Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 1 SC066747

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Sheffield City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider’s primary purpose is to offer care and support to children on the edge of care. Stays in this home can act as a bridging placement to permanence.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since September 2020 and is in the process of applying 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. We last visited this setting on 25 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the steps taken to meet the two compliance notices that were issued following the last monitoring visit at this home.

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This monitoring visit

Clear guidance for the manager and daily morning meetings with staff ensure that managers identify significant incidents and report them to Ofsted. The enhanced quality assurance of significant incidents by senior managers has also improved the accuracy and transparency of the information. This enables Ofsted to seek assurances about how the provider is caring for children with complex needs and safeguarding their welfare. This compliance notice is met. It has been replaced with a requirement, to enable this practice to become fully embedded.

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This monitoring visit

No children have moved into or left the home since the last monitoring visit. The provider has failed to review all the children’s care plans to assure themselves that the children’s needs are compatible to enable them to live together safely. This does not Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 2 provide any confidence that children are safe to live together when up-to-date care plans are not in place.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, children continue to be accommodated and cared for outside of the home’s current model of care. This has a negative impact on some children’s experiences and progress. The compliance notice has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the staff have refreshed their safeguarding and child protection knowledge through relevant training. All staff have been given a safeguarding flow chart to guide them in taking the steps necessary to respond to allegations made by children and/or any other child protection concerns. These measures ensure that the children are protected and supported without delay. This aspect of the compliance notice is met.

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This monitoring visit

The risk management plans are not updated to include all known and emerging risks that are associated specifically with exploitation, social media and emotional and physical harm. This results in staff not having clear strategies and plans to follow so that they can keep the children safe from harm effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Only recently, a child was provided with a basic mobile phone after serious safeguarding concerns emerged that are currently under police investigation. The provider has not given sufficient reassurances that the high level of risk associated with the child acquiring a replacement mobile phone, with enhanced functions, has been fully assessed and eliminated. This significant gap continues to leave children vulnerable and exposed to harm.

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This monitoring visit

The safety plan for one child has not been followed. This led to the child having unsupervised access to cleaning fluid, which they subsequently swallowed, resulting in a hospital visit.

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This monitoring visit

The preventative measures that the staff can legitimately use to stop children from leaving the home, when there is a risk of harm, are not made clear in their risk management plans. Where risk is reducing for some children, this is not updated in their risk assessments. This shortfall leaves children at risk of actual harm.

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This monitoring visit

The effectiveness of the risk management strategies is not identified consistently. There continues to be no management oversight of the children’s risk assessments. This does not safeguard and promote the welfare of children effectively. The previous requirement that relates to this breach has been escalated to a compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The direct work that is done with children is improving. For example, the work being done with one child shows how they are being helped to maintain a focus on their progress and plans.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment is furnished and decorated to a good standard. A handy- person visits the home regularly. They ensure that the home and the grounds are suitably maintained. This promotes a welcoming and supportive environment for children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 3 The remaining four requirements made at previous visits have not been met, or need more time to be tested and embedded in practice. These relate to management oversight, physical intervention records, independent visits and the manager’s quality of care review. These will be looked at again during the next visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/11/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 4

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 20 June 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—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is carried over from the previous monitoring visit. 20 June 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 20 June 2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 5 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

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)(b) (2)(a))

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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

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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Requirement Due date

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 20 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 6 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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is carried over from the previous monitoring visit.

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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 protection enquiry involving a child—

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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. (Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 20 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

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 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the independent person is able to access all information to support their view of children’s safety and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is carried over from the previous monitoring visit. 20 June 2021

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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. (Regulation 45 (5)) 20 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 7 This requirement is carried over from the previous monitoring visit.

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sheffield City Council, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066747 8 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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