Children's Home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034189 SC034189

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North Yorkshire County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children between the ages of 13 and 18 years who display emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

It is registered to provide care and accommodation for a further two children in off- site accommodation for up to 28 days.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority and is part of the No Wrong Door innovation programme to provide an integrated service for adolescents. Some children are only at the home for a short period of time, while others live here on a long-term basis.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place following an assurance visit on 14 December 2020. At the assurance visit, the inspectors found serious concerns regarding the safety and welfare of the children and raised four requirements. At this monitoring visit, leaders and managers have successfully addressed two requirements. The remaining two requirements are unmet and are repeated at this monitoring visit. The inspectors completed both on-site and off-site activities as part of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has introduced twice-daily environmental checks to ensure the children’s bedrooms and the building are maintained to a good standard. One child has now moved in to a new bedroom that is clean and appropriately decorated. A burnt carpet has been replaced. A maintenance person is now assigned to the home to ensure repairs are completed quickly.

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This monitoring visit

The staff and the registered manager have completed focused work with the children to help them to understand the risk of fire. The registered manager has Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034189 made clear to the children that smoking in their bedrooms is not permitted, and places them and others at risk of serious harm. At this time, no children are smoking in their bedrooms. As a result, the home is now a safer environment for all children and staff. In addition, in-depth work with some children about making good lifestyle choices is having a positive impact. This means that some children are starting to make lifestyle changes and there have been no recent incidents of substance or alcohol misuse.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager now ensures that children’s risk assessments identify known risks to children’s safety and detail the strategies in place for staff to use to help keep them safe. The staff now make immediate changes to risk assessments after serious events. The staffing levels are adapted accordingly to support individual children if risks to their safety increase. Risk assessments are reviewed by the registered manager and discussed in regular multi-agency meetings. This means that risk management strategies are agreed by all relevant professionals. As a result, the children are better protected.

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This monitoring visit

The service manager is working alongside the independent visitor to improve the quality of the information included in the regulation 44 reports. However, the last report, dated December 2020, lacks an evaluation of some incidents, including physical restraints. This lack of information means that it is not clear how or if the independent visitor has assured themselves that children’s well-being is promoted and that the children are safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has completed training to improve the recording of significant event notifications. However, reports are too lengthy and combine separate serious incidents. These do not provide Ofsted with clear oversight of events and actions being taken to reduce risks to the children.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/05/2019 Full Good 05/06/2018 Full Good 10/10/2017 Full Good 15/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034189

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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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

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— is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 29 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034189 The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 29 March 2021

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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: North Yorkshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Janice Nicholson

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Inspectors

Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034189 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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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: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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