Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 1 SC033389 Registered provider: Leeds 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 operated by a local authority and provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people aged between 11 and 18 years old. The home aims to provide a caring and safe environment in which all the children and young people can grow. The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2019.

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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: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: At the time of this inspection, a restriction of accommodation is in place and two compliance notices were issued following the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2020 Full Inadequate 17/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/09/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 3

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improvement to be good

It has been a short period of time since the last inspection. This is because the last judgement was inadequate, and a re-inspection was required within eight weeks.

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improvement to be good

The staff continue to build trust with the young person currently living at the home, and are working hard to strengthen their relationships with him. The young person’s social confidence is slowly improving. He is starting to engage with staff and is sometimes choosing to spend time with them.

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improvement to be good

There has been a reduction in the young person’s risk-taking behaviour. The staff continue to work with the young person to try to educate him about risks. However, the staff’s efforts to help the young person to engage with specialist substance misuse services are not proving successful. The staff carry out welfare checks on the young person, but it is not clear how often or how consistently the welfare checks happen because the recording is poor. The young person is not attending routine medical appointments. The staff are trying to help the young person to recognise the importance of staying healthy.

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improvement to be good

The staff make efforts to engage the young person in education, but his engagement remains very limited. The staff make attempts to help the young person to undertake meaningful activities during the day, sometimes with success and sometimes not. Recently, the young person has gone out with staff on a woodland walk, and he has been shopping and visited a sports complex. These are positive improvements.

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improvement to be good

There is a plan in place to try to manage the young person’s family contact positively. The staff’s efforts to engage the young person and his family in positive contact is not yet working well.

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improvement to be good

Recent updates to the young person’s risk assessment provide staff with updated strategies, creating a safer environment for the young person. The plans for staff to follow are new and are still embedding in practice. The staff have received training around managing risks and following risk-management plans. Staff said that the training has helped them to know what is expected of them and to feel more confident to manage challenging behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The staff are following new behaviour plans and implementing clear rules and boundaries. The young person is starting to engage more with the staff and to adhere to the new rules. One professional said: ‘The young person now has clear boundaries; this has reduced his anxieties.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 4 Risks to the young person are starting to reduce. He has not been missing from home since the last inspection, and is displaying less challenging behaviour. The young person is starting to work with staff to complete work around keeping safe.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment procedures to ensure that new staff are suitable to work with the young person are effective.

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good

The registered manager and the deputy manager are working to raise aspirations for the young person to achieve. The registered manager and the deputy manager have successfully made improvements in care practice. They have met two compliance notices and the requirements set at the last inspection. The changes they have made to the care that the young person receives are new and are still embedding in everyday practice.

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good

The registered manager and the deputy manager know the strengths of the service and can identify areas they wish to continue to develop. The implementation of new monitoring systems is helping the managers to track the young person’s progress. New monitoring systems are also improving the managers’ oversight of the staff’s work.

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good

The staff’s care skills are improving, and they are working together more consistently. Regular team meetings are helping to develop staff’s knowledge and improve the care for the young person. The staff receive ongoing support through supervision. There is a new supervision agenda in place that helps staff to reflect on the needs of the young person and on their care practice. As the agenda is new, the impact of its effectiveness cannot be assessed at this inspection.

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good

The staff are receiving a range of new training sessions to help them understand the young person’s needs. The sessions include training around behaviour management and substance misuse. As the training is very new, the impact cannot yet be assessed.

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good

The managers are committed to maintaining good relationships with other professionals, such as social workers, the virtual school and the youth offending service. The managers are recognising the need to challenge other professionals to make sure they are meeting the young person’s complex needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 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, the 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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff consistently monitor the young person’s welfare and record their welfare checks when he is under the influence of illegal substances. 21/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; 20/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 6 take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(2)(a)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)) 20/03/2020

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC033389 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Merion House, 7th Floor West, Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8TU

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033389 8 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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