvement

Young people's emotional health is supported by the expert advice of an in-house psychologist who works directly with young people and advises staff. The emotional needs of some young people can be overwhelming for them, preventing them from being able to engage in normal day-to-day life and routines.

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Requires improvement

On occasion, addressing these psychological needs have taken priority over meeting young people's educational needs. It is not clear that this shift in emphasis, although entirely appropriate, is in line with the young person's agreed plans. Clarity on decision-making in this respect would ensure that such changes are always made in the best interests of young people.

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Requires improvement

Young people who are relatively new to the home are settling in well. They say that they have been made to feel welcome and are already experiencing improvement in their lives. A local authority team manager commented that the young person, 'had made positive relationships with the staff and generally appeared settled in placement.'

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Requires improvement

Young people say they are asked their opinions about decisions being made for them; one young person has been supported in making a complaint about a lack of resources.

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Requires improvement

Relationships with staff are beginning to form which is providing a good attachment experience for young people. As a result young people are beginning to feel more confident and are keen to get on with their education and work towards independence. Those who have already moved on to independent living are benefitting from the additional out-reach support provided by the home.

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Requires improvement

The home is going through a programme of refurbishment. It remains reasonably furnished throughout, but door and drawer fronts are missing from kitchen cabinets. These have not been replaced in a timely manner. This delay may convey to young people that property is not worth respecting.

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Good

The home's Statement of Purpose says the home will provide 'a nurturing atmosphere which is relaxed whilst still being safe for the young people.' This is fulfilled as young people say they feel safe here and that there is no bullying at the home. The parent of one young person said, 'they have helped my son. I think he is safe here.'

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Good

Young people feel comfortable with staff and they feel no need to run away from the home. Appropriate assessments are in place to reduce any such risks and staff follow the local police protocol should any young person go missing from the home.

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Good

Young people who were previously considered at risk of child sexual exploitation are now safe as that risk has been removed by the move to this placement. Staff use the local safeguarding children's board guidance to inform their practice on this and other safeguarding matters. This ensures they are aware of local protocols and are kept up to date with any new developments.

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Good

Young people say that the rules of the home are fair. They are more likely to be rewarded for doing well rather than have sanctions imposed for poor behaviour. When there are instances of challenging behaviour, this is managed appropriately. This is because staff understand the underlying reasons for behaviour and they rarely need to use physical intervention to defuse situations.

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Good

Developing strong relationships is a key element to behaviour management in the home. Staff are good at finding out what works with young people. They consistently look for and nurture young people’s positive qualities. This helps young people feel good about themselves and promotes their self-esteem.

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Good

Risks such as drug use and offending behaviour has diminished for young people. Safeguarding is also effective for those young people whose behaviour may harm others. This ensures that the wider community is protected.

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Good

Safe recruitment practices ensure that young people are protected from those unsuitable to work with vulnerable groups. Routine health and safety checks also ensures this is a safe place for young people to live.

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Requires improvement

This is the home's first inspection since it was re-registered in February 2015. The Registered Manager was newly registered in February 2015. He has an NVQ level 3 and is currently undertaking his level 5 management qualification. The home has experienced some difficulty in securing appropriate education for young people. The manager has challenged placing authorities and educational professionals; this has had limited effect however as concerns have not been escalated to a senior enough level within the local authority. This has contributed to a delay for young people returning to mainstream or alternative provision.

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Requires improvement

A number of shortfalls exist in the current Statement of Purpose. Although some are minor, others are more significant. For example, it refers in part to another children's home and there is no explanation about the effectiveness of therapeutic input.

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Requires improvement

As this is a key element of the type of care provided by the home, it is important that parents, social workers and commissioners know what difference this makes to the lives of young people.

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Requires improvement

Staff feel that the support they receive from the manager enables them to do a good job. They fulfil the commitment expressed in the Statement of Purpose to, 'be consistent and never give up on a young person.' They are supported in this task by effective partnership working with other agencies, and particularly with parents.

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Requires improvement

Team meetings, consultations with the clinical psychologist and supervision helps to pinpoint how practice can be improved or adapted for the benefit of young people. This is supplemented by a range of relevant training.

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Requires improvement

The manager is 'hands on' and a visible presence in the home. Young people feel comfortable in approaching him with their worries; for some young people this represents a significant step. His continual oversight and monitoring is effective in ensuring identifying how things can be improved for young people and there are clear actions in place to achieve this over the next six months.

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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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