Adel Beck Secure Children's Home

Inspection report children’s home: SC033457 1 SC033457 Registered provider: Leeds City Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This secure children’s home is operated by a local authority. The home is approved by the Department for Education to restrict children’s and young people’s liberty. The children’s home can accommodate up to 24 children or young people who are aged between 10 and 17 years. It provides for up to 14 children or young people placed by the Youth Custody Service and 10 children or young people accommodated under section 25 of the Children Act 1989, and who are placed by local authorities. Admission of any child under 13 years of age under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 requires the approval of the Secretary of State.

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Information about this children’s home

The commissioning of health services in this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on site in dedicated facilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2007.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The experience of living at this home has a positive impact on the lives of children and Inspection report children’s home: SC033457 2 young people. The children and young people benefit from the unconditional support of a well-led and child-focused staff team with which they have developed strong and purposeful relationships. Children and young people said that they believe the staff treat them fairly and that living in the home is a positive experience for them. It was noticeable throughout the inspection how calm the atmosphere was and how relaxed the children and young people were in the company of staff, whose presence was quietly reassuring.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people are admitted to the home in a planned and supportive manner. Known information and information gathered through the initial assessment process is used to formulate plans and risk assessments. These are of good quality and highlight clearly each child’s and young person’s needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of these plans and are consistent in their implementation. This ensures that each child’s and young person’s care, safety and well-being are given the utmost priority and are integral to all aspects of care delivery.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Planning for release, discharge or transfer starts at the point of admission. Staff work closely with parents, social workers and youth offending staff to promote a collaborative approach to exit transition planning. Managers will confidently challenge external agencies and professionals when they do not provide the necessary support for children and young people, for example if they fail to identify suitable accommodation in a timely manner.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff take an educational approach to helping children and young people understand their offending and risk-taking behaviour. Individual sessions with allocated key workers provide children and young people with the opportunity to reflect on their past behaviours, feelings and relationships. These sessions are individually tailored and are designed to enhance the child’s or young person’s understanding of, and influence over, their behaviours and thinking. This opportunity for learning is further strengthened through the provision of structured programmes that are delivered by the interventions team and specialist healthcare professionals, for example substance misuse and child sexual exploitation. Children and young people referred to their key workers and case managers and showed a good understanding of the purpose of the work being undertaken with them. One young person said: ‘I have had time to think about my

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

actions and decisions. This will help me make better choices when I leave.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people are encouraged to express their views and contribute to their plans. They can suggest ideas or raise concerns using the ‘Can I have a word please?’ form, which is freely available on the living units. Overall, staff use this process well, with a large majority of young people expressing satisfaction in the action taken in response to their suggestions or complaints. However, on a small number of occasions, staff have failed to escalate issues to senior managers, as is the policy, when children and young people have been dissatisfied with the response.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff take a child-centred and proportionate approach when managing challenging behaviour. The staff are sensitive to motivational factors and make every effort to Inspection report children’s home: SC033457 3 minimise the level of intervention necessary to keep the children and young people safe. Detailed records are made of all incidents of physical restraint, single separation and managing away. The quality of these records has improved. Monitoring activity is strong, and managers are using written information, footage from body-worn cameras and CCTV to learn and improve practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff demonstrate warmth and genuine care and concern for the children and young people they work with. The staff take a non-judgemental approach and show a resilient commitment to caring for some children and young people who have extremely complex and highly challenging needs or behaviours. Managers recognise the demands placed on staff and are in the process of recruiting more staff. Despite these pressures, morale is high, and all staff are positive about the work they do. The staff recognise the importance of continuity of care and many staff will pick up additional shifts to avoid the use of agency staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff describe managers as being supportive, visible and accessible. Regular supervision sessions and team meetings provide the opportunities to reflect on children’s and young people’s care and progress and raise any concerns, which are listened to and responded to by managers.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The knowledge and skills of the staff are kept up to date through a range of mandatory and needs-led training. The staff have good access to impartial support from a range of services, including specialist mental health practitioners. Managers have used this support effectively on several occasions, for example helping staff to prepare for the admission of a child who would undoubtedly test their patience and resilience.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Suitable action has been taken to address the two requirements and three recommendations from the previous inspection. As a result, risk assessments, behaviour management records and the records of children’s and young people’s meetings are of a better quality. The three recommendations relating to education will be addressed at the next full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The ethos of the home is one of continual learning and development. The registered manager is always child-focused and routinely strives for improvement; for example, he is currently exploring the viability of providing formal outreach support for when children and young people return to the community.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2018 Full Outstanding 24/10/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2017 Full Outstanding 23/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC033457 4

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Recommendations

 Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.13) Specifically, when children are dissatisfied with the initial response to their complaint, their complaint should be escalated to senior managers, in accordance with the home’s complaints procedure.

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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: Merion House, 7th Floor West, Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8TU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Stephen Walker Inspection report children’s home: SC033457 5 Registered manager: Francis N’Jie

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Inspector(s)

Paul Scott: social care inspector Cathey Moriarty: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033457 6 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 children after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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