Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 1 SC033370 Registered provider: Leeds City Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care for up to four children and young people whose plan is to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting. The home aims to provide a caring and safe environment in which all the children and young people will grow.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since January 2018 and was registered in October 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 February 2019

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2017 Full Good 05/07/2016 Full Good 10/05/2016 Full Inadequate 19/11/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8(2)(iv)(v)) 01/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and

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Requirement Due date

in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe. (Regulation 8, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children, young people and staff 15/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 4 take part in regular fire drills.

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Recommendations

The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have just moved back into this house after the home has undergone a full refurbishment. The young people have helped to choose the new decor and they have personalised their bedrooms. The young people feel valued because they are fully involved in the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s emotional well-being improves from living in a settled home environment. This home has had a period of instability with changing managers and some challenging behaviour exhibited by some of the young people. The new registered manager is now ensuring that there is stability and consistency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people maintain good health. The staff support the young people to attend routine health appointments. The young people receive good emotional support through their positive relationships with the staff. When the young people need additional support with their emotional well-being, specialist therapeutic services are commissioned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the young people are doing well in education and attend every day. For one young person, education attendance varies and is currently low. There is a lack of evidence to show that staff are carrying out work with the young person to help them understand the importance of education. There are no clear plans for meaningful informal learning to be offered to the young person on a daily basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the young people take part in opportunities which expand their life experiences. These activities include outward bound courses and the national citizenship scheme. This experience improves the young people’s confidence and it provides them with life skills, which are preparing them well for when they leave this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people maintain a sense of identity because the staff facilitate family contact. The staff value the families’ views and keep the family members included in all aspects of the young people’s lives. Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 5

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

The young people are responding well to the stability and the consistent approach which is being used by the staff. As a result, outbursts of challenging behaviour and physical intervention have reduced. One young person said: ‘Things are much calmer. It’s better now.’

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

There have been a high number of incidents when young people have gone missing from this home. However, there has been a significant reduction in the number of those incidents since January 2018. When the young people go missing from home, the staff effectively follow the protocols and they find the young people as quickly as possible.

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

Risks to the young people reduce because the young people learn about dangers, such as knife crime and substance misuse. Specialist workers come into the home to deliver safety training to the young people. One young person has gone on to work with specialist workers to deliver training to other professionals to help them understand the dangers of knife crime from the young people’s perspective.

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

The risks to the young people are well managed because the staff have a good understanding of the individual dangers relating to each young person. The individual risk assessments for the young people provide the staff with clear actions to manage any risks that occur.

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

Some of the young people and some of the staff have not experienced a fire drill. Consequently, not all the young people and the staff may know what to do in the event of a fire. This may delay their escape.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Before the registered manager was in post, the young people experienced a period of instability. Since the registered manager has taken this position, he has worked closely with the deputy manager to provide stability and strong oversight of care practice. One professional said: ‘There is a noticeable improvement in the running of the home since this manager came. The whole house is more settled.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy manager are ambitious for the young people to achieve. The registered manager is good at identifying where things have gone wrong for a young person and he is able to turn negative events into positive learning experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff all feel well supported by the registered manager and the deputy manager. The staff have confidence to undertake their role because they know the registered manager’s expectations. The staff feel they can talk to the registered manager and the deputy manager about anything at any time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a potential missed opportunity for staff to develop their understanding of the young people and to improve care practice. The quality of the staff supervision varies in Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 6 relation to the amount of reflection on the young people’s needs and the quality of the care being delivered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is quick to identify any dips in the young people’s progress and take effective action to support the young people with any issues. The registered manager’s monitoring systems allow him to monitor patterns and trends in the behaviour and progress of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the deputy manager ensure that the young people access the services they need. They maintain good links with other professionals, such as schools and social workers.

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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: SC033370 7

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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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Inspector

Jamie Richardson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033370 8 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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