Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 1 SC056259 Registered provider: Pebbles Care

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home, which comprises a main home with capacity for up to five children and young people and a separate bungalow, with capacity for an additional young person, is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There is no registered manager at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 23 October 2017

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/10/2017 Full Good 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii)) In particular: complete the refurbishment of the office space so that children and young people have access to their study area and games room; repair and redecorate all areas of the home that have been damaged; clean all areas of the home including the carpets and toilets; introduce a maintenance recording system for staff to record damage and repairs needed to the

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, 23/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 4 and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the

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Requirement Due date

quality of the home’s care; help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited; make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii); ensure that each child— has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(ii)) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the views of each relevant

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Requirement Due date

person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (2)(e)) In particular, to speak to the placing authority when changes are made to a young person’s care plan, such as the administration of new prescribed medication. 23/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 23/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 5 registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(viii)) * The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make

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Requirement Due date

arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and the registered person to ensure— 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; and 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)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(b)(d)) 23/09/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to understand how to keep safe; and have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(ii)(iii)) 23/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 23/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 6 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child

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Requirement Due date

and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended

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Requirement Due date

that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) In particular, to complete impact risk assessments and peer 23/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 7 matching assessments of young people referred to the home prior to their admission. The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular— provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (2)(a)(b)(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 23/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 23/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for 30/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 8 children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children and young people in this home are not adequately protected from harm or the risk of further harm. Leadership and management are poor. This has a negative impact on the overall experiences of children and young people. Outcomes for children and young people are mixed, which is particularly evident between the two different homes. One social worker spoke of the significant deterioration in a child’s presentation since his admission.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Care plans and monthly review reports are out of date. A lack of monitoring systems makes it difficult to see what progress and achievements children and young people are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children and young people present complex and challenging behaviours, which the staff are not always able to manage effectively. Weak care planning, caused by poor leadership and management decisions, results in the making of unsafe and inappropriate placements. A lack of a matching and impact risk assessment has led to some children and young people feeling threatened and intimidated by a new resident. Staff have been assaulted, children and young people are unsettled and some young people have left the home in an unplanned way. This does not provide a positive experience for the children, young people and staff at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some children and young people do not benefit from having positive relationships with Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 9 staff. Although they relate to some staff better than others, there are ongoing incidents of children and young people being verbally abusive and disrespectful towards staff. Children and young people spoke of incidents when staff were verbally aggressive in their response. This does not provide them with good adult role models. Staff do not undertake regular planned key working with children and young people to help them reflect on their negative behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children and young people do not feel listened to or helped to contribute towards the running of their home. Residents’ meetings are not held and there are no other means for children’s and young people’s views to be heard. Children and young people speak of hurdles put in their way when they want to complain about staff, and feel they are not believed. The acting manager does not consult with children and young people about the quality of their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There is significant and repeated physical damage to the home caused by some children and young people. Repairs and redecoration are not completed in a timely way. The premises are in a poor condition, including problems such as dirty carpets and soiled toilets. The study and games room are used by staff because of the delay in renovating the main staff office. This does not create a homely environment, nor does it provide children and young people with a message that they are valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some children and young people are going to school and college or having home tuition. Those who have lived at the home for several years have peers in the area they socialise with, as well as belonging to local clubs, such as a football team.

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

There is poor risk management in the home. The risk assessments do not reflect the current risks that the children and young people present, such as cannabis misuse or sexual exploitation. Children’s and young people’s plans are not up to date, are not reviewed after significant events and the staff do not read them. This leaves children and young people vulnerable as the staff have no detailed insight into children’s and young people’s known or potential risks. For example, one child is frequently smoking in his bedroom and staff fail to address this issue or carry out room searches.

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

Children and young people are not kept safe in the home because of the staff’s lack of attention. A young person, who required one-to-one supervision, brought a female child who was not from the home into his bedroom. There have been allegations made about the nature of the young person’s actions and reports made to the police.

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

Children and young people have unsupervised internet access. The manager and staff lack insight into online safety. There is no suitable monitoring system at the home to check children’s and young people’s access to social media and other internet sites. This leaves them at risk of accessing inappropriate material and communicating with unknown individuals. One young person, whose internet access should be supervised, has been accessing the home’s internet without the staff’s knowledge for many months. The children and young people have gained access to the Sky box pin number, and have Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 10 purchased and watched many films. The content of some of these is not appropriate for the children and young people living at the home. These issues all raise concerns about the level of staff’s supervision and guidance.

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

There is a lack of investigation and response by the staff team following incidents. Records do not demonstrate robust actions to safeguard children and young people at the time or subsequently. There has been a delay in reporting to the relevant people, such as placing authorities. Inadequate or inconsistent recording make it difficult to properly investigate incidents.

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

Staff do not implement a restorative practice approach when dealing with children’s and young people’s negative behaviours. Monetary sanctions are used, and children and young people are given financial incentives for daily tasks. The use of the sanctions and incentives is not reviewed to look at whether there are improvements in behaviour as a result.

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

There are only a few occasions when staff have had to restrain children and young people. However, when police intervention has been necessary, the regulator has not always been informed of these events. This does not provide independent scrutiny of these incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since October 2017. The last manager was only in post for a few months and left the home in March 2018, prior to registration. The deputy manager has been left to manage the home since this date but was not able to demonstrate the knowledge or skills required to manage the home effectively. The acting manager is left without adequate support on a day-to-day basis to undertake the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant gaps in the monitoring of records, with many documents, such as risk assessments, needing updating. The acting manager was not aware that staff had not completed monthly reports for some children and young people since May 2018. This means that some placing authorities are left without an update of their children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feel unsupported and report having taken on extra duties. This has been at a time when new members of staff have joined the team and have needed significant support and guidance. Some staff have not had supervision for many months. They are not provided with consistent guidance and leadership to ensure that there are good standards of care and that the children and young people are safe. Staff show a significant lack of understanding relating to the underlying emotional and safety needs of children and young people. They have not received training in issues such as sexually harmful behaviours, online safety and on autism spectrum disorder, even though they have children placed with these risks and conditions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff recording and practice are inconsistent. The staff team members are not working Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 11 together to support young people effectively. Some staff are regularly raising practice concerns about their colleagues, but there is no action taken to address this. This results in a reluctance to whistle-blow when other practice issues come to light. There is no robust challenge of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The plan to address the damage and disruption in the home is ineffective. There is limited understanding of the impact the care provided to children and young people is having on their progress and experiences. Stakeholders are not consulted. There has been a failure to obtain feedback since October 2017. The lack of this information makes it difficult to review and evaluate the quality of care provided and identify any actions needed to improve outcomes. The acting manager and some staff have worked at the home for many years. This offers consistency to children and young people, particularly for the young person living in the bungalow. Staff speak of their frustration at the deterioration of the home but feel overwhelmed by the task of improving things. They particularly speak about the lack of support since the manager’s departure many months ago and the lack of stability this has caused in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Professionals provided mixed feedback about the home. One spoke of a lack of feedback and communication from staff, whereas others spoke positively about the care provided.

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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: SC056259 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Wyther Lane, Leeds, Yorkshire LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC056259 13 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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