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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 1 SC481305

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Pebbles Care

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager has been registered since January 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit is in response to concerns raised about safeguarding practice in the home. The regulatory inspector visited the home on 4 February 2020 and identified ongoing shortfalls in the care delivered to children. This included significant gaps in the management of behaviour and safeguarding practice. Children have not been kept safe. Not all staff have received up-to-date training in relation to sexual exploitation which means that they are not equipped to recognise or manage the associated risks. There are gaps in the risk assessments and, therefore, opportunities to take effective action to safeguard children and young people have been missed. As a result, children and young people have been subject to significant harm by sexual exploitation, substance and alcohol misuse. Children and young people often go missing or leave the home without staff support and supervision. These children have been exposed to serious risk and harm while

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This monitoring visit

missing from home. Electronic monitoring systems on some doors alert staff when two external doors are opened. However, two additional doors are not alarmed. In the context of the children and young people who go missing from the home, coupled with inconsistent waking night staffing, this leaves children and young people with opportunities to leave the home without staff being aware. The managers, at times, have undermined the decisions made by staff to implement consequences for the children and young people in response to their risky behaviours. This demonstrates poor communication within the home and the lack of consistency in the boundaries for children. Managers have not supported or Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 2 equipped the staff adequately to respond to the escalating behaviours of children. Staff have not always been successful at de-escalating incidents to keep everyone

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This monitoring visit

safe. This has led to several serious incidents which have left the children and staff at risk of harm both in the home and on the streets nearby. Not all actions taken by the staff in response to children’s behaviours have been in accordance with their behaviour and risk management plans. This has not been addressed by the manager and, therefore, children have pushed boundaries, which have neither been firm nor consistent and risk has been left unmanaged or poorly managed. Staff have not always protected children from bullying behaviours perpetrated by their peers. As a result, staff interventions have not been consistent or effective at preventing serious bullying from occurring. Children have been subject to verbal abuse, aggression and physical assaults in the home. This has affected their emotional and physical well-being. The manager has not followed the correct procedures when a child made an

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This monitoring visit

allegation against a member of staff. There was delay in consulting with the placing local authority social worker and the designated officer. An account from the child about their allegation was not taken by the provider and no investigation concluded prior to the staff member, subject to the allegation, returning to work. The staff member was left on a waking night shift, breaching the condition of their return. This did not safeguard the children or the staff member, leaving them exposed to further allegations and risk of harm. Leaders and managers have not made well-informed judgements about children who come to live at the home. Poor care planning and matching processes have placed children who have not previously been deemed at risk of harm through exploitation, at serious risk and subject to harm. The manager has failed to demonstrate that lessons have been learned following some very serious incidents that have exposed children to harm. The regulator is not

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This monitoring visit

assured that there are adequate safeguards in place to keep children safe and prevent risk of significant harm in the future. The manager has not been effective at reviewing and evaluating the progress of children and the home’s ability to keep them and others safe. Children have experienced negative endings, some have been arrested and, consequently, some placements have ended abruptly on the back of these serious incidents. This is a repeat of the issues seen at this home at the last full inspection. Following the visit, and as a result of the serious failings identified, the operation of this home has been suspended for an initial period of six weeks with immediate effect. Two compliance notices have been issued in response to the failing noted. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/07/2019 Full Good 14/05/2019 Full Inadequate 24/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 4

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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 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 staff— 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; are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 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)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)) 17/03/2020

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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 17/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 5 of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(c)(e)(f)) The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that arrangements are in place to— manage and review the placement of each child in the home; plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)(iii)) 17/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 6

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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

Deb Duffy: social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC481305 7 to 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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