Children's Home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 1 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 this home. The home provides care for up to four children or young people. The home provides multi-systemic therapy using the Family Integrated Transitions Model. Placements are for up to 12 weeks. The staff deliver an intensive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Programme. The experienced manager was registered in October 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/06/2018 Full Outstanding 01/11/2017 Full Good 26/10/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people learn skills they need to be able to transition successfully back into family life. The staff build relationships with the children and young people right at the start of their transfer to this placement. The staff ensure that the support is consistent for the children and young people until their transition back into family life. This enables the children and young people to settle quickly, invest in the specific therapy programme and achieve their personal goals. One carer said: ‘The whole team has been very supportive. The staff have worked closely with me during the placement, ensuring that the transition back to living with me was smooth.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people benefit from improved physical and emotional health. The tailored health plans help each individual to achieve their personal health goals. Examples of positive outcomes from these personal health plans include improved sleeping patterns, consistent personal hygiene routines and attendance at all medical appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s emotional health improves because they benefit from the individualised support offered by the specific therapeutic programme. This provides the children and young people with a range of skills to manage their own conflicts and difficult feelings. As a result, there are fewer outbursts of challenging behaviour and, for some, there is a significant reduction in self-harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s self-esteem improves because they are treated with dignity. They experience stable relationships with the staff, which are built on trust and respect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s life opportunities and self-confidence improve as they consistently access education with support from the staff. The children and young people who cannot access a school environment engage in individualised provision in the home and in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s confidence and independence grow as they learn a range of skills, such as spending time alone positively, using public transport, going out in the community independently and cooking.

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improvement to be good

The implementation of risk assessments is not effective in keeping some children and young people safe. Individual response plans are in place for individual risks. However, on some occasions, the children and young people have been exposed to risks which could have been prevented. Historical risk factors have not always informed planning decisions for the children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 4 The children and young people rarely go missing from this home. When a young person has gone missing, measures put in place to prevent further missing incidents have at times been ineffective. On a small number of occasions, the young person has been able to leave the house during the night without the staff being aware. This has meant that the young person has been missing for several hours during the night. The children and young people have had return home interviews which have enabled them to disclose any experience of

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding incidents and disclosures have been appropriately reported and acted on. The children and young people are given clear messages that they will be listened to when they are ready to talk. The children and young people make choices about who they wish to speak to about difficult issues.

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improvement to be good

The home has good relationships with other agencies, such as the police, and with family members. As a result, communication is free flowing. This sharing of information helps keep the children and young people safe.

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improvement to be good

The children and young people are supported by staff to explore their areas of risk and negative behaviour. This work is mainly effective. Children and young people make progress towards reducing negative behaviours, such as self-harm and aggression. Positive behaviour is consistently reinforced and staff strive to work consistently with children and young people to support development in all areas of their lives.

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improvement to be good

The staff undertake training to help them spot the early signs of any wider risks the children and young people may face, such as child sexual exploitation, county lines and radicalisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Shortfalls in staff practice are not always addressed robustly through individual supervision. As a result, there are missed opportunities to improve practice of the staff. Supervision is provided regularly in various ways to ensure that staff have the chance to reflect on the progress of the children and young people and on their own personal development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The management oversight of some daily tasks is poor. The lack of management oversight has led to some of the children and young people not being safeguarded. The managers are not monitoring whether daily routines and checks are taking place. The recommendation from the last inspection, which stated that staff needed clear instruction to ensure that children are safeguarded, has not been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has failed to notify the regulatory body of all serious events. This hinders the regulatory body’s oversight of safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has high aspirations for the children and the young people. The registered manager is dedicated to working within the specialist therapeutic model. The model enhances the children’s and young people’s opportunities in life. They are supported to achieve their desired outcomes to move back into family placements. Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 5 The staff receive regular training on a variety of issues that affect the children and young people. The statement of purpose clearly sets out the ethos and practices within the home and the children’s guide ensures that the children and young people are fully informed about what to expect. The home is maintained to a high standard and has a homely feel, in line with the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that there is good partnership working with other agencies. As a result, information sharing between services is effective and the children and young people receive the specific help they need.

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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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii) and (e)) 01/05/2019

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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— 01/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 6 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv)) 01/05/2019

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)) 01/05/2019

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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: 1223201 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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Inspectors

Jamie Richardson: Social Care Inspector Rachel Holden: Her Majesty Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1223201 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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