Children's home in Leeds

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.

p.2

because:

 The home is operating with a critical shortage of permanent staff. This is unsettling for young people and is impacting on their ability and willingness to engage and develop relationships with temporary staff.  Staff have not been sufficiently proactive or consistent in their efforts to support young people to learn skills that will promote their independence.  Staff struggle to encourage and motivate young people to take up interests and activities outside the home that provide good opportunities to socialise and develop positive peer relationships.  Former managers have not consistently quality assured practice within the home and the new manager has not yet had the opportunity to establish and consolidate processes that will ensure good management oversight of practice.  The home does not appear to have a sufficient system in place to demonstrate robust monitoring and evaluation of its activity.

p.3

because:

 Good arrangements do not yet exist to evidence and support a sufficient quality of care review.  Staff awareness of the outcome of independent monitoring activity is limited as the independent person’s reports are not readily accessible to them in the home.  The quality of the independent person’s reports is not sufficiently robust to support managers in identifying and addressing emerging issues and shortfalls in practice.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 The home’s new manager demonstrates a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and is proactive in planning and implementing positive changes to practice.  Staff have a clear understanding of young people’s individual risks and manage these well. Young people say they feel safe and the home has a good track record of promoting their safety.  The home has been successful in significantly reducing the occasions when young people go missing in relation to their starting points.  The manager’s has implemented interim arrangements for staffing the home that are designed to promote consistency for young people and minimise the use of agency staff.  The manager has quickly established a good knowledge and understanding of the young people and is well engaged in working with their placing authorities to progress their plans.  The home is successful in maintaining and promoting contact between

p.4

The children's home strengths

young people and their families despite some young people being a distance from home.  Social workers can identify clear progress many young people make at the home and express satisfaction that the home communicates positively and works in partnership with them.

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to helping children aspire to fulfil their potential and promote their welfare, the registered person is required to:

p.5

Requirement Due date

(2)(d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 24/03/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. This relates specifically to the recording and management oversight in relation to the use of sanctions. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)) 24/03/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint that they have spoken to the user about the measure and have signed the record to confirm it is accurate. This relates specifically to ensuring staff are appropriately de-briefed and supported following any use of restraint. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)) 24/03/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person’s reports and quality of care reviews, which may be kept in an electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner. This relates 24/03/2016 specifically to ensuring these documents are available to inform all staff that work within the home. (Regulation 38(m);(n))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify Ofsted and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or person working there. (Regulation 40(3)(c)) 24/03/2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and they quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for the children. (Regulation 45(2) (a)-(c)) 24/03/2016

p.6

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Help prepare and provide support to children that are moving to live independently to learn practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 17 paragraph 3.27)  Ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside the home and are encouraged to participate in those activities. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 31 paragraph 6.5)  Make suitable arrangements to manage medication. This relates specifically to providing dedicated safe storage for medication only. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 35 paragraph 7.15)  Ensure staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This relates

p.6

Recommendations

specifically to ensuring that written entries and legible and are recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62 paragraph 14.4)  Ensure the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home's care. This relates to the visitor reporting more fully an evaluation of their findings to support their opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children's well- being. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 65 paragraph 15.5)  Decide what each six monthly review should focus on based on the specific circumstances of the home and any areas of high risk to children. The review does not need to address every part of the Quality Standards but should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home

p.6

Recommendations

and how those actions will be addressed. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 65 paragraph 15.4)

p.7

Information about this children's home

 The home is registered for up to 3 children  It is operated by a private company  It offers care and accommodation for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD)

p.8

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.8

Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

p.8

requires improvement

The home has experienced considerable change in recent months due to a high number of staff leaving and a change in the home’s management. This has understandably unsettled young people, leaving them feeling somewhat ambivalent about the home and the current staffing arrangements. One young person commented, ‘This home is quite good to be honest, it would be better with more staff.’

p.9

requires improvement

Staff encourage young people to express their views and wishes and facilitate this by organising regular house meetings and spending individual time with each young person. Young people do not always choose to participate in each meeting, but when this occurs staff ensure that alternative opportunities for discussion are made to seek their views. While some young people express dislike for the remote location of the home, this was an important factor in the consideration of their placement as most have a significant history of being missing and engaging in activities that were likely to compromise their safety and well-being.

p.9

requires improvement

The home, an old farmhouse with many traditional features is spacious and provides a comfortable and homely environment. Staff encourage young people to personalise their own rooms with pictures and soft furnishings of their choice to make them feel welcome and promote their sense of belonging. Some recent work has been completed to refresh the décor and ensure the home remains in good repair.

p.9

requires improvement

Staff engage positively with young people, showing appropriate warmth and sensitivity that enables them to feel safe and well cared for. Some young people voice dislike of the new manager’s expectations of their behaviour. She has been proactive in expressing and explaining her expectations to both staff and young people, firmly advocating a good standard of care supported by clear boundaries which seem to have slipped prior to the former manager’s departure. Staff acknowledge that this has resulted in some challenging behaviour that detracts from the harmony they strive to achieve. One young person commented, ‘Staff are alright. I know they want to keep us safe but I’m fed up of her rules. She did get me more contact with my family I suppose and she has said that I can do something special for my birthday.’

p.9

requires improvement

Staff maintain well documented plans to ensure that there is good direction and guidance to enable young people to progress and achieve during their placement. However, despite the good quality of personalised planning, shortfalls identified in the effectiveness of the home’s former management and recent staffing deficits has meant that plans have not been consistently and robustly implemented to ensure young people’s consistent progress and achievement. For example, plans identify targets such as young people having the ability with an allowance to shop and learn how to manage on a budget. Although arrangements are in place for this to happen, staff have not taken a proactive approach to ensure young people are reasonably supported and guided in the choices they make. This means there has been some delay prior to the new manager’s appointment in making positive and consistent progress.

p.9

requires improvement

The home effectively promotes young people’s health ensuring that they are all registered and encouraged to attend routine health care appointments to ensure general health care issues, such as dental and optical care are quickly and successfully addressed. The home liaises effectively with the local children’s looked after (CLA) nurse to ensure there is a shared understanding of young people’s needs and co-ordinated approach to their health care support. The home maintains good records in relation to young people’s health and has appropriate arrangements in place to safely administer medication. The storage facilities for prescribed and non-prescribed medication are less than ideal, with small locked safes being used to also store things such as young people’s savings and documents such as passports. During inspection a number of items had to be removed to locate medication in the storage facility. This highlighted that these

p.10

requires improvement

arrangements fall short in ensuring a well-organised system for the safe storage of medication.

p.10

requires improvement

Some young people are well engaged with learning and making excellent progress attending an independent school operated by the provider in a nearby city. For others, post 16 programmes have been organised at a local learning centre but as yet their commitment to this has not yet been well established. Some staff are proactive in attempting to motivate and stimulate their interest in learning. However, due to the recent decline in permanent staffing arrangements this has proved less effective in successfully gaining young people’s commitment and engagement. This is particularly the case for those that have plans to return to their home area in the near future.

p.10

requires improvement

Staff experience some similar difficulties in motivating young people to participate in community activities that would extend their opportunities to have fun and expand opportunities to socialise with peers away from the home. Despite staff suggestions and encouragement, young people are not receptive to the wide range of activities on offer. One young person commented, ‘I might go go-karting or to the climbing wall next week. I have my own shoes for climbing as I’ve been before but I can’t be bothered at the moment.’

p.10

requires improvement

The home is commended by placing authorities for the support given by staff in sustaining and promoting contact that enables young people to keep in touch with those that are most important to them. This includes some considerable time commitment from the home to facilitate contact and supervise young people during meetings and visits as many are placed some distance from their home area. Additionally, it is noted that although young people’s progress may have faltered recently, this has not always been the case. One social worker said, ‘They are really, really good at facilitating contact.’ Another noted, ‘Her placement was excellent and she was doing very well in education winning student of the year in June 2015. Unfortunately, her investment in the placement has diminished since all but two of the staff team left in January this year.’

p.10

good

Young people say that they feel safe and well protected by staff. Despite the lack of permanent staff at present, young people confirm that they are familiar with many of the staff supporting them as they have met previously through school and other homes operated by the provider. All staff are subject to established safe recruitment practices, ensuring specifically that they are checked and vetted and deemed suitable to care for young people. This ensures that they are not exposed to adults that are may cause them harm.

p.11

good

Staff are appropriately guided and supported in safeguarding young people. Individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans comprehensively address any known and potential risks. They identify clear actions for minimising and managing potentially risky situations. They are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure their content remains current and takes account of any new concerns or incidents that may have occurred. As such, all staff are able to share a clear understanding of pertinent risks and how to effectively manage these.

p.11

good

Staff promote positive behaviour using a good range of incentives and rewards to recognise individual progress and achievement. Staff encourage young people to engage in this process by identifying suitable incentives that will help them achieve their goals. Young people understand that there are consequences when their behaviour falls short of being acceptable or rules are broken. However, in comparison to the success of incentives, some consequences have limited effect. This results from the same consequence being applied without effective evaluation of its previous success.

p.11

good

Staff acknowledge that young people at times are verbally aggressive and challenging in their behaviour towards them. Staff demonstrate good knowledge and skill in managing such challenging behaviour, using a range of techniques that are known to be effective in de-escalating and calming situations. Staff place value on taking time to talk things through with young people to encourage the development of trust and ensure misunderstandings do not occur. Staff skill in avoiding confrontation means that the use of restraint is very low. Staff acknowledge that it is only ever used as a last resort and in accordance with legislation. This practice supports young people to avoid those situations that could further compromise their safety. One young person commented, ‘Restraints don’t happen often. Staff are okay really I suppose.’

p.11

good

Restraint documentation is generally well completed giving a clear account of the events leading up to and during the period of any restraint. However, it was noted that staff are not always consistently de-briefed following their involvement in a restraint. This deviates from required practice that promotes all staff involved in a physical intervention to have the opportunity to reflect and learn from the incident.

p.12

good

Staff and placing authorities recognise that many of the risks associated with young people being missing from home have significantly reduced as a result of their placement in this home. From their starting points, the incidence of young people going missing reduces considerably, in part due to the isolated location of the property. However, staff ensure that young people are supported to understand the concern for their well-being and the associated risks when they are missing from their home. Educating young people in this way and encouraging them to make more positive choices is proving successful in raising their awareness of the potential dangers they may be exposed to.

p.12

good

There have been some occasions when young people have been reported as missing when they have returned to their home area for contact visits. On these occasions, staff have been proactive in their approach, supporting family members and police in searching and ensuring their early return to the safety of the home.

p.12

good

Staff are clearly familiar with local protocols and reporting procedures should such an event occur. Staff ensure that young people are spoken to on their return and appropriately involve the placing authority to establish any specific concerns or reasons they may have had for going missing. This information is successfully used to review and update individual risk assessments to help identify triggers and plan strategies to minimise future occurrences.

p.12

requires improvement

The former Registered Manager resigned her post and left in January 2016 to take up a new employment opportunity. The provider had already identified a new manager for the home and a suitable period of time was arranged for both managers to work together to ensure a smooth transition in handing over management responsibility. However, the new manager confirms that an effective handover was not achieved as planned due to shortfalls in information provided and her inability to access some electronic documentation.

p.12

requires improvement

Ofsted were appropriately advised by the provider prior to this inspection that concerns existed around reporting mechanisms at the home that may impact on the manager in taking over her new role. It was confirmed that this related to procedural and policy information rather than young people’s personal records. This, along with the departure of the home’s deputy manager and a number of care staff, hindered the manager’s ability to quickly and effectively establish herself in her new role.

p.13

requires improvement

The provider has been proactive in addressing concerns identified prior to inspection with relevant staff that have now left the home. Arrangements to recruit and establish a complete and permanent staff team are being progressed without delay. The manager has successfully organised interim staffing for the home. This includes minimal use of agency staff, contracted relief and permanent staff from other homes operated by the provider. These interim arrangements ensure that staffing levels remain appropriate and provide consistency for young people.

p.13

requires improvement

The home’s new manager is both well qualified and experienced in working with young people in a residential setting. She possesses a level 5 award in health and social care management that is relevant to young people in residential care. She has appropriately made application to Ofsted to become the home’s Registered Manager and is now awaiting an interview to establish her suitability.

p.13

requires improvement

She demonstrates a good understanding of the young people in her care and has liaised effectively with their placing authorities to establish a partnership approach to progress young people’s plans. She is knowledgeable of young people’s good progress in relation to their starting points but identifies that in recent months the momentum has not been maintained by the home. She is ambitious to ensure that young people get back on track without further delay.

p.13

requires improvement

She shows a good awareness of the areas where the home needs to develop and was unsurprised that this inspection uncovered a number of shortfalls. She has already taken some decisive action to remedy issues that were reported to Ofsted prior to inspection. She expresses a clear commitment and good insight to the changes that need to be made to achieve improvement.

p.13

requires improvement

Staff say that they feel supported and encouraged by the action already taken by their manager to strengthen systems and practice within the home. Good arrangements exist to ensure that staff receive regular supervision and additional opportunities for management and peer support. In addition to this, staff are supported by an annual appraisal process that that is designed to inform staff development planning and performance management. All staff are expected to complete the provider’s induction programme and regularly access training opportunities to develop and enhance their knowledge, skill and experience relevant to their role.

p.13

requires improvement

During this inspection shortfalls in the effectiveness of management and leadership were identified as having a contributory impact on the overall experience and progress for young people. There did not appear to be any clear systems existing for the routine monitoring and review of the home. Although Ofsted received a review report from the former Registered Manager of progress and practice within the home, it lacked clear evaluation of the home to identify issues, trends and patterns that could have been addressed at an earlier point. Additionally, the independent person’s monthly monitoring of the home’s activities did not identify shortfalls that clearly existed. Most recent reports failed to anticipate and highlight concern surrounding staffing arrangements. Overall, monitoring arrangements have not been sufficiently robust to identifying issues and areas of concern that would prompt early action and intervention to ensure improvement. The

p.14

requires improvement

independent person’s reports are not clearly accessible in the home to ensure their content is shared and understood by staff.

p.14

requires improvement

Good management oversight was not apparent in reviewing young people’s individual records. For example, sanctions when made were not consistently reviewed to establish their effectiveness. In some cases consequences were being repeated when it was noted by staff that they were not proving to be effective. Some hand written records were poorly constructed, providing insufficient detail and some records sampled were extremely difficult to read due to the quality of handwriting. This detracted from the general good quality of young people’s records and specifically did not inspire confidence that young people would at a later stage be able to easily read and make sense of their content.

p.14

requires improvement

One occasion was identified when the home delayed in notifying Ofsted and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) of a concern that had occurred regarding a member of staff. The information provided to Ofsted was incomplete and delay in providing this information highlighted a lack of understanding from the former management team of their duties to keep Ofsted and other relevant parties informed in a timely manner. Although this had no immediate impact on young people, it did not demonstrate good practice.

p.14

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.

p.15

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

p.15

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.15

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

p.16

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 .

p.16

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,

p.17

Information about this inspection

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

p.17

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.17

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

p.17