Children's home run by Leicestershire County Council in Blaby

Inspection report children’s home: SC043405 1 SC043405 Registered provider: Leicestershire County Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s registered manager remains away from the home. In July 2017, an interim manager was appointed. The interim manager has considerable experience in working as a manager within residential care. Due to the length of absence of the registered manager, the interim manager has applied to Ofsted for registration, alongside the registered manager. Since the home’s last inspection, there is an improving picture regarding the functioning of the home, and there has been substantial progress in some areas. There are still areas for development, and the home’s interim manager demonstrates a good understanding of the home’s development needs. He meets regularly with senior managers to discuss progress. An action plan is being developed to ensure that changes Inspection report children’s home: SC043405 2 are embedded in a timely and effective way. The interim manager is realistic about the current operation of the home. He understands that, following a period of poor

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

performance, systems do not always function well and that staff may require additional support to undertake their roles effectively. The manager has high expectations about quality of care; however, there is no workforce plan. Without this, the interim manager cannot demonstrate how he has identified weaknesses in the knowledge or skills of staff, or how he plans to address this. A team development day, due to take place in the next few weeks, will give staff some space away from the home to spend time as a team, and gain a greater understanding of the home’s development plan. Three young people live at the home. They are settled and are achieving. Two young people attend school. Links between the home and education providers are positive, helping to ensure that young people can achieve their educational potential. The other young person is actively seeking full-time employment or training, and currently has a

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

job within retail. Young people have access to activities. They have all recently had new bicycles and bicycle helmets. One young person said that they thought the home was ‘great’. Overall, all young people are making very positive progress taking their starting points into consideration. They are receiving a much better quality of care. At the previous inspection, six breaches of regulation were identified. These related to there being poor systems in place to safeguard children, poor leadership and management arrangements, staff not being able to provide consistently good-quality care, poor care planning, poor safer recruitment practice, and significant delays in notifications to Ofsted. All six requirements are met at this inspection. However, the presentation of evidence during the inspection demonstrated that leadership and management systems are still not good enough. For example, evidence to demonstrate

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

that one requirement was met was still being gathered on the day of the inspection. Improvements at the home mean that records, such as young people’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans, now demonstrate young people’s individual needs more effectively. Young people also have more opportunities to comment on, and influence, the wording in their plans. The quality of writing in some plans is still an area for development, which the manager is aware of. The quality of care that young people receive is improved. It is more individualised and young people are making positive progress as a result. Placement planning and matching has improved significantly. At the last inspection, a poor placement matching decision had led to the young people living in a damaged home, feeling fearful, and living through disruption. The interim manager shows a very good understanding of his responsibility in relation to ensuring that proper placement

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

matching takes place. One young person has left the home since the last inspection and another has moved in. The placement matching process for the new young person was thorough and methodical, and the placement has been a success. Young people have access to the home’s wi-fi. The wi-fi is turned off in the evening, so as to be less of a distraction at bedtime, and through the night. However, there is some confusion about the time the wi-fi is switched off. Young people state that it is 8pm, which they feel is too early, especially if they are using it for homework. Staff state that it is usually turned off later. Consultation and an agreement with young people is needed Inspection report children’s home: SC043405 3 to agree a suitable switch-off time. Recruitment records now demonstrate that safer recruitment practice is being followed. This helps to ensure that only suitable people are working with children. However, in one

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

instance, information gathered during the recruitment process, which may have an impact on the safety of children, has not been formally assessed through a risk assessment. In practice, this has not had a negative impact as there has been very close monitoring. However, the safeguards in place would benefit from being formalised in a risk assessment. Stakeholders consulted as part of the inspection, including social workers, all gave positive feedback. In particular, stakeholders commented on the positive impact that they have seen following the appointment of the new interim manager. They have seen improvements in communication, and positive consultation with parents and families. Above all, young people are settled and are being cared for by a more consistent staff team that is able to give them individualised care. One social worker said: ‘My young person is coming on leaps and bounds.’ Another said: ‘This home has improved. The

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

interim manager has made a positive impact.’

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘The guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) This specifically relates to collating information and using an assessment of risk in relation to any information gathered during the recruitment process which may have an impact on children.  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘The guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: SC043405 4  Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their

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Recommendations

education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. (‘The guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Leicestershire County Council, Chief Executive, County Hall, Leicester Road, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8RA

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Inspector

Catherine Honey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC043405 5 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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