Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC380956 1 SC380956

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North East Lincolnshire Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a local authority and provides care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose has recently been amended and this has changed the function of the home. Children are placed at this home for a period of assessment before they move on to appropriate placements. There is only one young person currently living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2020. However, she resigned from her post on 1 March 2021 but has yet to cancel her registration as required.

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Information about this children’s home

An interim manager is currently in day-to-day charge of the home but has yet to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) at the request of the Secretary of State we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We visited this setting on 25 January 2021 and 18 March 2021 to carry out monitoring visits. These reports are published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit on 25 January 2021 in response to increasing concerns relating to how staff manage children’s behaviours to protect them from harm. The focus of that visit was to review significant incidents and associated documents and reports. These were with regard to children going missing from the home and the use of physical restraint.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit on 25 January 2021, Ofsted identified breaches in the leadership and management arrangements of this home. These failings were detrimental to children’s safety, protection and welfare. Consequently, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 and made a further five Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC380956 2 requirements. Inspectors reviewed these compliance notices during a monitoring visit on 18 March 2021 and they identified that the required steps within the compliance notices had not been met. These notices were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken to meet the reissued compliance notices. This monitoring visit included the review of documents and children’s case records, discussions with the children and interviews with staff, the manager and children’s families. The inspectors concluded from this monitoring visit that all steps set within the compliance notices were met.

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This monitoring visit

Missing-from-home incidents have significantly reduced. On the occasions when children go missing, the staff are persistent in their efforts to find them. The staff relentlessly disrupt harmful relationships so that the children run out of unsafe places to go to. Staff practice is strengthened through clear risk assessments and partnership working and training with the police. The current interim manager has clear oversight of all records associated with missing-from-home incidents. As a team, the staff consistently show the children that they care, and that they will endeavour to prevent any further risk of abuse or harm to them.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments now capture the children’s needs and vulnerabilities. The assessments provide staff with clear steps to ensure a consistent approach to risk management. The interim manager has sourced specific training and created systems to enable the staff to respond confidently to any incidents of alcohol or substance misuse. For one child, now that they are prescribed medication to manage anxiety, they are no longer self-medicating with illegal substances. Although some minor amendments are necessary to the child’s risk assessments, these are required to reflect the progress that the child is making.

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This monitoring visit

The implementation of the safety plans for the child currently living in the home supports them to see their family. The interim manager carefully considers how to mitigate risks within the family home. The staff work closely with families to maintain open and honest communication and staff are welcomed into the family home to ensure the safety of the child. This collaboration helps to protect the child from harm.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s strengthening of partnership working means that the child’s needs are comprehensively assessed and understood. Together, agencies are proactively mapping risk and developing safe care plans. Time-limited court orders enable the staff to deprive the child of some of their liberty to maintain their safety. Mental health assessments provide a crucial insight into the child’s learning and health needs. This information now helps the staff to communicate with the child in a way that the child understands.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have gone to great lengths to develop their relationships with the child. Through staff encouragement, the child is participating in fun and age-appropriate activities and enjoying new childhood experiences, including owning a pet. The child Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC380956 3 is now following structured routines and has started to disassociate from previous community influences that were detrimental to their safety and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the presentation of the home. The bathroom requires some general maintenance to raise the finished standard, and additional safeguards are needed for this room to reduce self-harm risks. The location of the home continues to be reviewed and associated risks are clearly understood by the interim manager and her staff. This understanding of risk needs to be echoed in the corresponding location risk assessment document. These amendments would ensure that the staff have clear guidance to mitigate risk with regard to the home’s garden and visitors to the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2019 Full Good 04/09/2018 Full Good 27/09/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s 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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)) 14 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC380956 4 This requirement has been carried forward as no children have moved into the home and therefore the inspector could not assess this previous shortfall.

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been carried forward as staff have not used physical restraint as a form of behaviour management and therefore the inspector could not assess this previous shortfall. 14 May 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

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been carried forward as a regulation 45 report is not scheduled to be submitted to the regulator and therefore the inspector could not assess this previous shortfall. 14 May 2021

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Recommendations

 The provider should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of the children. The home will, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC380956 5  The provider should ensure that the staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire DN35 8LN

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Inspectors

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC380956 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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