Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Assurance visit report: SC033389 1 SC033389

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 5 children and young people aged 11 to 18 years old. They support children and young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties for up to eight months or longer if in line with their care plan. The aim is for the children and young people to return to family or foster carers.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is fully qualified and registered with Ofsted in September 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 18 February 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC033389 2

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The care of children

Children receive high-quality care from a dedicated staff team. This has been difficult at times, especially, when children have refused to engage. However, due to the commitment and dedication of the staff team, children have developed a sense of security and are now accepting support.

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The care of children

Children have a sense of ownership and belonging in the home. Children have been involved in decorating the home. This creates a homely environment which they take pride in.

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The care of children

Education is encouraged and promoted in an individualised way. The staff have recognised barriers to learning and respond to these effectively. For example, one child struggles to engage in a formal setting, and staff, who have a teaching background, are delivering work to him.

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The care of children

Staff demonstrate a detailed understanding of each child and their family relationships. They have helped children to strengthen relationships and improve the quality of contact they have with important people in their lives. As a result, children have continued to enjoy positive relationships with family members throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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The care of children

Children are listened to and their wishes are advocated for by staff where appropriate. This has led to child-centred decisions.

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The care of children

Staff practice is guided by the therapeutic input provided from the in-house clinical team. Therapists work closely with staff to develop individually tailored support strategies. These have proved effective in helping children to explore their feelings and behaviours.

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The safety of children

The manager has implemented an impact risk assessment for new admissions. Despite this, the process of making suitable placements is not robust. For example, there is no evidence in the impact risk assessment to show how the children are matched to the home. Ineffective matching has had a significant impact on the group dynamics within the home.

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The safety of children

The restrictions in place due to COVID-19 has resulted in an increase in some children’s challenging behaviour in the home and the community. Initially, risk management measures were ineffective. However, the manager has since developed appropriate risk-management strategies and responses. This is leading to children being better protected and having a better understanding of the impact of COVID- 19.

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The safety of children

The recording and evaluation of sanctions are poor. Where sanctions have been issued, the rationale is poorly recorded and has been challenged and, in some cases, overturned by the manager, without reflection and consultation with the staff and Assurance visit report: SC033389 3 children concerned. This leads to children not knowing what behaviour is expected of them.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has been in post since September 2019. He is steadily making improvements to the children’s home. He has recognised most of the shortfalls found during this assurance visit and put actions in place to address them.

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Leaders and managers

Supervisions are not carried out with all staff in line with policies and procedures. They do not focus on the children or offer an opportunity for staff to discuss incidents. These mean that areas for further staff development have not been identified or addressed.

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Leaders and managers

Staff have access to a range of training opportunities. However, not all training records are kept up to date. These make it difficult to track and monitor what each member of staff has attended.

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Leaders and managers

The manager’s review of the quality of care does not meet regulation. It does not include consultation with children or professionals and does not identify areas of weakness and plans to improve. This has the potential to impact the manager’s ability to make continuous improvements in the home. Assurance visit report: SC033389 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, assess the needs and risk for the children and young people and put proactive plans in place to support them in line with the ethos of the home and provide staff with clarity of expectations to enable them to make dynamic risk assessments in new situations. In addition, ensure that clear records of training are in place and any gaps are identified and addressed. 01/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have regular supervisions in line with the home’s policies and procedures. 01/12/2020

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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. 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC033389 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, improve the quality of information in impact risk assessments. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, sanctions in place need to be related to the behaviour, evaluation of sanctions is completed and that decisions to overturn sanctions is clearly recorded and discussed with the children. 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC033389 6 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(5)) 01/12/2020

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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

Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC033389 7 Assurance visit report: 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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