Children's home run by Leicester City Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 1 SC039001 Registered provider: Leicester City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people who are in need of support and structure and who are unable to live with their family. The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 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 good

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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: 21 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/04/2018 Full Good 31/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 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, 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(vi)(vii)) 01/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing is provided. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 01/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 01/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 4

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Recommendations

 Where there is a possibility that a child will run away or go missing from a children’s home placement, their placement plan should include a strategy to minimise this risk. If a child is looked-after, their care plan (arranged by their placing authority) should include such a strategy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.24)

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Recommendations

 Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make progress in all areas of their lives. They report feeling well cared for by staff and being happy. They feel listened to and able to openly express their wishes, feelings and views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have education provisions in place. Staff work hard to ensure that all young people have an appropriate level of education each day. Young people have aspirations for their futures. They know what they want to do when they leave school. They see the value of education. One young person was reported by his independent reviewing officer to have made significant progress in education since moving to live at this home. This reflects a manager and staff team committed to promoting education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have their routine and more specialist health needs well met. Staff ensure that appointments are made for young people and know what their current and changing needs are. Specialist health support is provided in a timely manner. This provides young people with the services that they need and promotes their physical and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people get to keep in touch with people who matter to them. Staff fully support them to see and speak with family and friends, as appropriate. Young people value the support that staff give them in relation to making and forming friendships. As a result of this, they also feel well integrated into their local communities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A range of social activities and opportunities are offered to young people. This includes going on holiday with staff on a regular basis. One young person has also become involved with the children in care council. This provides young people with an opportunity to share their views and feelings about being looked after. It promotes a positive sense of identity for them. Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 5 The home has a semi-independent flat attached to the main house. This enables relevant young people to move out of the main house, in preparation for their eventual move to adult life. One young person is in the process of making this move. Staff work well to prepare young people for moving on. They prepare them to manage their own finances, to do their own shopping and to meet their own needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people do not routinely read or consider their records. There is little evidence of their involvement in the preparing of their placement plans. This would further enable them to have a say in the care and support that they receive. It would also be beneficial for young people to be more actively involved in the devising and implementing of their risk assessments.

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improvement to be good

The recording of allegations made by young people is not clear. Current systems do not provide clear details of the allegations made, the action taken by the manager or outcomes. There is a general lack of detail in the recording held. This reduces the ability of the manager to have a clear and robust oversight of any allegations made.

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improvement to be good

Similarly, the recording and response to any complaints made by young people or others is not sufficiently robust or detailed. Records seen do not reflect consistently or clearly the actions taken or outcomes. Young people and others are not provided with a formal outcome letter from the manager. This reduces their ability to challenge the manager or others about complaints made.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers do not routinely complete and implement specific risk assessments relating to the risk of young people going missing from care. Some young people have a known history of such behaviours. Specific risk assessments would enable staff to be clear as to what they need to do, in the event a young person was to go missing.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment procedures are generally robust. Where an applicant has gaps in their employment history, records do not clearly or robustly reflect the reasons. Applicants should provide a written explanation for any gaps, for managers to consider as part of the selection and recruitment process.

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improvement to be good

A range of risk assessments provide staff with a clear sense of the actual or potential risks for young people. Assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. Staff support young people to take age-appropriate risks, with confidence and in consultation with involved agencies. This prepares young people well for their eventual move to the adult world.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has the necessary skills and experience to perform her role. She is held in high regard by the staff team. She is viewed as an approachable and committed manager. This is also the view of young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 6 The manager has ambition for each young person. She always acts as a strong and positive advocate for them. The staff team members also show a passion and commitment to their roles and in wanting the very best for young people. They know the young people well. They understand the complex histories of young people and provide sensitive care and support. Their commitment and professionalism are commended by a range of involved professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the manager and assistant managers. They receive regular formal supervision and annual appraisals. They also feel able to approach managers for support on a daily basis. Staff report feeling able to put forward their own views and suggestions to improve how they care for young people. A wide range of training is provided to further increase the competency and skills of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a detailed development plan in place. This sets out short- and longer- term goals for the home and services provided. A key focus of the plan relates to making improvements to the internal and external areas of the home. Young people have been fully involved in this process. They have worked with staff to agree the decor and furnishings in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Agencies speak positively of their working relationship with staff and managers in the home. They consistently refer to staff and managers as ‘strong advocates’ for the young people. Managers and staff feel confident to challenge other agencies when young people are not receiving the services that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people meet regularly with staff and managers. Their wishes, views and feelings influence how the home is run and the care that they receive. This includes being able to choose the decor and furnishings for their own bedrooms, as well as communal areas of the home. They get to choose what food they eat and they feel that staff are flexible and take into account what they say. As one young person said: ‘I want to stay here until I am 18, as I am happy and the home is chilled.’

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 7 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: SC039001 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, 3rd Floor, Rutland Wing, 115 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FZ

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Inspector:

Tracy Murty: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC039001 9 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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