Children's Home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Assurance visit report: SC033723 1 SC033723

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children and young people aged 11 to 17 years. It supports children and young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties on a short- or medium-term basis. The aim is for the children and young people to return to a family environment or transition to semi-independence.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 17 September 2019

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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:  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 identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: SC033723 2  Safeguarding arrangements are ineffective and do not protect children from harm.  Children’s risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed and are not reviewed effectively to address and highlight how a child’s changing needs and vulnerabilities will be met.  Compatibility assessments lack detail and clarity. As a result, staff and managers do not make informed judgements about children who come to live at the home.  Staff do not receive effective training that reflects children’s individual needs.  Leadership and management of the service is poor. Monitoring of the service is insufficient, resulting in poor-quality care for the children.

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The care of children

There are serious and widespread concerns in several areas of practice relating to the care that children receive. This places them at serious risk of harm.

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The care of children

Managers do not make well-considered decisions when children move to the home. Compatibility risk assessments lack detail and evaluation. As a result, the manager offered a placement to a child without identifying and assessing their full range of needs.

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The care of children

Children do not always interact well with each other. This has resulted in an increase in challenging behaviour. Staff have undertaken direct work with children to help them understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. However, this has not been successful, and some disruption has continued.

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The care of children

Children receive support to maintain family relationships. As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions relaxed, the children were quick to re-establish face-to-face contact, subject to close monitoring and supervision.

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The care of children

Risk assessments in relation to COVID-19 are in place, and work is carried out with the children on how to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. This helps children to understand the impact of the pandemic and how to look after their own health and the health of others.

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The care of children

Children’s educational progress varies. Some children engage with their learning and make progress. However, other children do not. This compromises children’s learning and may affect their life chances in the future.

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The safety of children

Safeguarding practice in this home is not sufficiently robust and does not promote the safety and welfare of children. Managers and staff do not fully consider risks or learn from events that happen. Assurance visit report: SC033723 3 Bullying between children is not managed effectively. The manager does not investigate incidents thoroughly or develop clear strategies for preventing any reoccurrence. This does not help to keep children safe.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments do not accurately reflect or address the needs of children. This means that some staff do not understand children’s risks or to how to respond to these effectively. This does not adequately protect children.

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The safety of children

The manager has an impact risk assessment for matching new admissions. However, this was not used effectively on two occasions. Ineffective matching has had a significant impact on the group dynamics and led to an increase in disruption in the home.

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The safety of children

Significant areas of concerns are not identified by the manager in a timely manner and action is delayed. For example, on two occasions, a child was restrained in a non-approved hold. The manager was unable to provide records during the assurance visit to show that one of these incidents had been recorded or discussed. This is not effective safeguarding practice.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has failed to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Due to the shortfall in monitoring, the manager has been unable to identify and address gaps in staff practice and records such as room searches and incident records.

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Leaders and managers

The manager does not take effective action when staff fail to follow internal policies and procedures. For example, on one occasion, a child was able to gain access to a set of house keys. This resulted in a serious incident and staff being locked out of the home. The manager failed to undertake a thorough debrief of the incident. This does not help to change or develop staff practice.

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Leaders and managers

The manager’s debriefs following incidents or physical interventions do not focus on the effectiveness of the actions taken or how to respond if the situation occurs again. This means that staff do not know how to improve their practice to support children effectively.

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Leaders and managers

A serious incident relating to the protection of a child was not reported to Ofsted. This hinders the regulator from effectively carrying out their safeguarding responsibilities to ensure that children are protected from harm.

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Leaders and managers

The most recent regulation 45 report on the quality of care provided for children has not been shared with Ofsted as required. In addition, the manager does not respond to shortfalls raised by the independent visitor in a timely manner. This means that the quality of care does not improve. Assurance visit report: SC033723 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)) 01/11/2020*

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 01/11/2020* Assurance visit report: SC033723 5 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; and

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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)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c))

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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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a description of the measure and its duration;

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

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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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Requirement Due date

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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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)) 01/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC033723 6 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

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. 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC033723 7 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

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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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. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b) and (5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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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Inspectors

Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Clare Saxby, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC033723 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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