Children's home run by North East Lincolnshire Council

Inspection report children's home: SC069618 1 SC069618 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A local authority owns and manages this home. The home is registered to provide care for up to two children who have behavioural, emotional and/or social difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has not been in day-to-day charge of the home since February 2021. An interim manager is in post, but has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 3 February 2020

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/07/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 3

p.2

inadequate

Children’s experiences are poor. This is because of significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home and the failure of managers and staff to protect children from the risk of harm. As a result of this inspection Ofsted has issued one compliance notice.

p.3

inadequate

The children do not live in a settled home environment. There are incidents of verbal aggression between the children. Staff are unable to support children emotionally during these times. This is because staff who lone work with children are limited in how they can support both children’s competing needs. This has led to children feeling unsafe in their home.

p.3

inadequate

Children are not always listened too. Children have taken the time to share their wishes, such as creating bedroom design ideas, with the registered manager. However, these have not been responded too. Recently, the interim manager has encouraged the children to share their wishes and opinions to ensure that the voice of the child is heard.

p.3

inadequate

Staffing arrangements hinder the children’s therapeutic progress. Children need to be consistently supported to attend therapy with someone who they have an attachment with. The inspector found staff shifts being switched, on therapy days, which has a negative impact on the value of the therapy sessions and is detrimental to children’s progress.

p.3

inadequate

Improvements are being made to the home. The children’s views were considered for the recent refurbishment of the kitchen, lounge and the garden. Further investment is required within the home to bring it up to a good standard. This is with particular reference to the bathroom and one child’s bedroom, which required immediate attention during the inspection.

p.3

inadequate

Children do enjoy participating in group activities. However, insufficient staffing levels and a lack of transport mean that children do not always have the opportunity to develop or take part in their own individual interests and hobbies.

p.3

inadequate

The children’s education timetables are individualised to their current needs. The staff are helping the children to achieve their academic objectives and look forward to future educational plans. Children’s educational progress is rewarded and acknowledged by staff within school and the home. School staff report that they have positive working relationships with staff, and this helps the children achieve their individual outcomes. Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 4

p.3

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

Insufficient staffing levels mean that staff are unable to adhere to the children’s safety plans, risk assessments or missing-from-home plans. There are times when there is only one member of staff working in the home. This is a particular concern as the inspector found that a member of staff who was prohibited from working alone with children, due to a serious allegation, was permitted to do so. This left children at risk of being exposed to harm.

p.4

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

The children’s safety plans are not routinely followed. Children in the home have made allegations against each other. Insufficient staffing levels limit the staff’s ability to supervise the children. This exposes children to further risk of allegations. Children say that they do not feel safe because of this risk.

p.4

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

Significant allegations made against staff have not been reported to the regulator. This restricts the inspector’s oversight of significant safeguarding concerns. A further review of these allegations identifies that inappropriate action has been taken by the registered manager.

p.4

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

There are shortfalls within the admission process. Children’s risks are not assessed effectively before they move into the home. The registered manager has failed to explore how potential risks could be mitigated to ensure the protection and progression of other children. As a result, the group dynamic is unsettled which has a negative impact on the children’s happiness .

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not been in day-to-day charge of this home. Interim arrangements have been in place to ensure that the children and staff are supported. However, the registered person must ensure that the person in day-to- day charge of the home registers with Ofsted and this process has not been followed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Insufficiency and instability of staffing means that temporary workers regularly support the children. These staff members do not receive supervision to develop and review their care practices or allow them to reflect on their work with the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager has used internal and external monitoring systems to address identified shortfalls. She has gained an insight into the areas of strength and development for this home and is taking steps to improve the outcomes for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff feel well supported by the interim manager and staff morale and commitment to their roles have improved under her leadership. However, further changes to the staff and management structure are imminent. Children report that they are worried about these changes as they fear losing adults from this home. Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)) 10 September

p.5

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(c)) 10 September

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)) 10 September

p.5

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— 8 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 6 promotes their welfare.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Any person who carries on or manages an establishment or agency of any description without being registered under this Part in respect of it (as an establishment or, as the case may be, agency of that description) shall be guilty of an offence. (Section 11 (1) Care Standards Act 2000)

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the person in day-to-day charge of the home registers with Ofsted. 10 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 10 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 10 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

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: SC069618 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Yvonne Shearwood

p.7

Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8