Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report children's home: SC441553 1 SC441553 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority owns and manages this home. It provides care for up to five children who have behavioural, emotional and/or social difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered in February 2012. The registered manager has been in post since November 2014.

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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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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 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: 12 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2020 Full Good 28/02/2019 Full Outstanding 07/11/2017 Full Outstanding 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Building strong and positive relationships with children is at the heart of this home. Some children have lived in this home for a considerable amount of time and see this as their childhood home. However, all children are consistently given the best opportunity to flourish and enjoy life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff adapt and develop their knowledge and skills to provide the best individualised care for each child. In partnership with health support, they learn about specific medical conditions that affect the children. Staff focus on helping children to manage their health conditions, and this positive response prevents the deterioration of children’s health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good educational progress. Although each child faces their own challenges, the staff work with education providers to bring positive change. One school reports, ‘[Name of child] left school with the title of ‘inspirational student of the year’. This is a testament to their hard work. They are a very different young person now with a positive outlook.’ During the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff supported the children with their education in the home. This gave the children the opportunity to strengthen their relationships with staff and to discover new interests and hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers carefully consider the needs of the children when there are any admissions to the home. When children plan to leave, their voices are heard, and their wishes and feelings acted on. Children have chosen to stay here, as other housing options do not match what this home offers them. Children value this home and the difference that living here makes to their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff understand the importance of maintaining family links for children. Staff help the children to have positive times with their families. Families are involved in their children’s lives and contribute to the decisions made about their care. One parent said, ‘I feel really supported; my child is moving back home, and this is massive progress.’ When children are not able to see their families, staff provide all the support that they can. For some children, this means staff working with charity organisations to trace children’s families. This helps these children to feel valued and supported.

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

Risk management procedures address risk-taking behaviours. Staff are intuitive to the children’s needs and place the children at the centre of their practice. The staff are consistently available for the children, and they recognise and talk through any struggles that children are having. The dynamics of five children living together can create tensions and occasionally the children fight. In these situations, the staff have used physical restraint to prevent harm to children. Children’s thoughts and feelings Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 4 are gathered after all incidents, and time is taken to gather the views of children whose second language is English.

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

The registered manager takes appropriate action when the safety of a child is beyond the constraints of this home. Professionals work together to review risk and implement strategies in response to prevailing concerns. A child has moved out of this home as a matter of urgency, as significant risks were identified that could have a harmful effect on their life. To facilitate this move, and in response to the presenting risk, secure transport was used to move the child. This deprived the child of their liberty.

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

When children are missing from this home, the staff go above and beyond to ensure that they are found quickly and returned safely. The staff know the risks to children if there are delays in them being found. The measures that staff take to ensure the safety and protection of children are commendable.

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

Children enjoy a range of activities and hobbies. Staff love to see the children enjoying life, and provide the children with opportunities to gain new experiences. These include building snowmen and going fishing. Occasionally, staff bring their own children on activities. This hinders their ability to respond to all children’s needs during this time. Shared activities are not risk assessed and leave shortfalls in safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is very child focused and empowers the staff team to achieve consistently good outcomes for the children. She has high expectations, and the whole team maintain this standard of care. The registered manager values the staff team and regularly praises them. She uses her own professional development to strengthen staff knowledge and reflection about their care practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional relationships and engagement are a strength of this home. The common feedback is how fantastic this home is and how the staff go above and beyond for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The stability of the staff team is a major factor in the positive outcomes for the children. The staff know each other’s strengths and together they prioritise the needs of the children to enhance their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that children’s views are heard and acts as an advocate for them. When children raise concerns about their historic care experiences, the registered manager shares this information with the necessary professionals. However, she has failed to inform Ofsted of a child’s disclosure. This shortfall limits the inspector’s oversight of the actions taken to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal monitoring systems help the registered manager to focus on care practice and the children’s progress. Practice is developed following the managers Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 5 monitoring. However, the external monitoring for this home is weak, and this has had an impact on the oversight of this home. Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 6

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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

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 December 2021

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 10 December 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

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

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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. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 10 December 2021

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Recommendation

 The provided should ensure that relevant steps are taken if a deprivation of liberty occurs where a child is both under continuous supervision and control and is not free to leave the home. This is with particular reference to a child being transported to their new home in secure transport. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.63) Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 7

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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: SC441553 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Yvonne Shearwood

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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