Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC477428 1 SC477428 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire 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 long-term care for up to three children or young people who have learning disabilities. The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She has been in post since September 2017.

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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: SC477428 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2018 Full Good 04/09/2017 Full Good 07/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/06/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC477428 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— 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)) 06/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 06/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 06/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 06/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC477428 4

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Recommendations

 The home‟s procedures must take into account the views of appropriate local services and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing person‟s incidents in the area where the home is located („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.29). This is with particular reference to the completion of the children and young people‟s missing-from-home profiles.  Both the arrangements for contact and any contact details (telephone numbers etc.) must be included in the placement plan agreed between the registered person and the child‟s placing authority and updated regularly. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 58, paragraph 11.15)  Any use of restraint carries risks. These include causing physical injury, psychological trauma or emotional disturbance. When considering whether

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Recommendations

restraint is warranted, staff in children‟s homes need to take into account: - the relevance of any disability, health problem or medication to the behaviour in question and the action that might be taken as a result. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 49, paragraph 9.55)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are making progress. They have learned to complete elements of their personal care independently. The staff have created a toileting plan for one young person, which provides him with dignity. The children and young people are completing daily tasks around the home, and this is developing their life skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people attend full-time education. Their educational programmes are created in response to their individual needs. To improve one child‟s engagement, the school has purchased a motorbike to support his interest in mechanics. The dynamic responses of the headteacher and the manager have maintained a child‟s place at school. Previously, this child was close to permanent exclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people enjoy a variety of activities that provides them with new experiences and opportunities to make friends. Good staffing levels ensure that specific activities can take place, such as swimming. One child displayed sheer delight as they went swimming for the first time. The home‟s garden provides the children and young people with sensory stimulation and a safe space to explore and play in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff communicate well with the children and young people, and this is enabling their wishes and feelings to be heard. The children and young people are positive about their home, and any worries that they have are identified and responded to by the staff. One young person has moved on from the home. This was planned well and in Inspection report children‟s home: SC477428 5 consultation with the young person.

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

The knowledgeable staff understand the children and young people‟s complexities and vulnerabilities. The staff provide the children and young people with guidance in areas that have an impact on their safety. Examples include discussions about stranger danger and about appropriate personal space. However, although the staff implement measures to maintain the children and young people‟s protection, it is evident that one potential risk was not thoroughly assessed or consistently responded to by the staff.

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

The children and young people receive high levels of staff supervision, and this reduces their opportunity to run away or go missing. Although there have been no missing episodes, the children and young people‟s missing-from-home profiles are not completed.

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

Administration of medication follows safe practice, and policies are in place to maintain accountability. The manager is proactive in sourcing medication training to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to keep the children and young people safe. However, when a child has needed significant medical attention, the severity of the medical procedure was not shared with the regulator and therefore a formal notification was not submitted.

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

The staff help the children and young people to understand their health and diagnosed conditions and the impact of these on their behaviours. The manager seeks guidance from specialist agencies to affect positive outcomes for the children and young people. The manager is open and confident to challenge others where appropriate and advocates strongly for the children and young people. The staff have completed research-led behaviour modification training. This assists them in de-escalating the children and young people‟s challenging behaviours. Although restraint is infrequent, one child‟s plan does not identify the risk of injury should they be restrained. Additionally, the timeliness of restraint records being completed, including the debriefs with the children, young people and staff, is not clear.

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

The manager reviews the group dynamic when children and young people move into the home. The staff supervise the children and young people when they are together. This prevents unintentional peer-on-peer harm. In addition, the dynamics of the staff team has been reviewed. Male team members and professionals are now available to provide care and guidance to the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is insightful to the strengths and weaknesses of the staff practice. Issues that have arisen within the team have been addressed and plans put in place to support a resolution moving forwards. This ensures that staff work together to support the children and young people and the running of the home . Inspection report children‟s home: SC477428 6 Recruitment of new staff follows a robust interview and reference process. New staff receive a thorough induction to the home. The manager invests in the development of her staff. Practice workshops and team discussions enhance the staff‟s knowledge and skills. This enables them to support the home and the children and young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with professionals and families. She provides guidance and support to children and young people‟s parents. As a result of the manager‟s good engagement with family members, contact arrangements for children and young people have developed, and one child has returned to the care of his family. However, changes in the children and young people‟s contact arrangements are not updated or clearly recorded in their records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses internal monitoring procedures to highlight children and young people‟s progress and the strengths of the home. The manager is visible in the home and, from her observations and monitoring, she ensures that any identified developments are acted on. As a result, the home is achieving its aims and objectives as identified in the statement of purpose. However, the statement of purpose does not address all points in schedule 2, specifically the admissions process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions and appraisals occur in line with timescales. These include reflective discussions and enable staff to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This ensures that staff develop and progress while utilising their current skills to benefit the children and young people.

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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: SC477428 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Child Care Management Team, Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire DN35 8LN

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Inspector(s)

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Debra Boldy, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC477428 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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