Children's home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC056259 1 SC056259

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Pebbles Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. The premises, which comprise a main home and a smaller home in the grounds, provides care and accommodation for up to six children with emotional and/or social difficulties. The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out in response to several notifications to the regulator relating to allegations made about staff. The purpose of this visit was to look at the recruitment, training and supervision of staff, together with looking at the staff’s practice. The last full inspection of the home was in October 2019. An assurance visit was carried out on 13 and 14 October 2020. No breaches of regulation were found at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the visit was conducted off site. The children did not want to speak to the inspector, so their views were not gained. Independent feedback was obtained from a professional who visits the home and the placing authority’s designated safeguarding officer. To gather information for this visit, records were received via email, particularly relating to the allegations made against staff. The manager and staff were spoken to, together with an officer from the company’s human resources department.

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This monitoring visit

The manager follows safer recruitment practice and ensures that the necessary safeguarding checks are carried out. The manager uses a structured interview to explore an applicant’s values and beliefs. This good level of vetting helps to ensure that children are cared for by safe and appropriate adults.

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This monitoring visit

When the manager has identified, or been made aware of concerns about staff practice, he has referred these to the local authority safeguarding team. The Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC056259 2 designated safeguarding officer confirmed that these are received in a timely way and the necessary action taken. When required, the manager completes thorough and timely internal investigations. The manager takes appropriate action in line with the home’s disciplinary procedures when safeguarding concerns are found.

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This monitoring visit

When issues have been identified relating to staff’s practice, those involved receive extra supervision and guidance. Not all staff have received pr ofessional boundaries training and appropriate physical contact training so this recommendation will remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have access to a variety of training but some staff have not received behaviour management training. This is in part due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic restrictions. There have been no occasions when staff have had to physically hold children to keep them safe, but this gap in training does not give staff the necessary experience and skills to de-escalate a situation if a child is unable to regulate their emotions.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not complete a thorough quality of care review. The views of the children and other stakeholders are not ascertained and there is no action plan. This does not highlight areas for development to continue to improve the quality of care at the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/10/2019 Full Good 05/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/08/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC056259 3

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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, the 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; and

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the staff receiving physical intervention training in line with the home’s behaviour management policy. 15 March 2021

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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, 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 31 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC056259 4 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 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4) (5))

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that the expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. The development of safe, stable and secure relationships with staff in the home should be central to the ethos of the home and support the development of secure attachments that, where appropriate, persist over time. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

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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: Pebbles Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC056259 5 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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