Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 1 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 children’s home is owned and operated by a private provider. The home 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.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager, who was registered with Ofsted on 9 July 2018, also manages another solo children’s home close by. The manager holds the required level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has benefited from a period of stability in this solo home. They have made ongoing progress in all areas of their life due to the close, individualised care and support they receive from the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Personalised care and support provided by the staff team help foster close and positive relationships between them and the child. This helps the child to feel safe and secure in their home, and helps the staff to understand and know the child exceptionally well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective working relationships with professionals, such as teachers and health professionals, ensure that all the child’s presenting and emerging needs are met quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good health is promoted by the staff team. The manager ensures that all routine health appointments are maintained. She and the staff team quickly follow up any additional health appointments that are required with relevant professionals. This, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating and regular activities and exercise, ensures that the child benefits from improved health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have been proactive in supporting the child with their transition into high school. This carefully thought-out, planned transition has enabled the child to experience a positive move between schools. This successful start to their secondary education has enabled the child to feel safe and supported in school. This in turn means that the child is happy to attend and is ready for learning. As such, the child maintains 100% attendance, and continues to make good educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s voice is central to their care planning. The staff listen to the child’s requests and are proactive in supporting the child with developing their interests and hobbies. The child benefits from a vast amount of planned activities such as attending Scouts, gym, karate, activity clubs and swimming. Furthermore, planned trips to London and Paris at the child’s request have broadened the child’s experiences. These activities and trips support the child to learn important life skills, explore new experiences, meet different people and develop new skills, while building positive childhood memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the child to maintain their identity and links with their family members in a safe and planned way. Family time is planned and promoted in line with the child’s plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have worked hard to provide the child with a warm, homely environment, which the child views as their home. The home and the child’s bedroom have benefited from redecoration, as requested by the child. Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 4

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

Staff are up to date with mandatory safeguarding training. This ensures that staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

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

Staff know the child very well. They understand the potential risks and level of vulnerabilities that the child may be exposed to. The manager and staff are extremely cautious and take proactive action to keep the child safe.

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

Close support and supervision provided by the staff ensure that the child does not go missing from home.

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

The child receives one-to-one support alongside constant supervision. This limits the child’s access to the outside world, as they have limited supervised internet access, and no access to a mobile phone. This approach has reduced the number of potential risks that the child could be exposed to.

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

A small core staff team has developed positive relationships with the child. These positive and nurturing relationships are used effectively to influence the child’s behaviour and actions.

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

Safer recruitment is carried out to ensure that the child is cared for by staff who are safe and suitable to do so.

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

A range of health and safety checks ensures that the home provides a safe environment for the child and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified, and has the required skills to carry out the functions of her role very well. She is child-focused and committed to improving the life chances for the child in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s high aspirations and strong child-centred approach are shared by her deputy manager. They, and the small core staff team, consistently deliver the commitments identified in the home’s statement of purpose to a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning is strong and incorporates any actions that are identified in the child’s local authority plans. These records are reviewed regularly and are kept up to date, and provide a good insight into the life, progress and experiences of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are committed to their learning and have all completed or are undertaking the required childcare qualification for their role. The manager provides good support to those staff who are reluctant to learn, enabling them to successfully complete training. However, the manager has missed an opportunity to ensure that all staff have additional training to meet the individual, recognised needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses her extensive internal monitoring systems well. This helps her to identify what is working well for the child, and what needs to improve in the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 5 The manager uses this alongside the external monitoring of the home to aid with her ongoing developments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor provides an overview of how well the child is safeguarded in the home and confirms that the child continues to make good progress. However, the independent visitor makes their evaluation without evidencing how they have consulted with and sourced feedback from the child, their parents or any other professionals. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to obtain independent external feedback to support her with further developments for the staff and the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff who have been recruited by the manager using safe recruitment practice are not systematically supervised in line with the commitments outlined in the provider’s workforce development plan. Therefore, the manager has missed an opportunity to assure herself that new staff are providing consistent care. This also prevents new and inexperienced staff receiving an enhanced level of support and guidance during their early careers in this field. Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 6

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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

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) In particular, ensure that all new staff receive supervision in line with the commitments identified in the workforce development plan. 29/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 29/05/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that all staff receive training which helps to support them in their work with children who have learning disabilities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 1275188 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas: Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1275188 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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