Children's home run by Northern Life Care Limited T/A UBU in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC035816 1 SC035816 Registered provider: Northern Life Care Limited, trading as UBU Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated. The home is registered for up to five children or young people who have been assessed as having emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and mild to moderate learning disabilities. Preferably, all placements will be planned, but the home will consider emergency placements. Acceptance of emergency placements is dependent on availability and compatibility with the existing children and young people. The home offers placements on a short-, medium- and long-term basis.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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 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

Since the last inspection, a manager has been appointed, and has been successfully registered. Staff recruitment has been a priority and the home is fully staffed. This has provided stability and consistency of care that have enabled the children and young people to build positive relationships with the adults who care for them. A social worker said: ‘[Name of child] has remained in placement since February 2018 and is beginning to build relationships with key staff.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has taken steps to stabilise the home following a period of placement disruptions. Action has been taken to address the reasons for these distruptions and there has been a period where no new admissions have taken place. The children and Inspection report children’s home: SC035816 2 young people remaining in placement have resettled and made progress, and staff practice has improved.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Impact assessments are more robust; any risks, vulnerabilities and additional needs are well-documented. The manager engages proactively with the placing authority. This has ensured that children and young people have experienced positive transitions into the home and are settling well. A social worker said: ‘I am impressed by the manager’s knowledge and understanding of [name of child’s] complex needs and the level of communication is very reassuring.’ The manager would benefit from recording that he has fully considered the effect the placement will have on the existing group of children. A recommendation has been made at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support the children and young people to attend and actively engage in their respective educational placements and vocational training. Staff are assisting one young person, who is also learning about personal safety and ‘stranger danger’, to travel independently. This is helping him to keep safe in the community. Another young person has made significant progress in their college course and has been described as ‘very talented’ and ‘one of our most able students’. Staff enhance learning opportunities through extra-curricular activities in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

‘This is me’ information, support for children and young people and risk plans are child focused and the voice of the child or young person is clearly evident. Children and young people are included in day-to-day decision making about their lives and their home. This has helped them to feel a sense of belonging. Further work needs to be done in order to ensure that staff recognise the importance of clear and objective recording, and of responding to cues when children and young people are unsettled. The manager is aware of this and training for staff has been facilitated alongside in-house learning and development during team meetings. Recommendations have been made at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a clear understanding of what the home does well. He utilises internal and external monitoring systems to good effect. This has led to improvements in the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people. The requirement and recommendations made at the last inspection have been met.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC035816 3

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Recommendations

 The Statement of Purpose is of particular importance to this Standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ‘Statement of Purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  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

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Recommendations

62, paragraph 14.4)  Children will have varied pre-care experiences. A large proportion of children come into care for reasons relating to trauma, neglect and abuse. The registered person should ensure that staff are prepared and able to listen to children who want to talk about their past experiences. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.11)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

56, paragraph 11.4)  Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. The capacity and competence of staff to build constructive, warm relationships with children that actively promote positive behaviour, provides the foundations for managing any negative behaviour. Staff should have the skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. Where necessary they should manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogues and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraphs 8.13 and 8.14) Inspection report children’s home: SC035816 4

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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: Northern Life Care Limited, trading as UBU

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Haywra Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 5BJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Linda Bilsborrow

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Inspector

Cath Sikakana: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC035816 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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Inspector

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