Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 1 SC481305

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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 children’s home provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. It is owned and operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 10 September 2020. A new manager has been in post since this time and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted completed an assurance visit of this home on 15 September 2020. There were no serious or widespread concerns found at that time. This monitoring visit was undertaken following concerns raised through safeguarding notifications in relation to how staff respond to and manage children’s behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

This visit comprised on- and off-site inspection activities. The inspector identified concerns with regard to the quality of care for children, the leadership and management of the home and the safety and welfare of children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to ensure that children are emotionally prepared for new children coming to live in their home. There were no discussions with the resident child prior to a new child arriving. The resident child reported feeling insecure and rejected by staff, which was expressed through an increase in violent and aggressive behaviour. This brought about an abrupt end to the placement for the child, who had been resident in the home since May 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The manager did not complete an assessment prior to accepting the placement of a new child. This means that there is no record of the considerations given to the impact a new admission might have on the resident child, or an evaluation of how staff will meet the needs of both children. The poor matching of the children’s needs has resulted in their behaviours having a negative impact on each other. For Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 2 example, one child re-engaged in physical violence towards staff and property. Staff were unable to manage that behaviour and required support from the police. For another child, this has resulted in a poor experience of living in the home. This impacts negatively on their ability to build trusting relationships with staff.

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This monitoring visit

Each child has an individual plan and risk assessment. These detail how staff should support children to manage their frustrations and anxieties. The manager consulted with a range of professionals in constructing these plans; however, these have not been effective. Staff interventions have been unsuccessful in preventing children from expressing themselves through disruptive and violent behaviour. Children are therefore at an increased risk of harm while living together in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not ensure that the recording of physical restraints is completed in line with the relevant regulation. Records do not always include a post-restraint discussion with the child or the staff. The manager has recorded incorrect dates of when post-restraint discussions were held. These appear to show that they happened within the required timescales when they did not. The manager has also failed to ensure that all staff sign and date the records as an accurate reflection of events. The failure to ensure that these records are complete prevents the scrutiny and evaluation of physical restraint practice. Consequently, it cannot be established that the use of physical restraint is safe, necessary, proportionate and lawful. This means that children may be at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not have effective monitoring systems in place to maintain adequate oversight of staff training needs. For example, the staff training matrix is incomplete and does not demonstrate that the staff have the necessary training to meet the children’s individual needs.

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This monitoring visit

The manager did not provide all of the information requested during this monitoring visit. This prevented the inspector from fully evaluating the quality of care for children. Therefore, the inspector was unable to confirm that the children were being cared for by a sufficient number of staff who have the skills and qualifications to meet the children’s needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/07/2019 Full Good 14/05/2019 Full Inadequate 24/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 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, 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that leaders and managers consider the needs of the children currently living in the home when considering admitting a new child to the home. 11 April 2021

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that leaders and managers ensure that risk assessments and plans for managing behaviours are effective in ensuring that children are not a risk to each other. 11 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 4 *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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(h)) 11 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(iii)) 11 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that—

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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

the name of the child; 11 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 5 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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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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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; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 6

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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

Deb Duffy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC481305 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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