–

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 1 SC454484

p.1

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There were four children living at the home at the time of the monitoring visit.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a temporary manager in post who is not registered 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 on 17 March 2020.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 21 July 2021. Following this inadequate judgement, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken to meet the compliance notices that Ofsted issued following the inadequate judgement on 21 July 2021.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out on site. The visit included the review of documents and case records, and discussions with staff and children. The inspector found that leaders and managers had completed all the necessary steps required to meet the compliance notices under both regulations 12 and 13.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home environment is welcoming, comfortable and homely. Any damage is repaired promptly, and the home is well maintained. The children have personalised their home and their bedrooms. The home now provides a very comfortable environment for children to live.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The individual risk assessments for children describe their vulnerabilities and set out the strategies that staff should follow to reduce the known risks. Risk evaluation is Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 2 accurate and clear. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed. The use of good- quality, up-to-date risk assessments helps to better protect children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home has not had any recent missing-from-home incidents. However, missing- from-home protocols are up to date and are regularly reviewed. The protocol gives clear direction to staff of what to do or when to report children as missing. This means that staff have an accurate understanding of what action to take in the event of a child going missing from the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Behaviour is managed well by the manager and staff team. This is because staff have good relationships with the children. The manager and staff team can identify any changes in the children’s behaviour, which ensures that the right level of support is quickly identified and put in place. This has resulted in very few challenging incidents, and there have been no recent incidents of physical restraint.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Individual staff members have a good awareness of safeguarding. They have recently had access to several training courses. This has helped to ensure that staff have the necessary skills to protect children from harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The staff are very well supported in their roles by the manager. Supervision is planned and team meetings are regularly taking place. This ensures that staff are well equipped to meet the individual needs of the children placed at the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers ensure that there are effective systems in place to monitor the quality of staff practice and record-keeping. Regulation 44 visits are to be commissioned from an independent agency in order to ensure appropriate scrutiny of the home, and an up-to-date regulation 45 report has now been shared with Ofsted. This ensures that the regulator is able to monitor the operation of the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Recruitment has taken place for a deputy manager. This will help to increase management capacity and oversight within the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The provider has demonstrated sufficient improvement to meet the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13. The requirements under regulations 16 and 45 have also been met. The remaining five requirements issued on 21 July 2021 have not been reviewed at this visit and are repeated. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 3

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/07/2021 Full Inadequate 02/03/2020 Full Good 31/10/2018 Full Good 12/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 4

p.3

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.4

Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

p.4

Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 24 September

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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. 24 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 5 that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

p.4

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")—

p.5

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.5

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)) 24 September

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person ("the independent person") to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider.

p.5

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider carries on more than one home, the registered provider may appoint the same person as the independent person for all or any of those homes.

p.5

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person—

p.5

Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is a local authority, a person who is employed by that local authority in connection with the carrying on of the authority’s social services functions (as defined by section 1A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970(a)) relating to children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is not a local authority, a person who is employed for payment by the registered provider;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a person involved in preparing the care plan of any child placed at the home, or a person responsible for managing or supervising that person;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a person responsible for commissioning or financing services provided by the home; 24 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 6 a person with a financial interest in the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a person who has, or has had, a connection with—

p.6

Requirement Due date

which the registered provider considers to give rise to doubts about that person’s impartiality (for the purposes of producing the independent person’s report – see regulation 44).

p.6

Requirement Due date

An employee of the registered provider is not, by reason only of that employment, disqualified under paragraph (3)(a), (b) or (g) from appointment as an independent person if the employee is employed solely to examine and scrutinise critically—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the way that a home is carried on or managed; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is a local authority, a person appointed by the authority as an independent reviewing officer is not, by reason only of that appointment, disqualified under paragraph (3)(a), (c) or (g) from appointment as an independent person in relation to a home carried on by that authority or any other authority.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The independent person must declare any actual or potential conflict of interest (whether of the type mentioned in paragraph (3) or otherwise) to the registered provider without delay and, if reasonably practicable, before conducting a visit to the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest in relation to the independent person before or during the independent person visiting the home (see regulation 44), the registered provider must—

p.6

Requirement Due date

make arrangements to cancel the visit without delay; and Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 7 appoint a different independent person to visit the home. (Regulation 43 (1) (2) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(iii) (4)(a)(b) (5) (6) (7)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.7

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

p.7

Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 24 September

p.7

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Gateway Plaza, Sackville Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2RD

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Banwell

p.8

Inspector

Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC454484 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9