Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 1 SC481631 Registered provider: Pebbles Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by an independent provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The new manager has been in post since August 2019 and is applying for registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/01/2019 Full Good 24/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/07/2017 Full Good 19/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 3

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improvement to be good

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people are variable. Not all children and young people have a sense of permanence even having lived at the home for several months. One child’s permanence plan is not finalised and consequently they have been reluctant to invest in the home. This has left them isolated, refusing to take part in activities and spending much of their free time in their room.

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improvement to be good

Not all children and young people are receiving acceptable levels of educational input. This involves eight hours of education per week for one child. There is delay in children’s personal education plans and education, health and care plans being completed. Staff have not always escalated their concerns about this with the placing authority and they have not consulted with the virtual head to ensure that suitable school provision is identified to address the educational needs of children. This is not only restricting children’s and young people’s academic progress but is also limiting their social opportunities and is impacting on their emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people enjoy good relationships with the staff, with one child saying, ‘I love the staff here.’ This helps them to feel safe and to develop trust in the adults caring for them. Children and young people can rely on the staff to help them attend health appointments and the files contain up-to-date assessments of their health needs.

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improvement to be good

One young person has successfully moved on to semi-independent living, gaining employment and settling into their new home. Another is currently planning for independence and staff are supporting her to develop skills like shopping, cooking and budgeting. Staff remain in touch with the young people when they move on and continue to offer emotional and practical support where appropriate.

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improvement to be good

Some children and young people misuse cannabis and alcohol. The risk assessments do not reflect all of the instances where children and young people may have been under the influence of substances. This can hinder staff’s understanding of how often and how significant the concerns are, meaning that children are not supported in a timely way to address these problems. Where staff have identified necessary actions, these are not always followed. For example, room searches for one young person are not completed in line with their plan, leaving them potentially at risk.

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improvement to be good

Daily recording logs are inconsistent, and they often lack the detail that is necessary to inform other staff members of any specific issues. There are gaps in some of the daily handover records, with some missing and others having omitted important detail. The recording and control of medication has not been thorough, and one child was able to store a quantity of medication which they later took to self-harm. The new manager has Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 4 implemented systems to avoid a repeat of this issue.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people are able to identify trusted adults and can speak to them when they need help. Children know how to complain and have used the procedures effectively to raise their concerns. Sanctions are not used in the home and there have been no restraints since the last inspection. Children’s and young people’s behaviour is generally managed well because of the positive relationships that exist between the staff and the children and young people.

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

The home has been without a registered manager for the last six months. The deputy manager has been acting up to manage the home. The new manager has been in post for six weeks and has yet to fully embed the systems to ensure that standards are raised.

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

Managers and staff do not always have a good understanding of the children’s and young people’s cognitive ability and functioning. When assessments are required to evaluate the needs of children and young people, staff are not proactive in pursuing these and, for one child, this is leading to delay in understanding their needs and ensuring that they receive the correct support.

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

The manager has stated that there are gaps in the internal auditing systems to monitor the home and the staff’s performance. She is committed to making the necessary improvements to the quality of care and performance of the home. The Regulation 45 report, while available at the time of the inspection, has not been sent to Ofsted within the required timescales.

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

Some staff members have not had regular supervision. This does not support staff and managers to ensure that any practice issues are addressed, and it does not ensure that staff have consistent opportunities to reflect on their care of the children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 5

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that concerns and challenges in relation to a child’s care and plan are escalated appropriately without delay. 08/11/2019

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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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority; and 08/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 6 help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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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— 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that risk assessments are detailed and accurate and take into consideration all relevant information about any child or young person. 08/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) 08/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 7

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Recommendations

 Staff supervision must enable staff to reflect and act upon how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15). In particular, for the manager to ensure that staff are provided with regular and good-quality reflective supervision sessions.

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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: SC481631 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pebbles Care, 2 Wyther Lane, Leeds, Yorkshire LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Deborah Duffy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481631 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 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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