Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Leeds

home are

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:

 The registered manager has failed to follow safeguarding procedures in relation to reporting and managing a serious allegation. The home’s statement of purpose has not been followed in this respect.  The registered manager does not always escalate concerns when other professionals are not following their own safeguarding procedures. Actions to safeguard young people are not always well thought through.  The independent person rarely visits the home when young people are present. This is a missed opportunity to spend time getting to know them, to speak to them in private should they wish and to understand their concerns.  The regulator is not always informed of serious incidents at the home.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 Young people make good progress in their education. They enjoy a range of hobbies and new experiences and enjoy spending time with staff.  Young people enjoy good health, supported by staff who promote a healthy lifestyle.  Young people respond well to the guidance of staff and their behaviour improves.  Staff feel well supported by the manager. They benefit from regular supervision and training.

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: that staff: (2)(a)(vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. This is with particular reference to the registered manager undertaking continuing professional development to ensure that he has the skills needed to understand and adhere to child protection procedures. 01/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (3)(d)(e)) 01/01/2017

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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: (2)(a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)) 01/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person to: (2)(a) interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) This is with particular reference to ensuring that the independent person visits the home when children are present. 01/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with 01/01/2017 particular reference to ensuring the registered manager follows the safeguarding policy and procedures as set out in the statement of purpose, the registered person should: 2 (b)(i) ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose.

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Specifically, ensure that actions to protect young people do not place an unnecessary burden on young people themselves.

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or other relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) Specifically, ensure that, when other agencies are not following safeguarding procedures, this is escalated to senior management.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/11/2015 Full Outstanding 09/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/09/2014 Full Outstanding

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people living in the home are

Young people’s recent experiences at the home have been impaired by the manager’s failure to follow standard safeguarding procedures fully, as laid out in the statement of purpose. Although this did not result in young people’s safety being seriously compromised, it left one young person upset and another having to leave the home in less than ideal circumstances.

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people living in the home are

Despite this significant shortfall, young people enjoy good relationships with staff. They enjoy spending time with them and engage positively in individualised activities and hobbies. Young people are proud of the achievements they gain through their involvement in organisations such as Girl Guides and the local football teams. These achievements enhance their social skills and confidence.

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people living in the home are

Young people make good progress with their education. Staff work hard to maintain strong links with school. One professional commented: `Staff are very supportive. They work with us and let us know anything of concern.’ Some young people are now progressing from specialist education back into some mainstream school classes. This helps to progress their integration into mainstream educational provision.

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people living in the home are

Staff promote positive contact with families. This helps to maintain children and young people’s sense of identity and their place in the family. It provides them with key support networks for when they transition to independence.

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people living in the home are

Young people enjoy good health. They learn how to follow a healthy diet. This will help them to make positive choices now and in the future. Young people enjoy a range of physical exercise, such as the gym and dance classes. This improves their levels of fitness and helps them to integrate into the wider community.

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people living in the home are

Staff work with therapists and follow advice on how best to manage young people’s feelings and behaviour. This ensures that young people receive the help they need to deal with their complex emotional needs.

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people living in the home are

Young people learn a range of life skills, such as cleaning, budgeting, cooking and road safety. These are the kind of skills that will help them as they progress towards independent living. Judgement grade

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people are helped and protected

The registered manager has failed to adhere fully to the home’s procedures for dealing with safeguarding incidents. Although this did not have an impact on the immediate safety of young people, it caused potential delay to young people getting the services and support to which they are entitled in these circumstances. This includes the actions taken to manage risk that, in one case, placed an unnecessary burden on the young person.

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people are helped and protected

Young people respond well to rewards and consistent boundaries. As a result, their physical aggression and need for physical intervention has significantly reduced. Young people are not at risk from sexual exploitation or online abuse because staff are knowledgeable about these matters and know how to respond to such concerns.

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people are helped and protected

All members of staff have basic safeguarding training. They are knowledgeable about missing from home procedures and feel confident in following them. Staff also complete a range of specialist training courses. This provides them with the knowledge of additional risks that young people may face, such as radicalisation. Judgement grade

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leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post since February 2012. He is suitably qualified and experienced to undertake this role.

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leaders and managers

The registered manager failed to follow the home’s statement of purpose and agreed child protection procedures after a recent safeguarding incident. He did not escalate matters when other professionals also failed to implement their own safeguarding procedures. Ofsted was not notified ‘without delay’ of the incident. This calls into question the manager’s understanding of his role and his ability to respond effectively when safeguarding matters emerge.

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leaders and managers

The independent person conducts monitoring visits, for the majority of the time, when young people are at school. Consequently, some young people have seen the visitor only once in eight months. Although on some occasions telephone contact is offered, this makes it difficult for the visitor to observe the quality of relationships and the quality of care delivered in the home. It also reduces the opportunity for young people to build up a relationship with the visitor and for the visitor to be seen as someone they can trust to tell their worries to.

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leaders and managers

The manager monitors young people’s progress and the performance of the home, but this process fails to capture the views of young people and those of professionals involved with the home. This means that they have no influence on plans to improve the quality of care provided by the home.

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leaders and managers

The registered manager understands the needs of young people. This allows him to plan individual work to help them develop in all areas of their lives. Young people make especially good progress with their independence and behaviour.

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leaders and managers

Positive relationships with professionals, such as nurses and school staff, also ensure that any issues that young people face are promptly identified and addressed. Partnership working is also effective with young people’s families and former carers. This helps young people to maintain positive links with important people in their lives.

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leaders and managers

Staff feel well supported by the manager. They receive regular supervision. This helps them to feel confident to undertake their work. One member of staff commented: `I get regular supervision every month, but we are always in contact with the manager.’

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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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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 .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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