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 manager has been registered with Ofsted since 25 May 2021.

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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 4 May 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 re-issued following the last monitoring visit at this home.

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This monitoring visit

No new children have left or moved into the home since the last visit.

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This monitoring visit

Insufficient action has been taken to meet the two compliance notices. The failure to meet the compliance notices continue to undermine the experiences of children and does not promote the welfare and protection of children effectively.

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This monitoring visit

There is management oversight of the risks that are posed by the children. In addition, these risks are being monitored through regular meetings that are attended by senior managers. Some consideration has been given to the impact of the children living together; however, some of the impact risk assessments lack substance. While safeguarding risks to children are acknowledged, they lack any real analysis of the child’s impact on others and on children’s competing needs. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 2 The impact risk assessment for one child with high levels of risk is a four-line review that does not include, in any detail, the current risks, what the impact on others is or could be, and whether another child should be moved in. This does not give the regulator reassurance that a robust review of the impact risk assessments has taken place.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s risk assessments have senior management oversight and they are now being quality assured. This is leading to clearer guidance for the staff. However, the suggested amendments to the risk assessments are very recent. Consequently, not all the children’s risk assessments have been amended. This means that staff do not have the most up-to-date information to keep the children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The quality assurance feedback of the children’s risk assessments has been sent to the children’s key workers and managers only. This does not provide the whole staff team with the guidance about the actions to follow to reduce the risks.

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This monitoring visit

Poor communication with staff, coupled with the lack of up-to-date information in some of the children’s risk assessments, has impeded how information is shared and understood. For example, a recent concern regarding an unexplained large sum of money in a child’s bank account had not been shared with all the staff. In addition, the arrangements for a child to have overnight stays away from the home are not accurately reflected in the child’s risk assessment.

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This monitoring visit

The absence of timescales in the risk assessment make it unclear whether the risks remain current. A lack of analysis in children’s risk assessments fails to demonstrate how the risks have been reached and how they are reducing.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has addressed one of the requirements that have been made at previous monitoring visits. The independent visitor has resumed face-to-face visits to the home. They have access to the information that enables them to form a view of the children’s safety and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements in relation to leadership and management, the manager’s quality of care review, physical intervention records and the timeliness of notifying Ofsted about significant incidents continue to be unmet.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has updated the statement of purpose to show how the home will provide care and accommodation for the children living there. The registered manager is working with all the partner agencies, including the police in response to the current safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066747 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 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)) 25 July 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. 25 July 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 25 July 2021 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 25 July 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is carried over from the previous monitoring visit. 25 July 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is carried over from the previous monitoring visit. 25 July 2021

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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: SC066747 7

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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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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Matthew Reed, Her Majesty’s 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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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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