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

Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 1 Registered provider: Laska Care And Education Ltd Full inspection 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 for up to two children aged between 11 and 18 years who may have social, emotional and behavioural needs. There is one child currently living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted at the home since October 2020. She also manages another home for the same company.

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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 last visited this setting on 4 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: this is the home’s first inspection since registration

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living at the home has built trusting relationships with the manager and staff, and has a strong sense of belonging. Staff spend a considerable amount of time with the child, who says that he enjoys living at the home. Staff know the child well and have been effective in helping him to improve his mental health and well-being. This helps him to be open and honest when discussing his feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to attend education and training. This is through providing him with different options to see which courses he is interested in. Staff recognise that a child’s past experiences can lead to anxieties and low self-esteem. Therefore, staff give constant reassurances, which has led to the child engaging in voluntary work, developing new skills and gaining confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is involved in his care planning through his attendance and participation in his review meetings. The child is involved in the running of the home and his views and opinions are important. Leaders and the manager respond in a timely way to any allegations or complaints made by the child, but the manager’s failure to write to the child, following a complaint, has left him confused about the outcome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff welcome the child’s family on a regular basis. The staff’s support, which includes taking the child to his parent’s home, helps to maintain family relationships. This emphasis on good communication with parents supports the child’s long-term plan for independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to develop good self-care and practical living skills. Staff use written prompts around the home and constantly reinforce the importance of daily routines. This helps the child to build on the skills that he requires for his preparation for adulthood. However, there is no recording or analysis to show the skills the child has achieved. This information will help the placing authority to secure the right adult home for him.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager has improved the child’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These now describe the child’s vulnerabilities and how staff can help to reduce the known risks. Staff have a good understanding and know the triggers which could cause the child to struggle to manage his emotions. Staff’s actions are effective in keeping the child calm and regulated.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know the child well and recognise any changes in his mood or behaviour. Staff take prompt action, for example if they suspect that the child may need medical attention. Additionally, staff use their knowledge of the dangers of substance misuse to educate the child. This helps him make better informed choices. Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 4 Staff have good working relationships with partner agencies, such as the child and adolescent mental health services. Regular meetings with these clinicians help staff to talk about their own emotions and respond to the child more effectively. This results in a coordinated and consistent staff team response.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have been effective in helping the child to reduce the number of times he is absent from the home. On the few occasions the child does not return home, staff go out looking to make sure that they know of his whereabouts. This helps to keep him safe and reduces the risk of the child being exploited by others.

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good

The manager and deputy manager have implemented new processes and procedures. This includes the use of weekly and monthly checklists. Staff complete the necessary health and safety checks, so that the child lives in a safe home.

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good

Recently, the manager has spent more time at the home to observe and scrutinise staff practice. The staff’s recording is detailed and completed in a timely way. This helps the manager to have good oversight of the quality of care provided by staff when she is away from the home. Any issues are discussed in staff supervisions or at team meetings.

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good

The manager uses a tracking system which helps her to identify patterns and trends in the child’s behaviour. Searches of the child’s bedroom are increased if necessary. Staff also talk to the child to address any concerns as they arise. This intervention by staff provides the child with extra support at an early stage to help regulate his emotions.

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good

Some processes still need improving. Staff complete an induction and ongoing training, but the workforce development plan lacks detail. This does not give staff agreed timescales for the completion of their induction and probation.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose is out of date and does not have details of the current staff team. This does not give the reader a clear picture of who is working at the home.

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good

The independent visitor completes monthly visits but the reports are being sent too late to Ofsted. This does not provide the regulator with reliable and timely external scrutiny of the home so that any shortfalls and omissions can be addressed promptly with the provider.

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good

There is no system to obtain feedback from the children and other stakeholders about the quality of care provided. This limits the manager’s ability to make improvements or address any shortfalls in the quality of care and the environment of the home the child is living in. Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 5

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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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, make sure that the report is sent to the regulator in a timely way. 30 June 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. 30 November Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 6 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that as staff have a day-to-day understanding of young people’s capabilities and needs, children’s homes staff will have a valuable contribution to make to the pathway planning process. They should actively seek to make the fullest contribution, working with other relevant persons. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.28)  The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. This particularly refers to making sure that children are given written information about the outcome of their complaint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); and detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Laska Care and Education Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2592846 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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