Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 1 SC036023 Registered provider: Sheffield 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

A local authority operates and runs this home. The home provides short breaks for up to eight children or young people who may have learning and/or physical disabilities. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2018. He has the relevant experience and qualifications relating to caring for children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2019 Full Good 30/01/2018 Full Good 13/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 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, 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

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 which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation 28/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 4 that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the information about staff, including the executive director, is accurate. The statement of purpose must show that the service also provides short breaks to some children looked after. In addition, ensure that the use of the flat by young people is stipulated in the statement of purpose. 28/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive practice-related supervision at regular intervals in line with the home’s policies and procedures. 28/03/2020

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Recommendations

 Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, ensure that debriefs take place after all serious incidents, including physical interventions, and that debriefs are recorded.  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 5 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, ensure that monitoring systems include scrutiny of the restraint log, that debriefs take place, and that staff read and sign staff meeting minutes and

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Recommendations

other records as required.  Any external agency staff should meet the requirements in regulation 32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications and the registered person should consider their skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16) Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 6

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

On entering this home, it immediately becomes evident from speaking to the staff that they hold the children and young people at the centre of all that they do.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff’s ethos is to champion the children and young people in their care. The care provided is delivered in a way that brings success and achievement for the children and young people. The children and young people accomplish the individualised goals set for them. They make sustained progress, become more confident in social settings, manage their emotions and anxieties, are able to attend to aspects of their own personal care needs and make friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care plans, routines and goals set out the exceedingly individualised and personalised care to support each child and young person’s progress. The goals and targets set to enable the children and young people to grow and develop are achieved and sustained. This is because the staff consistently implement the identified care steps, and frequently monitor and review the children and young people’s progress. Parents and carers are kept well informed and note the progress their child is making. A parent said: ‘The difference the staff have made is immeasurable for my son and our family. My son has gained life skills that he did not have. He loves to visit and meets up with friends.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people thrive from having consistent care, routines and boundaries. They benefit immensely from the particularly strong and enduring relationships that they have built with the staff. The children and young people respond positively to this familiarity, which helps them to feel safe and secure. The development of trust in those who care for them enables the children and young people to respond to the care, support and prompts given. They embrace the support provided by the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Close partnership working exists between staff and parents to ensure the children and young people’s continued good health. There is robust oversight and safe administration of medicines. Health advice is speedily sought, and action taken to make sure that the children and young people receive the right interventions when required. The staff work with the children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) when required. This ensures that all planned approaches to support each child and young person’s emotional health are implemented. This significantly promotes their well-being. Over time, the children and young people’s anxiety reduces, improving their health and general well- being and enabling them to engage in and enjoy daily activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the children and young people are supported to attend school. The staff liaise closely with parents, carers and school to ensure that transport arrangements best meet the children and young people’s needs. Parents and school confirm that each child and young person’s daily experience in school is enhanced by the excellent communication of essential information from the home. An education link person said: ‘Communication is excellent. Staff pass on all relevant information about the children. This helps us to support them in school.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 7 The children and young people benefit immensely from a staff team that is persistent and devoted to ensuring that the children and young people have pleasurable experiences in a nurturing environment. There is great importance given to ensuring that the children and young people broaden their life experiences. The staff make sure that

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

they support children and young people to undertake leisure activities and interests that promote positive engagement. This increases their confidence, social skills and awareness of the community in which they live. The children and young people engage in a number of activities, including snooker, arts and crafts, playing on the Xbox, going for walks, visiting the cinema, cycling, going shopping and trips to the park and seaside.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children increase their various independence skills appropriate for their age and understanding. They develop self-help skills such as cleaning their teeth, using the toilet, washing and dressing themselves and spending time in the community. A parent said: ‘The staff have worked with our son on his night-time settling routine. Previously, this was taking us between two and three hours. He now settles in 45 minutes. This has made such a difference to us.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is decorated and furnished to a very high standard. The children and young people benefit greatly from the comfortable and homely environment. Communal rooms and bedrooms are very personalised, with coordinated soft furnishings, curtains and artwork. Children and young people love the variety of rooms for different activities, such as the sensory room, the ball pool area and a room for playing pool. The focus of the home is child-friendly and welcoming. This is enhanced with an array of photographs of children and young people enjoying activities that they have participated in during their stay. The garden play area has been recently enriched with the addition of outdoor musical instruments. This provides the children and young people with a fabulous home- from-home, with additional facilities that positively enhance their life experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people’s consultation and engagement are given importance by the staff. There has been an increase in the recording of direct communication with children and young people. The staff make use of their very strong and trusting relationships with the children and young people to promote meaningful conversations. This includes the use of symbols, signs and picture exchange communication system resources to gather the views of children and young people who have no verbal communication. This area is closely monitored and reviewed to ensure that the views and opinions of children and young people are obtained. In addition, the children and young people have access to an independent advocate who visits routinely.

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

Each admission to the home is very well planned. There is an immediate emphasis on getting to know each child and young person, and staff visit the children and young people in their own home and at school before they start their short-break stays. Children and young people are well matched with others during their stay. Children and young people have high levels of support throughout their stays. Staff provide a calm, friendly and supportive environment. Day-to-day care planning is responsive to the needs of the children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 8 Robust risk assessments detail individual triggers and behaviours. These are discussed and reviewed regularly. The staff demonstrate strongly that they know the children and young people’s needs very well.

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

Staff have very positive and caring relationships with children and young people. Irrespective of their communication barriers, this enables children and young people to learn from caring role models. Children and young people receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings with dignity.

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

The home has a new anti-bullying policy which uses a variety of communication aids. Children and young people learn about bullying, positive relationships and what is safe touch. Effective use of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (NSPCC) PANTS project has resulted in children learning in an open and fun way. Empowering children to communicate about any safeguarding concerns is at the forefront at the home’s ethos.

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

Children and young people do not go missing from care. High levels of supervision and effective daily planning encourage a safer environment and help to protect children and young people from harm.

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

Safeguarding is a priority. The management team and staff have managed a child protection allegation effectively. A risk management safety plan has been followed throughout the investigation period. All parents have been kept informed about the investigation.

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

Restraint in the home is rare. On the few occasions it has been used, its purpose has been to keep children and young people safe and to protect them. Staff use child- centred de-escalation techniques. This reduces the number of potential physical interventions. Staff consult with parents and schools and involve CAMHS effectively on matters of physical intervention. However, physical intervention records are not always reviewed within 48 hours. The home’s behaviour management policy is not up to date. Debriefs are not always recorded to demonstrate that staff use reflective learning from the physical restraint incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior team lead by example and communicate to the staff team their high aspirations for the children and young people. This sets the culture and expectations in the home, and the care to be provided to the children and young people. This supports the children and young people’s continuous progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff say that they feel well supported. A detailed daily shift handover includes good planning for the children and young people’s stays and activities. Weekly team meetings for all staff and managers provide an excellent communication forum for reviewing the care of the children and young people. This opportunity for reflective practice enables the staff to learn from experiences and equips them extremely well to meet the needs of Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 9 children and young people. These excellent support and communication systems ensure that the quality of care continues to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is first-rate collaborative partnership working with parents, professionals and the local community. A local supermarket has donated money to help purchase the new musical instruments and bandstand for the garden. Parents say that the staff call weekly to check how their child is before their stay, and update them on how their child’s stay has gone when leaving. A parent commented that she received invaluable support from the staff and this has helped her through a difficult time. A professional said: ‘There is excellent partnership working and staff give parents additional support when they need it. This proactive and collaborative working ensures that children and young people receive excellent care and support.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of the staff at the home are very experienced, and extremely child-centred. The team is established and stable. This provides long-standing, consistent care to the children and young people. The staff access a comprehensive range of training. The majority hold the level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people, with all mandatory training areas kept up to date. There are good opportunities to undertake more specialist training, such as around the management of seizures, using an EpiPen, tube-feeding and communication training. In the last year, the staff have completed Signs of Safety training to implement a new model of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is limited use of agency staff. Although agency staff working at the home have received essential mandatory training, they do not all hold a level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose has not been reviewed and submitted to Ofsted as required by regulation. In addition, the description of admissions to the home does not specifically detail caring for children who are looked after, staffing details are not up to date, and the use of the flat is not specifically described.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The management team has given priority to ensuring that the risk management safety plan has been fully implemented during an ongoing safeguarding investigation. Suitable internal and external monitoring systems are in place. Monthly independent visits identify the home’s deficiencies, which are promptly addressed. However, shortfalls have been identified during this inspection. Not all staff have received formal supervision in line with the home’s policy and procedures. Those staff not attending staff meetings do not always sign the staff meeting minutes to indicate that they are aware of the decisions made. Debriefs are not always recorded after serious incidents. This shows some flaws in the monitoring systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Action has been taken to address the one recommendation made at the last inspection. Appropriate action has been taken to ensure that planning has started to support a young person moving on to adult services when they turn 18 years old. The requirement made to record all the information for physical intervention records has not been fully met. Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 10

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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: SC036023 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspectors

Debbie Foster: social care inspector Aaron Mcloughlin: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036023 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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