Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 1 SC356868

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Sheffield City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2008.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to review the safeguarding practices and the children’s experiences at the home. The visit also explored the notification thresholds when serious incidents happen, cannabis use, independent visits, and the management oversight. The visit was conducted remotely during a period of national COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. The home was last inspected in May 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Five children aged between 15 and 17 years old live at the home. The children are cared for by managers and staff who understand their needs well. Most children are of an age where they are pushing the boundaries towards independence and not investing as much time in the home. While children are understandably influenced by their friends and family and this is often positive, this is not always the case. On some occasions this influence has been stronger than the positive guidance of the staff.

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This monitoring visit

Not all of the written risk assessments provide accurate and up-to-date information about the children’s risks, nor do they include consistently clear strategies to mitigate these risks. The inconsistent management oversight of the written risk assessments makes it unclear how the risks to children are being monitored and reduced effectively. While the manager, staff and social workers agree on the risks for individual children, one child’s safety plan has not been updated. This has not impacted on the child. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 2 When children have gone missing, staff have not always taken the actions necessary to help ensure that the children are found and kept safe as soon as possible. The staff are not provided with guidance on the proportionate steps that they can take to stop children from leaving the home in order to safeguard their welfare. Although

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This monitoring visit

the children have not been harmed, the gaps in practice increase the risks.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have taken action to address bullying behaviour. However, the manager has not explored the impact of any tensions between children on their safety and emotional well-being. Physical interventions are not often used. However, the last time there was a physical intervention, there was no independent management oversight of the incident. This incident was in April 2020 and involved the manager. Although the child was safe, the lack of independent scrutiny poses a potential risk to the safety of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff talk to the children about the harm that smoking and taking drugs or other substances can have on their health. These interventions have had little impact on some of the children, who continue to misuse substances on a regular basis, both in the home and in the community. This may have a detrimental effect on their physical and emotional well-being and could present a fire risk in the home. Although no children have come to any harm, there is no clear process for staff to follow when monitoring children during the night if they appear to be under the influence of substances.

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This monitoring visit

Not all of the children’s records are written in a way that shows the extent of the support and commitment that the staff offer them. Some children have refused to allow the independent visitor access to their information. The records of the discussions held between children and staff to help them to understand the reasons for the independent visitor’s request are not reflected in the children’s records. An inaccurate statement made in the recent independent visitor report has not been addressed by the provider to ensure that it is factually accurate.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not always informed Ofsted of serious incidents. This prevents the regulator from monitoring the home’s safeguarding practice. However, there is no direct impact on the children involved because the action taken in response to the incidents has been appropriate.

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This monitoring visit

Good partnerships between the home, professionals and parents help everyone to work together for the benefit of the children. Overall, professionals are satisfied with the level of communication from the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has returned to the home after a short period of sick leave. Interim management arrangements have provided continuity of care for the stable group of children and staff. The registered manager is responsive and motivated to meeting the shortfalls identified during the monitoring visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 3 The two previous recommendations relating to pathway planning and the accuracy of the staff training records were not checked at this monitoring visit. They will be looked at during the next visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/05/2019 Full Good 31/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/05/2017 Full Outstanding 08/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure  that children’s written risk assessments are accurate, up- to-date and effective  that the children’s written risk assessments are compatible with their safety plans  that the children’s written risk assessments have management oversight 05/03/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 5  that the children’s missing from care protocols are followed consistently  that action is taken to understand and address the impact of any tensions between peers. 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 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

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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that decisive and prompt action is taken to meet the above, and to:

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Requirement Due date

 quality assure all records to ensure that they are completed to a consistently good standard  scrutinise the independent visitor report to ensure it is consistently accurate  detail clearly how children are being helped to understand the importance of the Independent visitor having access to their information. 05/03/2021

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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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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered manager does not evaluate the physical interventions that they are involved in. 05/03/2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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; 05/03/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 6 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that as the home will have a day-to-day understanding of young people’s capabilities and needs, children’s homes staff will have a valuable contribution to make to the detailed pathway plan. They should actively seek to make the fullest contribution, working with other relevant persons. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.28) In particular, the pathway plan should include key areas that the young person needs to build to support and be able to live independently and detail the accommodation the young person is to move to. Carried over from the previous report.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that some records may be kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) In particular, staff’s electronic training records should be accurate. This is to ensure that mandatory refresher training takes place within the specified timescales for all staff. Carried over from the previous report.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 7 Registered provider address: Sheffield City Council, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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