Children's home run by Leicester City Council

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:

 A change in circumstances for a young person and the need to provide separate accommodation and additional staffing has put a strain on staffing. As a result, a number of different agency staff have been used, and this is where a lot of the shortfalls have been identified.  Recruitment practices are not robust, which means that managers cannot be assured that all staff are suitable for working with vulnerable young people.  Induction procedures for agency staff do not ensure that they have the right information to work with young people and in line with the home‟s procedures.  Staff have not received training to meet young people‟s specific behavioural and health needs. Furthermore, there is no documentary evidence that agency staff used have received training in safeguarding children and in behaviour management.  Although permanent staff know young people very well, care plans and risk assessments, in some instances, lack detail about needs and risks. This has

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because:

the potential to affect the delivery of safe care.  Quality assurance systems, including the visits carried out by the independent visitor, have not identified shortfalls in practice.  Five requirements have been made and two recommendations, regarding the recording of restraint and the need to sign and date all records.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people have very good relationships with staff whom they trust. They know that staff care for them and only want the best for them.  Empowerment of young people is a key strength. Young people are central to decision–making, which helps them to feel valued.  Partnership working with a range of professionals is very good. This ensures that young people‟s holistic needs are met.

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Information about this children's home

This home is managed by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 10 young people, although the home‟s statement of purpose currently states that it will accommodate up to seven young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The registered manager is in the process of applying to Ofsted to vary the conditions of registration, temporarily, to include the use of one of the flats for a specific young person with complex needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

1 December 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

20 October 2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12 The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(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. This is with specific reference to ensuring that young people‟s care plans and risk assessments include all areas of identified needs and risks, and give clear and accurate details of actions to take to minimise identified risks. 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must: (2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. This includes obtaining a full employment history with recorded explanations for any gaps identified, and obtaining documentary evidence that all the 1 August 2016 required checks have been obtained for all agency staff used. (Regulation 32(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. This includes providing written evidence that the induction of agency staff covers the home‟s safeguarding procedures. (Regulation 33(1)(a)) 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. This is with specific reference to providing ligature training and epilepsy training for staff. This includes ensuring that agency staff have received safeguarding children training and appropriate behaviour management training. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 1 September

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that children‟s case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, April 2015, page 62 paragraph 14.3.)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records of restraint are kept and enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and to respond promptly when any issues or trends or concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, April 2015, page 49, paragraph 9.59.)

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Requires improvement

A judgement of requires improvement has been given because shortfalls identified have the potential to place young people at risk and to have an impact on the quality of care provided. The change of circumstances of a young person, and the need to provide separate accommodation and additional staffing, has resulted in the use of a number of different agency staff. This is where a lot of the shortfalls have been identified. Staff have not received training in certain areas to ensure that they can meet specific health conditions. For example, staff have not received training about epilepsy. Furthermore, even though staff know young people well, some young people‟s care plans and risk assessments lack important details of how to manage health conditions, such as epilepsy. This lack of information and training has the potential to affect the delivery of safe care. Care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are reviewed

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Requires improvement

regularly. However, in some instances, they lack detail about specific needs and about how to manage young people‟s needs. For example, a young person‟s risk assessment does not include reference to their having self-harmed in the past. Not all records are signed and dated by the author. There is no evidence that these shortfalls have affected the health and well-being of young people. Staff work very closely with a range of professionals to ensure that they can meet young people‟s emotional and physical health needs. Young people are encouraged to access routine health appointments, and their health improves. One young person has managed to stop smoking since living at the home. A worker from the children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) team visits the home regularly to provide advice and support to staff and to work with individual young people. The CAMHS worker spoke very positively about the commitment of the

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Requires improvement

staff to trying to improve young people‟s lives. She also said that staff were good at communicating with her and her health colleagues. Young people receive a good standard of individualised care. Most young people are making good progress and are settled and happy at the home. A parent made the following comment: „They [staff] have done a good job with my child. My child has changed from being there. He's a good kid and his appearance has got better, he does not get himself into as much trouble anymore and he thinks of others more. I'm proud of my boy.‟ Some young people told the inspector that they are really happy at the home and explained how much progress they have made since being there. They told the inspector that they are much safer, as their risk-taking behaviours have reduced. They also said that they are doing well in school and college and talked enthusiastically about the next college courses that they were

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Requires improvement

going to be attending. The majority of young people are thriving in a supportive and stable environment. This is because they enjoy very good relationships with staff who are committed to improving their lives. One young person commented, „The staff are great and always helped me.‟ As a result, they feel safe, their confidence grows and their visions for their futures look brighter. Staff work hard to encourage young people to engage in education and training and to reach their academic potential. Education and training are based on individualised needs, previous experiences and interests. Young people‟s participation and attendance is variable. Most young people‟s engagement and attendance in education and training improve during their time at the home. This helps to increase their opportunities to achieve their academic potential and to improve their employment options. Staff work closely with the virtual school and

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Requires improvement

other education providers to provide some form of education to those young people who refuse to engage in any formal education. Young people are central to decision-making about the running of the home and to planning for their futures. Their voices count and they feel listened to, which also helps them to feel valued. Evidence from this inspection confirms that staff are totally committed to empowering young people. Staff supported one young person to contact the children‟s rights officer because they were due to move to another home and they really wanted to stay at this home. As a result, the registered provider has reviewed the plan and the young person will remain at this home where he has settled well and is making good progress, given his starting point. Staff provide good emotional and practical support to young people and their families to ensure that they see each other regularly, when appropriate. Young

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Requires improvement

people‟s progress in changing their risk-taking behaviours has helped to improve some young people‟s relationships with their families. Staff are committed to supporting young people to pursue their individual interests and hobbies, as well as to encouraging them to try new activities. This results in young people enjoying their leisure time, and their confidence and social skills improve. However, individual risk assessments are not in place for some activities, such as swimming.

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Requires improvement

The shortfalls identified have the potential to affect staff‟s ability to meet the diverse needs of young people and to protect them from the risk of harm. Recruitment practices for agency staff used are poor and do not adequately safeguard young people. The registered manager has not ensured that agency staff used have had all the appropriate checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Permanent staff receive a range of safeguarding training that helps them to keep young people safe. They fully understand their responsibilities to report any child protection concerns. Notifications received and evidence from this inspection demonstrate that staff refer any child protection concerns promptly to the relevant agencies. However, staff have not received training on the use of ligatures and this means that they are unable to deal with some aspects of self-harm. The registered manager has not ensured that agency staff used have received safeguarding

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Requires improvement

children training, or the appropriate behaviour management training. One agency staff member was involved in a physical intervention and there was no evidence that they had received any kind of behaviour management, including physical intervention, training. This is unsafe practice. Staff are generally good at managing young people‟s behaviour and most young people make good progress in changing their poor and unacceptable behaviours. The emphasis is on recognising and rewarding good behaviours and achievements. Comments from young people include: „I get lots of praise [from staff]‟ and: „Staff always praise me.‟ Staff are good at de-escalating situations, and restraint is only ever used as a last resort. However, incident reports and physical intervention records lack sufficient detail in some instances. For example, an incident report form lacked detail about how a member of staff removed a ligature from a young

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Requires improvement

person. Physical intervention records do not always give clear details of the type of hold used or of which staff member held which part of the young person‟s body. These shortfalls do not enable the registered manager to assess accurately whether practice is safe and appropriate. Young people told the inspector that they feel safe. Most young people become safer as their risk-taking behaviours reduce and they are able to discuss any concerns that they may have with staff. They learn to trust staff very quickly and know that staff will support them. This is reflected in a comment made by a parent who said about their son: „He has informed us that, “If I have anything on my mind I can talk to staff.”‟ The incidents of young people going missing reduce significantly during their time at the home. Staff have developed extremely positive working relationships with the local police who visit the young people regularly. This helps young people to

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Requires improvement

build good relationships with the police and they come to understand the different roles of the police. As a result, young people‟s safety improves. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has many years‟ experience of working with children and young people in residential care. He is a qualified social worker and is currently undertaking the level 5 qualification in leadership and management. He is committed to improving the lives of young people, but a failure to scrutinise the experience and qualifications of agency staff has resulted in a number of shortfalls. Although there is no evidence that this has had a negative impact on young people‟s care and well-being, these shortfalls have the potential to affect the provision of safe care. Since the last inspection, there has been a need to use agency staff on a regular basis, mainly due to the change in the provision of care for one young person. Additionally, there are a number of staff vacancies, which the registered manager is in the process of recruiting to. The registered persons have not checked that agency staff used have suitable experience of, and training for, working with young

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Requires improvement

people in a residential setting. Furthermore, there is no written evidence to confirm that safeguarding procedures have been covered in the induction of agency staff. These shortfalls mean that young people may be receiving care from staff who do not have the necessary skills and experience to meet their needs. The majority of staff have worked at the home for a number of years and are committed to improving outcomes for young people. Staff feel well supported by the management team and feel listened to and valued. 10 staff members have a level 3 qualification in working with children and young people, and three staff members are in the process of completing the qualification. Staff receive a range of mandatory training. However, they have not received training to enable them to deal appropriately with certain risk-taking behaviours and medical conditions. For example, staff have not received training in how to deal with ligatures.

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Requires improvement

Furthermore, there is no documentary evidence that agency staff have received safeguarding children training or behaviour management training. This does not ensure that all staff working with young people have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the complex needs of young people. There are a range of internal quality assurance systems that managers carry out, and monthly visits are carried out by the independent visitor. However, these are not sufficiently robust in identifying shortfalls in practice, which affects staff‟s ability to make improvements and does not fully safeguard young people. The statement of purpose contains all the required information that provides key stakeholders with details of services provided. The registered manager is in the process of updating the statement to reflect a forthcoming variation to the home‟s registration conditions. Partnership working is a key strength and is at the centre of practice. Feedback

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Requires improvement

from key professionals is positive, without fail, about the staff team and how it works hard to improve young people‟s lives. A professional made the following comment: „I feel the staff are very supportive and go the extra mile to promote good outcomes for their children. They are always open to and welcome advice from external professionals and work well with others.‟

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 that 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 whom 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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