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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is judged declined effectiveness because there has been no registered manager in post for over 26 weeks. This means the provider has failed to ensure the home is managed by a person who has been registered with Ofsted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous registered manager left her post in May 2015. The provider made attempts to recruit a suitable replacement manager to no avail. In August 2015 an interim manager started work at the home. This was initially a short-term measure but the arrangement was extended with the agreement of Ofsted. The interim manager has now accepted the post on a full time basis, which will provide young people and staff with continuity.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A number of improvements since the last inspection means that outcomes for young people are good. Young people have progressed from their starting point and have continued to improve while living at the home. Their day to day experiences are positive and relationships with staff are mutually respectful. A young person said, ‘The staff are nice, I feel I can talk to them.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people have benefited from the interim manager being proactive in securing local educational placements promptly. This has ensured young people are engaged in education as soon as they arrive at the home, or very shortly afterwards. This shows young people that their education is important.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work with educational providers to meet young people’s individual needs. This has resulted in young people being offered bespoke curriculums to help them adjust to life at school. Their aspirations are also key to engaging them in their learning and development. For example, a young person who enjoys cooking has been awarded additional funding to undertake an accredited cookery course and has recently secured a work placement in a bakery. The young person said, ‘I love cooking and want to be a chef. I do a lot of cooking in the home and I’m starting work in a bakery, I can’t wait.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s health needs are met and they are supported by good inter-agency joint working. They access the services they need and are supported to understand important health matters associated with growing up. Staff and other agencies talk to young people about looking after their health and how to avoid risk taking behaviours. This teaches young people to respect themselves and to develop healthy lifestyles.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are safe and their safety is seen as a priority. Staff are aware of young people’s known risks and how to keep them safe. All the young people spoken to at the inspection said they feel safe and, ‘this is a safe place to live’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Each young person has a written, individualised risk assessment. Overall, the standard of the risk assessments is good, however, they lack any written evaluation to ensure they are monitored and regularly reviewed. This has not significantly impacted on the current young people or their safety. Nevertheless, this shortfall in practice potentially compromises young people’s welfare, particularly if they have emerging safety-related risks.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have maintained monitoring the home’s performance and action plans set out areas for improvement and how these will be met. This ongoing scrutiny ensures the operation of the home continues to improve. Overall external monitoring is good. Reports are detailed and reflect how it is for young people to live at the home. Most of the reports include the visitor’s opinion regarding the safety of young people and how their welfare is promoted, but some do not. This has led to inconsistencies in ensuring all areas of practice are fully evaluated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff feel valued and supported. Since the last inspection the team have settled into their role, and morale is good. The manager and deputy manager are working well together, and this has provided a period of stability for young people. Staff members commented, ‘It’s really good now. Different. There’s less paperwork so more time with the young people. The morale is brilliant and there’s hardly any sickness now.’ And, ‘Its brilliant now, such a change. The manager is brilliant, and has put loads right. We have a really good team now, everyone is happy.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home have progressed by meeting the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. The staff team has received additional training to support them in their role and this includes behaviour management; supervision and appraisal; attachment theories; personal education planning; radicalisation and child sexual exploitation. This gives them a good knowledge base to meet young people’s need. Induction for new staff is much more organised and ensures new employees are better prepared before they start working directly with young people. A staff member said, ‘The new staff have had much better induction training, one day a week after their statutory training. The training is more about what we need as a home.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider is also better at supporting staff to undertake accredited training. Staff who do not have a level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people are registered promptly, and two staff at the home have been supported to increase their knowledge and skills by registering for a level 4, and a level 5 award, respectively. This investment in staff values them and improves the care and support received by young people. A staff member said, ‘ I’ve started my level 4 and we are encouraged to do other learning. We access local training and websites. We’ve just had education training and we have contact with the local children and adolescent mental health services advice.’ Care planning is also improved. All young people’s case files have been audited to ensure their statutory documentation is current. Records of placement reviews and planning meetings are in place and the home’s residential plans are much more

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

focused and child friendly. These measures ensure young people’s care and support is in line both with their needs and placing authority care plans. Young people are clearly more involved in their planning and their wishes and feelings are better taken into account. This empowers young people to understand why they live in a children’s home and what their future plans entail. A young person said, ‘I look at my file, we can look at them any time we want. I know my plan and if I follow it I get to go home.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The environment has been improved by reducing potential hazards to young people, staff and visitors. A lot of work has also been carried out to make the accommodation more attractive and homely. Most of the house has been redecorated and new carpets have replaced the previously worn laminate flooring. Money has been invested in soft furnishings and new pictures and all the young people’s bedding has been replaced. A staff member said, ‘It’s a more homely, all the young people got new bedding, and they chose the colour schemes. We want to involve the young people and we want to make the house a home.’ And a young person said, ‘It’s a nice place to live, it’s comfortable and like a proper home.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships with young people are improved and staff have a better understanding of the importance of setting appropriate boundaries and expectations. Additional training in behaviour management has helped staff understand how their words, and actions, impact on young people and the importance of being positive role models. Interactions observed during this inspection were relaxed and respectful. A young person said, ‘The staff are nice and you can talk to them.’ And a staff member said, ‘We know a lot more now and have learned a lot. The young people do more with staff and relationships with the young people are much better.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The two previous recommendations are also met, with one exceedingly well met. There are now clearer links with local services including health and mental health services. The manager has secured agreed protocols with other agencies who now support young people in the home and offer the staff guidance and advice. This enhances young people’s healthcare outcomes and supports staff to improve their knowledge and practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The interim manager has worked hard to raise the profile of local advocacy services with young people. She spent time talking with young people so they understand the role of an advocate and how an advocate is there to support them and promote their rights. The interim manager has also enabled a local advocate to meet young people informally, so they can talk to her in a relaxed, casual way. As a result of this work, all young people have an advocate; as did two young people who have moved on from the home. There are a number of examples where the advocate has spoken on behalf of young people, and this includes successfully challenging placing authorities where young people have not been happy with their care. This ensures young people have good support to champion their rights and wishes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are two new recommendations arising from this inspection.

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for 4 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/05/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and arrangements to protect them. In particular, ensure written risk assessments are regularly monitored, reviewed and include a written evaluation. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure the independent monitoring of the home, in all instances, includes the visitor’s opinion in how children are effectively safeguarded and how the conduct of the home promotes children's welfare. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards.

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Information about this inspection

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

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