Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 1 Registered provider: Pebbles Care

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for one child or young person, aged between eight and 17 years old. It provides care and support for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home offers a safe and nurturing environment. It demonstrates commitment to working positively and in partnership with children and young people, families, local authorities and other external agencies to ensure that there is continual development, with a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to providing care.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The service offers short-, medium- and long-term placements for children and young people who may have low self-esteem, who display challenging behaviours and who do not have a stable educational background or who have experienced repeated placement breakdowns.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered by Ofsted for this home in July 2019. The manager holds the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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. Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 2 Date of last inspection: 6 December 2018

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.2

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 4

p.3

Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.4

Recommendations

This is with particular reference to repairing the tiles in the shower and finding alternative means of securing the cupboard to the boiler in the bathroom.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive an exceptionally high standard of care. They benefit from routines and boundaries, which provides them with stability in a homely environment. Young people say that they feel safe and secure and have developed positive relationships with the dedicated staff team.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A key strength of the home is placement stability, where young people are encouraged and supported to make significant and sustained progress in all aspects of their lives.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have been supported in attending structured education and have achieved fantastic attendance and attainment. The staff have high aspirations for young people. As a result, young people are thriving.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are supported and encouraged to lead a healthy and active lifestyle and attend all their health appointments. The young people’s overall emotional health and well-being is promoted exceptionally well. The manager and the staff work with all health professionals. They also work closely with the home’s psychologist. This ensures that staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s past trauma. This helps young people to self-regulate and make positive life choices.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s family time is actively promoted and supported. The manager and staff team work proactively to build positive and effective relationships with family members. Joint celebrations have taken place. This includes going out for meals and attending events and pantomimes as a family. This enables young people to spend quality time with those who are important to them.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have daily chats and conversations with the manager and staff, they have input into the home’s environment and a real say in the colour schemes and furnishing of Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 5 the home. Young people’s creative art work is on display. This gives them a genuine feeling of being respected and listened to, with a true sense of belonging.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are encouraged to participate in their choice of activities. The staff also have been creative in expanding the young people’s interests into new opportunities and experiences, such as attending Comic Con events, monster hunting and solving mysteries in Edinburgh.

p.5

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

The home provides a warm, welcoming, safe and secure environment, one which is furnished and decorated to a high standard. However, there are some maintenance issues. For example, the broken tiles in the shower need replacing. Furthermore, the boiler is currently located in the bathroom. However, it is not secured appropriately. This is a potential hazard and requires attention.

p.5

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

Young people have behavioural management plans which clearly identify any associated risks. These plans are well documented and include strategies to support the young people and reduce risks. The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the identified risks and are effective in their responses to keeping young people safe.

p.5

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

There have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home. The manager and staff are proactive and have created individual protocols in the event of a young person going missing. Staff also speak openly with young people about their safety and the possible risks associated if they go missing.

p.5

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

The manager and staff work with a restorative approach with young people. Staff have open and honest conversations, which allows young people time to reflect. Young people respond well to positive incentives. As a result, the home does not use sanctions.

p.5

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

Physical intervention has reduced. When required, staff will use de-escalation skills and guide young people away from danger. When physical intervention has taken place, it has been managed appropriately. Discussions and debriefs with young people and staff have helped to inform practice. This means that young people are provided with the very best support.

p.5

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

There is an extremely robust safer recruitment protocol in place. This means that all staff are rigorously vetted prior to their employment. New starters receive a well-structured induction programme which clearly sets out staff roles and responsibilities. This ensures that all staff know what is expected of them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, the manager has improved the matching process for the admissions of young people to the home. The manager ensures that she has been provided with all the relevant information and consults with relevant professionals. This helps to inform her decision-making. The manager has also taken action to address the Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 6 identified shortfalls from the previous inspection. As a result, all requirements have been met.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is ambitious and leads by example. She has high expectations of the staff team. As a result, young people benefit from high-quality care.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and deputy manager provide regular supervision, training and support to the staff team. This allows the staff to reflect on their practice and ensures that they are providing high-quality care to young people. The manager also introduces monthly topics to further enhance the staff team’s knowledge and development. These are continually discussed in their supervisions and the house meetings.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has created an ethos and culture for continuous learning to enhance the staff team. Staff say that they are valued and fully supported by the manager and deputy manager. They provide a hands-on approach and are always available for support and guidance.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an effective advocate and appropriately challenges professionals, particularly with social care and education. This ensures that young people are being provided with the right educational placement to support and meet their individual needs.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a robust monthly monitoring and quality assurance system in place which gives her a comprehensive oversight of the home. She is fully aware of the strengths and is proactive in driving improvements in the home and the development of staff. As a result, young people are flourishing. Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 7

p.6

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: 1275189 8

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Sue Hatton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1275189 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9