Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report children‟s home: SC417795 1 SC417795 Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited

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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 owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than four children and young people 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: 27 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people live in a welcoming home environment and are building trusting relationships with staff. Inspection report children‟s home: SC417795 2  Children and young people‟s admissions and discharges are well planned and the impact is fully explored.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people actively contribute to their records and this helps them to identify their own needs and risks.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people are making continued progress within education, which has a wider impact on their lives.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff work well in partnership with family members and professionals to advocate for the children and young people to ensure that their needs are met.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager continues to review practices, and changes are implemented from regular reflection. This ensures that the best practices and care are afforded to the children and young people.

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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 home requires further planned maintenance work to repair damage caused in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff are to ensure that the specific needs and risks associated with individual children and young people are evident in their plans.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/10/2016 Full Good 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC417795 3

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Recommendations

 Homes are required to develop and keep under review a “Statement of Purpose” („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 14, paragraph 3.5). This is with particular reference to the updated statement of purpose to be sent to Ofsted.

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Recommendations

 To ensure that staff understand and can meet each child‟s needs, in line with their responsibilities, the registered person themselves will need to have a high level of understanding of the needs of the children in their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 52, paragraph 10.5). This is with particular reference to the children and young people‟s care plans reflecting and considering the impact of their life experience and the help and support they may need.

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Recommendations

 For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases be homely, domestic environments. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9). This is with particular reference to the manager continuing with the planned maintenance work to the home to repair the damage caused.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have built trusting relationships with staff. They enjoy spending time in the company of staff, including doing activities, both within the home and out in the community. One child said: „If I cannot live closer to home then I want to stay at X.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are continuing to make progress with their education. The communication between the staff at the home and school is good. This enables strategies and plans to be created to help the children and young people to remain in school and achieve personal goals. With the ongoing staff support and promotion of education, one young person has read a book for the first time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions to and from the home are managed well. One young person said: „My move to the home was good, and I was made to feel welcome. I am hoping to stay at the home in the long term.‟ Whether children and young people move into the home in a planned way, or an emergency, the manager ensures that this is a good and well thought-out move for the child and young person, as well as for those children and Inspection report children‟s home: SC417795 4 young people already living there. Although the children and young people find the home welcoming, the maintenance and decoration of the home needs further work to return this home to its previous good standard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are being encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle and make healthy lifestyle choices. The staff have started to review the food that is being purchased and reduced the level of unhealthy snacks. The children and young people are also helped to learn how to prepare and cook healthy meals. The children and young people are participating in a lot of physical activity to further improve their health. This is really important for one young person as they are currently receiving medical advice regarding weight loss. A social worker reported: „Although X (the young person) has recently moved into the home, he already looks a lot healthier.‟

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

Children and young people learn how to keep themselves safe in the community through gradually increased „free‟ time. Staff maintain strategies and review the children‟s and young people‟s activities in the community with friends. Staff increase their vigilance and supervision of the children and young people in response to any challenging behaviour.

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

The staff team is aware of the dangers of social media communication platforms. They use this knowledge to talk to the children and young people about using social media safely.

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

As children and young people present with new risk-taking behaviours, these are fully explored with them to help to create the relevant risk assessment. It is clear that children and young people are actively involved, and they can reflect upon what they portray their risks to be and how staff can help them stay safe. This is providing the children and young people some ownership and responsibility for their own safety. However, one young person‟s care plan does not explicitly capture the help they will need and benefit from around healthy relationships linked to domestic abuse.

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

If children and young people leave the home without informing staff of their plans, staff take immediate action to ensure their safety. Staff have walked with children and young people for hours on end to prevent them from placing themselves within risky situations. In addition, if children and young people are reported missing to the police, staff continue to actively search for them, to try to ensure their quick and safe return.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in her post since 2014 and she is well qualified and experienced within her role. She is diligent in her oversight and management of the home, and she continues to change and develop practice, to ensure that the children and young people experience positive life experiences, chances and opportunities. Staff report: „The manager is very approachable and amazing. She is very considerate of the needs of her staff team.‟ Inspection report children‟s home: SC417795 5 The manager has clear practice expectations of her team and together they ensure that continuous reflection and discussions take place about the children and young people. The manager is able to learn from staff practices and clearly discusses these with the team to ensure that the best care is afforded to the children and young people. For example, staff attended a „lessons learned‟ session, triggered by an incident where a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

young person injured her ankle. Staff are now clear on the required practice when a child or young person sustains an injury.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff maintain the home‟s ethos, ensuring that children and young people are provided safety and security within a nurturing home. In addition, the manager has developed specific documents to further promote the children‟s and young people‟s voices. It is clear that their views and wishes are listened to and bring about changes within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported by a staff team which has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Although some staff are new into position they are in tune with the needs of children and young people and this is helped by the mentoring and direction of other team members. One staff member said: „I have been fully supported in my role by the team. We have an amazing bunch of workers here.‟ Although the manager has updated the statement of purpose to reflect the changes to the staff team, this has not been sent to HMCI as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a strength and there is regular consultation with parents and professionals. Staff are proactive at finding ways of working together to support the needs of the children and young people. This has enabled a young person to access therapy through another service, while they await an appointment with the child and adolescent mental health service.

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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 difference 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: SC417795 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rouse House, 2 Wyther Lane, Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC417795 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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