Children's Home run by Laska Care and Education Ltd in Calderdale

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2592846 1

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Laska Care and Education Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children aged between 11 and 18 years who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered at the home since October 2020. She also manages another home within the company.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was carried out to investigate potential breaches of regulations, following information being shared with Ofsted that indicated a potential risk of harm to a child. The visit included a review of documents, discussions with the child, staff, a parent and relevant professionals.

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This monitoring visit

The home opened in October 2020 and has not yet had a full inspection. There is one child presently living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager oversees a second home, which negatively affects the time she can spend in this setting. This means that the registered manager has limited oversight of this home. This increases the risk of the child’s needs not being met.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not monitor the quality of care provided. As the manager is not always at the home, the staff communicate with her by sending emails, reports and making telephone calls. This level of remote management hinders the manager’s ability to observe or scrutinise staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not benefit from regular supervision, and probation review meetings have not occurred. This does not support staff to have the knowledge and skills needed for their role. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592846 2 The individual risk assessment for the child does not describe his vulnerabilities or set out what strategies staff should follow to reduce the known risks. This lack of risk evaluation and managerial oversight could result in the child being at risk of significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

The staff do not record the key-work sessions effectively which are completed with the child. There is little information recorded about the work completed on matters such as substance misuse, education and learning life skills. Records do not provide the reader with an insight into how staff offer support. This does not enable the manager to evaluate the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have good working relationships with partner agencies. In particular, the relationship with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services helps staff to have a better understanding of the child’s needs. This partnership has been significantly important in supporting the child’s mental health. As a result, the child has had a period of stability.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s father appreciates and values the care the staff provide for his son. The father said, ‘They [staff] help, they inform me of everything, and my son gets on well with the staff.’

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592846 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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the child’s individual risk assessment addresses any known vulnerabilities effectively for the child and sets out what action should be taken to address the risk. 5 April 2021

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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— 5 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592846 4 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that the registered manager has appropriate oversight of the home.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee's responsibilities. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that each staff member’s induction and probation are reviewed within agreed timescales, to assess the competency, skills and knowledge of the staff member against the job description for the role. 5 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592846 5

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. This particularly refers to improving the quality of recordings made by staff in the daily records and key- work sessions which describe the care and support provided to the child living at the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the progress made by the children’s home since it registered with Ofsted.

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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: Laska Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Euroway House, Roysdale Way, Bradford BD4 6SE

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Inspectors

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592846 6 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

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

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