Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 1 SC481631 Registered provider: Pebbles Care

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by an independent provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager has been registered since 2014.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/07/2017 Full Good 19/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/06/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 2

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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, 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 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must notify each relevant person of any safeguarding incident without delay. 21/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 21/02/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person must challenge (under regulation 5(c)) any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.5) In particular, ensure that the provider has a copy of the child or young person’s placement plan from the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people build trusting and supportive relationships with staff, who are proactive in meeting their day-to-day needs. The staff are attentive and engage children Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 3 and young people in regular informal chats and key-working sessions that form an integral part of their care planning and subsequent progress. All children and young people are in some form of education and are progressing well, which was not always the case prior to them coming to live at the home. The manager and the staff team advocate strongly on behalf of the children and young people to ensure that they have the right education provision. This results in improvements in attendance and overall attainment. The manager has introduced a system of positive reinforcement in the home. Praise is given routinely throughout the day to children and young people. Staff record this on a

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

token record sheet. Recently, staff have taken this further, giving the children and young people certificates in the form of coloured stars with statements such as, ‘You came downstairs and engaged with your new social worker and were polite; well done.’ These simple compliments and this praise are having a significant, positive effect on children and young people’s emotional well-being and confidence. The staff team develops good relationships with professionals and parents involved in care planning and the support of children and young people. A health professional commented, ‘The staff are very proactive [in meeting] young people’s needs. I have been able to develop relationships with the young people and they now contact me independently.’ Independence skills are promoted in the home and children and young people routinely do their own laundry and assist with meal preparation and shopping. One young person

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

who was preparing for her independence was full of praise for the staff, and especially her key worker. She commented, ‘They have helped me a lot with my behaviour and how to manage my emotions.’ The strength of relationships and the time spent with children and young people significantly improve their outcomes. The children and young people enjoy a range of activities, such as swimming with friends, going to the cinema, shopping with staff and going for walks. All children and young people enjoyed holidays during the summer; whether going to London or elsewhere, they had a choice. One young person commented, ‘In my opinion, my views and wishes are always considered, and I feel safe in the care of the staff.’

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

The staff provide children and young people with a safe place to live. The staff have a good understanding of the children and young people’s needs and implement well- written and clear risk assessments, which support children and young people’s safety inside and outside the home. An issue with bullying was immediately addressed in accordance with the home’s policy. Individual key-working sessions, focusing on empathy, helped children and young people to understand the emotional consequence of this behaviour. Consequently, such incidents are now rare. This means that the children and young people feel increasingly safe from harm. The manager has a good understanding of the children and young people’s therapeutic needs. Collaborative working with social workers and a clinical psychologist results in care plans that are informed by research. Individualised strategies mean that challenging Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 4

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

behaviours are reducing significantly. Children and young people are learning how to deal with their emotions in a safe, supportive environment. Physical restraint is rarely required, and episodes of going missing and self-harming behaviour have significantly reduced. Children and young people are benefiting from a consistent approach to therapeutic parenting provided by a competent and nurturing staff team. Safeguarding incidents are investigated and are overseen by the provider’s safeguarding lead. However, it was noted on inspection that not all relevant persons are routinely contacted as per safeguarding policy. On one occasion, this resulted in a delay in sharing information with a local authority safeguarding designated officer. Although the threshold was not met and no child or young person was at harm, this could have led to the potential for harm to occur. There have been a number of changes to the staff team since the last inspection, but

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

these have not affected the consistency of care. Recruitment procedures are thorough, ensuring that children and young people are safeguarded effectively by trusted adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has appropriate experience and is developing his understanding of therapeutic parenting and approaches. His commitment to learning and understanding of adolescent behaviours, and child development as a whole, is threaded throughout the work undertaken with children and young people at this home. He is in the final stages of the appropriate management qualification. The manager is inspirational and passionate about providing high-quality care for the children and young people. He has developed a professional working relationship with the clinical psychologist, which has enabled him to share what he has learned with staff, who have implemented the theoretical approach in all aspects of their care. The impact is seen in the confidence shown by the children and young people, some of whom are expressing a desire to have a highly skilled and professional career. The culture being developed is one of high aspiration and positivity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are provided with excellent supervision, which enables them to reflect on their practice, focus on their development and understand the theoretical nature of their day- to-day work with children and young people. The manager insists on the high visibility of his team, in that staff are present as much as possible with children and young people. This means they are not just supervising but actively engaged in positive communication and interaction. Reminders and instruction are embedded in the plans for children and young people, often alongside strategies to support children and young people during the transition period into the home. The manager works effectively with independent visitors to ensure that standards are appropriately met. He is supported in his role by an able deputy and established senior members of staff. Morale in the team is high, with one member of staff referring to the children, young people and staff as being like ‘a family’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Placement plans are detailed but are not up-to-date as relevant plans from the local authority are not always received. This potentially diminishes the overall quality and monitoring of their agreed plans. Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 5 The statement of purpose is reviewed and updated when required. However, HMCI is not notified of any revisions and they have not been sent a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of revision.

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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: SC481631 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 7 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 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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