Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

Inspection report children’s home: SC039025 1 SC039025 Registered provider: Leicester 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

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people who are unable to live with their families and need help to progress through behavioural and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 23 to 24 September 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 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: 27 November 2018

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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: SC039025 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2018 Full Good 13/09/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC039025 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person makes suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15) This is with specific reference to the recording of the administration of medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive highly personalised care and support. They form positive attachments with staff and managers. They make good progress in all areas of their lives and have positive experiences living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A key strength is in how well staff and managers work with involved agencies. Feedback from social workers, police, health colleagues and independent reviewing officers is consistently positive. They all follow a team-around-the-child approach. This ensures that young people receive the support and services they need. Parents and carers feel fully involved in their children’s lives. Staff actively support young people to keep in touch with those who matter to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have their routine and specialist health needs met well. They receive counselling and support in a timely manner. The link person from the child and adolescent mental health services stated: ‘Staff and managers work really well with me. I offer consultation to staff and direct work with young people. Their needs are always central and met very well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strong emphasis is placed on education and training. Young people feel well supported to meet their educational goals. Staff and managers act as strong and positive advocates. They challenge any delay in arranging education for young people moving into the home. They celebrate the successes and achievements of young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a positive voice in how this home is run. They feel empowered to share their wishes, views and feelings. They report confidence in how staff and managers respond to them. They know how to make a complaint, but seldom do. This reflects the meaningful relationships they have with staff and managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn to become more independent. They help to edit the home’s newsletter and can receive payment for doing this. They bake cakes for an annual charity event. Neighbours from the local community and involved agencies/professionals attend this event at the home. This increases young people’s confidence and engages Inspection report children’s home: SC039025 4 them with their community. They go on holidays and trips out with staff. Such experiences provide them with a positive sense of self and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are well prepared and supported for their eventual move to adulthood. They learn personal care skills, budgeting and to use public transport alone. They feel fully involved in decisions about where they might move to. Staff plan well in advance, to ensure that young people’s complex needs are assessed and planned for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported young people extremely well, especially in relation to those who live far from their home area. They have supported one young person to resume contact with a family member in another country. This included arranging flights and accompanying the young person to visit. Staff have also done some excellent work recently with an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person. This included translating information into their first language and supporting them with interpreters and advocates.

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

Staff understand the actual and potential risks for young people. They work closely and proactively with relevant agencies to ensure safety. Over time, concerning and risky behaviours for some young people have noticeably reduced.

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

Missing from care incidents remain high, but staff respond with competence and skill. Detailed risk assessments and protocols are in place. There is extremely close partnership working with the local police. The local beat officer reports excellent relationships with this home. He regularly visits and has meals or drinks with staff and young people. This enables positive relationships to develop with young people. Independent return home interviews by an independent person take place. This person also reports highly effective working relationships with staff.

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

A recommendation was set at the last inspection. Missing from care procedures are now clearer. This is in relation to what staff should do if a young person goes missing during the night. Staff are very clear as to what action and checks they need to make and visits they need to make to known potential contacts prior to reporting a young person as missing to the police.

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

Staff understand the complex behavioural needs of each young person. They put clear and consistent boundaries in place. They support young people to reflect on any risky or concerning behaviours. They assist them to develop more effective and safer coping strategies. This can take time, but young people gradually begin to reduce concerning or risky behaviours. Their ability to manage their own emotions improves due to staff support and guidance.

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

Extensive internal renovation and buildings works have been completed since the last inspection. The home presents as warm, welcoming and furnished to a very high standard throughout. Two requirements were set at the last inspection. These related to the home’s conditions and potential risks posed by the building works to young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC039025 5 Both requirements have been met. All actual or potential risks have been addressed and resolved.

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

The recruitment procedures for new staff are robust. They prevent unsuitable adults from being able to work with vulnerable children/young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers in this home are inspirational and set high expectations for young people. The registered manager and the assistant manager work extremely well together. Involved agencies and professionals consistently commend them for their dedication to young people. They act as strong advocates. They challenge agencies for any actual or perceived failure to provide services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers fully understand the needs and issues for young people. They articulate their strengths and areas of need. They have realistic expectations of what young people can achieve, but always strive to go above and beyond for them. They are outstanding corporate parents for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff love their jobs and working in this home. They feel inspired by the managers to do their very best for young people. They value the supervision, support and training they receive. They support each other and never give up on the young people. Feedback from involved agencies and professionals includes:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

 ‘Staff and managers go above and beyond their roles to support children.’  ‘The staff are brilliant in this home.’  ‘The staff are inspirational.’  ‘The home and staff are amazing.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Highly effective and efficient management monitoring systems are in place. Managers regularly review and update relevant plans for the home. They ensure that regular case file audits take place of young people’s files. They consider and respond promptly to the reports from the independent visitor to the home. They have a robust and clear development plan in place. This reflects their total commitment to ensuring that they know and address any areas of need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers recently approached a local school to improve working relationships between education and care providers. This initiative is inspirational and worthy of wider dissemination. Because of this, staff and young people can now access services at the school, even if no young person from the home is on roll at that school. The headteacher from the school stated: ‘I did not fully appreciate what a children’s home was about before I visited. The staff are inspirational, and I look forward to working more closely with them from now on.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC039025 6

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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: SC039025 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Leicester City Council

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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: SC039025 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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