Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Assurance visit report: SC039414 1 SC039414

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate up to four children and young people with social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a local authority.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 15 January 2020

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

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).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

p.1

Information about this visit

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

p.1

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.

p.1

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: SC039414 2

p.1

The care of children

Children are cared for by a consistent staff team that understand their complex needs and shows genuine care for them. Staff remain persistent in their responses to the children, some of whom have shown signs of disengagement. The diverse staff represent positive role models, and some significant relationships have grown between the children and staff. This has led to a shift in some negative attitudes held by the children about different groups of people in society.

p.2

The care of children

Children’s views are actively sought by the staff. This encourages regular communication with the children about their thoughts and feelings. Some children develop a sense of belonging, which enables staff to offer guidance and act on any concerns.

p.2

The care of children

The staff understand and promote the children’s health needs. The strong relationships between staff and health professionals enable the children to access the health services that they need. Indirect support provided by a mental health professional to the staff team provides helpful suggestions about how to care for individual children. Direct work and useful child-friendly information about COVID-19 educates the children about keeping safe in the home and in the community.

p.2

The care of children

Children’s education is promoted, but their current level of engagement is mixed. Staff work effectively with the virtual school and other professionals, advocating on the children’s behalf and securing formal education placements. Informal learning opportunities, such as cooking, gardening, trips out to museums and learning independence skills, provide enrichment for children. Wi-Fi has now been installed in the home, which is helping the children with their school work.

p.2

The care of children

Children have remained connected with their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are encouraged to invite family and friends to the home while promoting social distancing. This is intended to prevent children from going missing, but it is not yet having the desired effect.

p.2

The safety of children

Missing-from-care incidents have increased significantly for some children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about children’s welfare and emerging criminal activities are linked to the potential for them to be sexually and/or criminally exploited. The staff follow the agreed children’s missing-from-care protocols. They work with the police and other professionals to secure the children’s safe return.

p.2

The safety of children

The multi-agency risk management approach ensures that all professionals understand the children’s presenting risks. It is too early to confirm whether the current plans to engage the children in education programmes and fun activities will lead to a reduction of missing incidents.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff discourage children from engaging in risky behaviours that may pose a threat to their well-being. Children at risk of sexual exploitation engage in work with a Assurance visit report: SC039414 3 dedicated professional from the specialist team, who provides a listening ear and supports children to make good choices and reflect on the impact of their risky behaviours. Children’s individual risk assessments do not always provide an accurate reflection of the actual risks and are not always signed off by the manager. This does not give assurances that the staff and manager have a good understanding of the strategies identified to reduce and manage risk.

p.2

The safety of children

Positive changes to the group dynamic have reduced tensions between the children in the home, resulting in fewer incidents of aggressive behaviour. The effective use of de-escalation techniques by the staff means that there have been no physical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Consistent and stable leadership has not been a regular feature at this home since the registered manager left in October 2019. A new manager has been in post since July 2020. The manager already knows some of the children, and this is helping him to form relationships with the children. The staff feel supported by the manager, who is starting to develop some stability at the home. Professionals reported good working relationships with the staff team and spoke positively about the manager’s interventions.

p.3

Leaders and managers

A small core group of committed and dedicated staff has cared for children consistently during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the significant challenges and pressures during the lockdown and restrictions, the staff have come together to ensure minimal disruption to the children’s lives.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff supervisions, team meetings and daily handovers keep everyone appraised about the children. The home’s training plan ensures that all staff are up to date with their mandatory training, which supports the staff team in their role.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The independent visitor has resumed face-to-face visits. Consultation with children, staff, professionals and parents offers them opportunities to comment about the quality of care provided to the children. The reports are thorough and comprehensive, and the author provides their opinion, stating that the safety and welfare of children are met. However, the reports have not been sent to Ofsted in a timely manner, which prevents the regulator from monitoring how the children’s care is progressing.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Gaps in notifying Ofsted about significant incidents have limited the regulator’s ability to monitor how children are safeguarded. Shortfalls regarding the content and quality of some records, such as the written risk assessments and missing from care data, have the potential to undermine service developments. In addition, there have been some inconsistencies, and the manager has sought clarity with the children’s social workers. This includes a lack of clarity about the appropriateness of a child spending time with their family when concerns have been raised. It is also of concern that the staff are unclear about a child’s ethnic origin, despite the child having lived at the home for a significant period. Assurance visit report: SC039414 4 The revised statement of purpose has not been sent to the regulator. The reason for having locks on the doors to communal areas of the home is not made explicit in the

p.3

Leaders and managers

statement of purpose. This does not clarify the rationale for why the provider would lock the doors to restrict children’s access.

p.4

Leaders and managers

Previous requirements relating to regulations 12 and 16 have not been met and are repeated with additional requirements. The recommendation has been met.

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular:  challenge the placing authority about the rationale for family time to continue where investigations into allegations have been instigated  proactively seek confirmation about children’s ethnicity from the placing social worker and accurately record the information in the child’s care plans. 9/10/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular: 9/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC039414 5  ensure that risk assessments are up to date, accurate and effective and have management oversight  ensure that the risk management strategies relating to missing from home incidents are regularly reviewed to ensure that they reduce the missing incidents effectively. The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular:  review the specific missing from care data to ensure that the actual times that children are reported missing accurately fit the heading  ensure that all children’s records are maintained to a good standard. 9/10/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 9/10/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.5

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(iii)) 9/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC039414 6 Specifically, clarify/record in the statement of purpose the rationale for having the locks on doors and identify whether/when they are used to manage children’s behaviour. The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 9/10/2020

p.6

Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the independent visitor reports are sent to Ofsted promptly. 9/10/2020

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC039414 7 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.6

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 .

p.7

Inspector

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7