Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report children’s home: SC036009 1 SC036009 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority short-break service. It can accommodate up to six children who have physical and/or learning 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: 20 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC036009 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people enjoy their time at the home, learning new skills and forming friendships.  Children and young people receive care from an experienced and knowledgeable staff team.  The complex health needs of children and young people are well met.

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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

 In order to safeguard children and young people, the side and rear of the property need securing from public access.  Children and young people will benefit from staff gaining more knowledge around forms of communication based on technology.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/05/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/10/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC036009 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure-

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to provide a secure access point to the side and rear of the building. 30/11/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are cared for by experienced staff who understand their needs. Every effort is made to ensure that children and young people are comfortable and happily engaged. A wide range of equipment is available to achieve this. There is a well-equipped sensory room, and there are relaxing sitting areas with specialist chairs around the home. Each bedroom is individually decorated. There is a television and music playing facilities in each room. Young people enjoy relaxing in these calm, individual spaces. One young person always chooses to stay in the ‘butterfly’ room and enjoys gazing at the butterflies on the wallpaper.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Every child and young person is treated as an individual, with careful planning to ensure that their complex health needs are fully met. Staff communicate effectively with parents, carers and health professionals to ensure that all information is up to date, as children’s health needs can change very quickly. A phone call is made to parents before every stay to ascertain current information. Staff communicate with parents regularly while their child or young person is at the home. This provides them with reassurance and peace of mind. One parent commented: ‘The service I receive has made me stronger, which means my care for X is better.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC036009 4 The ways in which the holistic needs of children and young people are met are documented thoroughly in care plans and risk assessments. These are used by staff to deliver consistent care in line with that at home and school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people attend the home for short breaks, with parents and carers retaining responsibility for children’s education. However, staff visit children and young people at school, attend school reviews and ensure that there are strong links between education staff and themselves. This helps to ensure that children and young people are supported to work on consistent goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people enjoy the outings and activities provided by the staff. Several parents commented that these are what their children enjoy the most. Children and young people visit an outdoor country park where they use adapted bicycles and go out for meals. Within the home, children and young people enjoy making ‘mocktails’ and have the use of a well-equipped outside space at the back of the building. Local community volunteers and charities have built accessible paths and installed sensory equipment here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children and young people, including those who are non-verbal, are supported to actively participate in making decisions and choices. Staff are expert in reading the body language and facial expressions of children and young people, which convey their feelings. Children’s chat sessions have gathered their views through fun activities, such as making a healthy lunchbox. The staff and manager identify that communication with children and young people would be further enhanced by them learning more about technological communication devices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The cultural and religious needs of children and young people are respected. Halal diets are provided and staff ensure that cultural festivals and customs are celebrated.

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

The complex health needs of the children and young people who stay at the home can present a significant risk to their well-being. However, these risks are reduced by an experienced and knowledgeable team of staff who are alert to signs that a child may becoming unwell. Appropriate action is taken when this occurs, and parents and carers are kept fully informed.

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

Comprehensive medical risk assessments inform their care and medication is administered safely and effectively, for the most part. Where there have been errors regarding medication, children’s health has been immediately safeguarded.

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

Children and young people are protected from risks such as going missing by constant one-to-one supervision. Because children and young people are given the opportunity to make their needs and feelings known they do not become frustrated, so physical intervention is not required to manage their behaviour.

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

Children and young people are learning how to keep themselves safe through their Inspection report children’s home: SC036009 5 children’s ‘chat sessions’, which cover areas such as bullying and NSPCC campaigns which teach young people about owning their own body.

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

The physical environment is safe, in the main. However, there is open access to the public down one side of the building. This leads onto the back garden where there are doors leading on to the lounge area and bedrooms. Although alarms have been installed, unauthorised persons are able to gain access to children, young people and staff when they are in the garden, and may therefore pose a security risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an extremely settled staff team in place, led by an experienced manager. All are appropriately qualified and they continue to update their knowledge through research and ongoing training. The manager and staff acknowledge that it would be beneficial to the children and young people if future recruitment could reflect the more diverse make- up of society and include male and younger carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has put thorough systems of auditing in place to monitor all aspects of the care that is delivered. She ensures that case records and plans reflect the needs and progress of the children and young people. When there have been medication errors, she has quickly analysed the contributing factors and put remedial actions in place to prevent any recurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The progress of children and young people, however small, is celebrated through certificates, wall displays and photograph albums. Their self-esteem is reinforced through praise and encouragement by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff build very close relationships with families and carers. Parents feel confident to leave children and young people in their care. They feel that staff are accessible to them and keep them very well informed. They are able to book dates flexibly to meet their needs. The home has been a lifeline for some parents/carers. One has been able to complete an Open University course, and another said that she can get some sleep and spend time with her other children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As set out in its statement of purpose, the home provides an environment which is flexible and meets the individual needs of children and young people and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Understanding each child’s individual needs and preferences is central to the practice of the manager and staff.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC036009 6 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: SC036009 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: SC036009 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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