Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 1 SC066747

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Sheffield City Council

Monitoring visit 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. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit has been undertaken after Ofsted received information. This included reports that there have been a high number of police callouts to the home to assist in managing some of the young people’s behaviour and incidents of missing from care, over several months. In addition, on occasions the staff have not always fully implemented the missing from care protocols.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that the home has had an unsettled period. This is due to staff shortages and changes to the team. Furthermore, the young people who have complex needs have had an increased number of missing from care incidents and have presented escalating and challenging behaviour that staff have found difficult to manage.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has already taken action to address these shortfalls. The staffing arrangements have been strengthened. The home has employed temporary contract staff and regular agency workers to support the permanent staff team. Recruitment to the staff vacancies is underway.

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This monitoring visit

Strategy meetings have taken place for particular young people and a review of their individual missing from care protocols.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team, supported by professionals, has reviewed care approaches and the care plans of all the young people.

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This monitoring visit

The action taken by the management team has had a positive effect. This has Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 2 enabled the staff team to deliver consistent care, with clear rules and boundaries, to the young people. The young people feel more secure and their behaviour has started to settle. The number of missing from care incidents is reducing.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/11/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/04/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 30/06/2017

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(iii)(b)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 01/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 01/12/2017

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14(2)(b)(i)(ii)) 01/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 01/12/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 4 registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(ii)(iii)) 01/12/2017

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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 addressing the damage that has been caused to the home, to ensure that a homely environment is maintained.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to

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Recommendations

inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of the control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concerns emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 5 The purpose of this inspection was to carry out a monitoring visit following receipt of information and to check that the home is operating within the regulations relating to staffing arrangements, missing from care protocols and behaviour management.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 6

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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

Debbie Foster, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 7 to 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 (Carcass), 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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