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

Previous inspection judgement

This is the first inspection since the home was registered on 16 February 2015

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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:

 Staff at the home are relatively new, inexperienced and unqualified. This has contributed to some shortfalls in practice that have impacted on outcomes for young people.  Care planning and behaviour management is not adequately robust or fully consistent to ensure all young people’s care and support is underpinned by high quality written residential plans.  There is no up to date Statement of Purpose available that sets out what the home proposes to do to support and nurture young people.  Some areas of risk management do not fully safeguard young people. In particular, not all young people’s risk assessments fully set out known risks and how these will be met.   Some areas of the home are damaged and in disrepair. Additionally, the garden area is overgrown and the main gate to the property is broken.   There are insufficient measures taken to ensure all young people receive the health and psychological support they need in a timely manner; nor are the

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because:

benefits of advocacy fully explained to young people. 

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The children's home strengths

 Since registration, the Registered Manager has addressed a number of difficulties which has improved the home’s performance and outcomes for young people. Feedback from parents, social workers and other professionals is good.  The newly appointed staff team are starting to develop their knowledge and skills and are very keen to provide a good home for young people. Trusting relationships are beginning to flourish and young people are starting to engage in their care, which includes them in important decisions in their lives. Young people speak positively about the staff. They feel they can talk to staff and that staff listen to them.  The Registered Manager is a good advocate for young people and actively puts their needs and wishes first. This shows young people they are supported and cared about. Contact arrangements are positive and the home go over and above to facilitate important family links.

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The children's home strengths

 Activities are improving and young people are more supported to join events within their local community. This is especially important for young people who live away from their home, family and friends. Staff endeavour to seek new ways to engage young people in pursuits they will enjoy. This will increase young people’s confidence and self-esteem.  Educational outcomes for young people are good. Young people who have previously experienced difficulties have been supported back into school and vocational placements. This is a positive achievement.

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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

13.The leadership and management standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to providing children with high quality care at all times the registered provider must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 30/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard and provide good, consistent written plans the registered provider must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a) children receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home;

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) each child's relevant plans are followed. 30/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement of purpose which covers the matters in Schedule 1 and keep the statement under review and where appropriate revise it. Any revisions must be notified to HMCI and a copy sent to HMCI within 28 days of revision. (Regulation 16(3) (a) and (b)) 30/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard to keep children safe from harm with particular reference to assessing risks to each child in relation to their plan and hazards in the home the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if 30/06/2015 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health and safety.

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Requirement Due date

11. The positive relationships standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationship standard to help children develop an understanding of acceptable behaviour the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) (v)) communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding. 30/06/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure where children need additional health or well-being support they are fully enabled to have proper access to the services they need. (The guide to the Quality Standards, page 34, paragraph 7.10)

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Recommendations

 Ensure children have access to and understand the role of local independent advocacy services, especially where children are placed away from their home and family. (The guide to the Quality Standards, page 21, paragraph 4.4)

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Information about this children's home

The home is operated by a private provider and is registered to look after 4 children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection since registration.

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requires improvement

Individualised care of young people is improving but there are still apparent inconsistencies in care planning arrangements. Young people have progressed from their starting point, however, there are clear examples where young people’s written day to day plans conflict with local authority care plans. In one instance this had led to a breakdown in communication that has negatively impacted on a young person and their understanding of their future arrangements.

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requires improvement

Some plans are not inclusive of all known young people’s needs and how these will be met. Not all support plans include individualised strategies that are fully understood by staff. This potentially introduces inconsistent care and support.

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requires improvement

Where some young people have specific, sometimes complex, needs some staff are undertaking direct work without the necessary knowledge, skills or experience to deliver effective support. This compromises young people’s care and potentially their welfare.

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requires improvement

Transitional arrangements are inconsistent and haphazard in places. Identified set pieces of work are incomplete and there is little evidence of measurable outcomes to clearly demonstrate the home’s impact on the progress and development of young people.

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requires improvement

Young people are generally healthy and offered routine healthcare appointments. Staff understand and promote healthy living and exercise, which is important for growing teenagers. Young people are supported to learn about growing up and how to take responsibly for aspects of their health and well-being. This enables and educates them.

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requires improvement

There are however, shortfalls in young people accessing specialist services to meet their needs. These include regular access to psychological services.

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requires improvement

The staff understand the difficulties young people experience living away from their family and friends. They ensure young people have as much contact as is reasonable and support young people who are homesick. This offers young people comfort and security.

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requires improvement

Young people have made significant process in relation to education. One young person had not been attending education and has since started to engage in a phased return to education. Another young person is completing their final year of education within the provider’s school provision. In addition, the young person was undertaking a course in construction with a different provider. The staff at the home have identified a programme for a young person to undertake learning in relation to life skills, preparing them for independence. A teacher said, ‘The manager is very good, and rooted in the young people. My young person has done very well at school and gained good results.’

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good

Since registration there have been instances where young people have placed themselves at risk. These have been managed appropriately and through monitoring events and analysing what happened and why; new staff have gained valuable experience and have developed a better understanding about keeping young people safe.

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good

Young people say they feel safe and feedback from social workers, a parent and the local authority designated officer supports the view the young people are, ‘as safe as they can be.’ A young person said, ‘Yes it’s safe. I feel safe.’

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good

Young people are encouraged to learn about staying safe via key working sessions and young people’s meetings. There are resources, such as work books, that young people can study and understand how some of their behaviours may put them at risk. This informs and educates them. A social worker said, ‘I feel my young person is in the safest place possible. Staff work with them about keeping safe.’

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good

All young people feel they can talk to staff and they have begun to form trusting relationships. For some young people this is a big step and shows they feel safe and secure. A young person said, ‘I can talk to staff, I can talk to all of them.’ There is information about advocacy available but not all young people understand what advocacy means or how an advocate can support them. This impedes their choice to seek independent support.

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good

There is no bullying and young people understand that bullying will not be tolerated. They know to talk to staff if they feel bullied or intimidated. Young people know how to complain and know how to contact their social worker. Young people consulted said they would complain to staff if they are unhappy about anything.

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good

There is improved inter-agency working to support vulnerable children. The Registered Manager has forged important links with local police and the local authority. This provides young people with a range of support mechanisms and provides a greater inter-agency understanding where additional resources and support are needed. A local police officer said, ‘I met the manager when she started and we have met a few times since. The relationship with the home has improved. We are kept informed about vulnerable young people, this helps with early intervention and support.’

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good

Staff are checked and vetted to ensure they are suitable to work with young people. They know what to do if they are worried or concerned about a young person’s welfare and know where contact names and numbers are kept for local safeguarding agencies and the police. Where concerns have arisen the Registered Manager has made appropriate referrals to the local authority and regularly liaises with the local safeguarding officer who said, ‘Staff are co-operative and seek advice. The children are safeguarded, and are safe. The manager and staff are proactive and keep me up-to-date. I have no concerns.’

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good

Young people live in a home that meets their basic needs. Efforts have been made to improve the environment; such as staff recently painting and decorating the lounge area. Young people’s bedrooms are personalised, which is positive. However, there are general signs of wear and tear and internal damage that gives the home a neglected feel. There are cracks in some walls; damage to internal doors and unfinished laminate flooring that presents a trip hazard.

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good

The entrance to the home is not very welcoming for young people coming to live at the home. The garden is very overgrown and unsightly. Additionally, the large gate at the entrance to the home is broken and not fixed to the gatepost. This is a potential hazard as the home is situated alongside a rural road where traffic travels at excessive speeds.

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good

There are strengths and weaknesses in risk management. Staff are developing a better understanding of young people’s risk taking behaviour and how this impacts on their safety and welfare. Actual outcomes for young people are improved in that instances of going missing are reduced and young people are at less risk of exploitation. However, a number of risk assessments for young people are not adequately robust to ensure staff consistently know and can monitor any changes in behaviour that may indicate young people are at risk of harm. The impact on young people at the time of the inspection is marginal as they are currently settled and progressing. Nevertheless, where young people have known complex needs and unpredictable behaviours robust risk management potentially improves their safety and welfare. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

This is the first full inspection since the home was registered in February 2015. The Registered Manager is an experienced practitioner who has the skills, knowledge and qualifications to undertake her role. The Registered Manager is a committed person who puts young people at the centre of her work.

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requires improvement

Monitoring at the home is improving and a new development plan is starting to recognise and address areas of strength and weaknesses. New senior staff have begun to evaluate processes that include better engaging young people in their care, which is promising.

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requires improvement

There are shortfalls in staffing that have impacted on the care and welfare of young people, particularly in the early period post registration. Most of the staff team are relatively new in post and most have not had experience working in a children’s home. The home has a good induction programme that gives basic training in most practice areas, which has equipped staff with an understanding of caring for young people. However, this is not supported with experience or in some cases an in-depth knowledge of managing challenging, complex behaviours.

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requires improvement

The registered provider is taking steps to provide a range of training to enhance staffing skills, which is a positive step. Additional support and supervision by the Registered Manager has improved performance. However, there have been incidents when the behaviour of young people has not been handled well. This is as a result of some staff not having enough experience to deal with those situations appropriately. For example, inspectors observed some anti-social behaviour, such as swearing in the home, not being consistently challenged by staff, and that responding to one young person’s behaviour resulted in them running away from the home.

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requires improvement

The registered person has failed to revise or update the Statement of Purpose in a timely manner so that it clearly sets out what the home currently intends to do for young people. This means the information provided to young people, their families, social workers and Ofsted is outdated. This potentially misinforms commissioners and may compromise the home’s ability to meet new young people’s needs.

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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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