Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report children's home: SC039414 1 SC039414 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 1 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 Relationships between young people and staff are warm and open.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people learn how to keep themselves safe. Inspection report children's home: SC039414 2  Young people are well prepared to move on to independence.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff should be ascertained and considered when evaluating the quality of care at the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The cleanliness of rooms upstairs should be improved.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Supervision and team meeting records need to be made accessible to those who need to see them.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2016 Full Good 20/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC039414 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to 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 person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard. The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who - (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to- ensure that staff provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (2) and (b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that young people’s bedrooms are cleaned to a standard that promotes their self-respect and enhances their understanding of cleanliness. 22/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care. The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

The system must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (5)) 22/09/2017

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Recommendations

 It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4) Inspection report children's home: SC039414 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making progress from their starting points in this home because the manager and the staff team are dogged in their response to the challenges that young people can present. Trusting relationships are built between young people and staff, with young people’s well-being central to practice in the home. As one social worker commented: ‘The staff bring out the best bits of young people.’ One young person said that the difference between this home and others is that this is a ‘real home’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The commitment and flexible approach of staff result in all young people attending some form of education or training. Staff champion for young people to stay in educational settings despite challenges. This promotes both their social and educational development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The achievements of young people are celebrated and rewarded through certificates and life storybooks containing photographs and comments. Staff continually reinforce young people’s self-esteem through praise and encouragement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of young people are well met. They are educated and encouraged to make healthy food choices and take part in physical activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to pursue their particular interests. Two guinea pigs have recently been purchased for two young people who love animals. The pets are being used to teach the young people about responsibility. One young person is learning to drive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The voice of young people is well represented. Creative ways have been devised to capture young people’s wishes and feelings, which are consistently followed up. Young people receive a letter informing them about the outcomes of any requests. Examples include wi-fi availability, holiday destinations and room decoration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A particular strength of this home is the relationships that the manager and staff create with the families of young people. This has resulted in an increase in both the quantity and quality of contact that young people have with their extended families. Both the young people and their families are very appreciative of this. This has served to help young people to maintain their identity as part of their family. It also increases their support networks when they transition to independence. One parent commented that: ‘I go to bed and I know my child is well looked after.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home presents as clean and welcoming downstairs, with photos of the young people displayed. Some of the young people are presenting challenges with regard to damage to their bedrooms. Swift repair and cleaning are needed to maintain the environment to a suitable standard. The toilet facility requires more thorough cleaning to provide a hygienic environment. Inspection report children's home: SC039414 5 Transition for young people reaching adulthood is well planned and supported by the staff team. Young people are encouraged to develop the skills needed for independence. Young people’s anxiety around moving is well managed by the staff team.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The risks associated with individual young people are well known by the staff. Their knowledge is supported by detailed plans and procedures which they follow consistently. There is a culture of understanding of the needs of the young people, and they are treated with dignity and respect. Young people receive individual support to develop an understanding of healthy relationships, and are helped to devise strategies to keep themselves safe. The result is that incidents of young people going missing have reduced. Risks for young people who are vulnerable to exploitation have also reduced significantly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The approach to behaviour management within the home is in line with the statement of purpose, which states that the most important principle when managing the behaviour of young people is ensuring that the quality of the relationships made between staff members and the young people are of the highest standard. This approach results in young people who have diverse and challenging needs living together harmoniously. As a result, there is no need for the use of physical intervention with any of the young people. Sanctions are rarely used, with young people being rewarded for positive behaviour. There have been no complaints from young people, or from elsewhere.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people are supported by a staff team whose members are appropriately qualified. Professional development of staff is prioritised by the manager, and a number are undertaking further professional qualifications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager plays a key role in shaping the ethos of the home. She has the highest aspirations for both young people and staff. She leads the staff team to understand and meet the individual needs of each young person, with the result that their quality of life and outcomes are enhanced. She actively promotes the achievement of important milestones, including plans for permanence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning is effective, and there are strong working relationships with placing authorities and others such as education, training providers and youth offending teams. When necessary, the manager challenges services in the interests of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

While the views of young people are gathered and acted on, those of their parents, placing authorities and staff are not routinely gathered to inform evaluation of good practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision focused on young people’s experiences and needs. Inspection report children's home: SC039414 6 However, this needs recording in a way that will make it more effective and accessible to both the supervisor and the person being supervised. Other records such as team meeting minutes also need to be recorded more clearly, and stored in such a way that they are accessible to those who need access to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training and development activities are effective, with staff receiving training on a wide variety of topics. Staff are knowledgeable about issues such as exploitation, extremism and safeguarding. There is healthy challenge between staff and management through team meetings, supervision and team ‘away days’, which provide an environment for good practice to thrive.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC039414 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspector

Janet Black, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC039414 8 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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