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

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager voluntarily cancelled her registration on 25 July 2021. Interim managers have been in day-to-day charge of this home since February 2021. A manager has been appointed and has submitted her application for registration.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 11 August 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted inspected this home on 1 and 2 July 2021 and judged the service to be inadequate. We issued one compliance notice under regulation 13. This was regarding significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. At the monitoring visit on 11 August 2021, Ofsted judged that the steps set within the compliance notice were met. Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/07/2021 Full Inadequate 03/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/07/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 4

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improvement to be good

This home was judged inadequate in July 2021 due to concerns around the management arrangements to safeguard children. The actions of leaders and staff left children at risk of serious harm. Ofsted issued six requirements and a compliance notice. A monitoring visit was carried out on 11 August 2021 to review the compliance notice.

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improvement to be good

There is currently one child living in the home. However, for the majority of the period since the July 2021 inspection, two children have lived together in this home.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from a more stable staff team. The staff now focus on delivering care in a way that helps the children to enjoy improved care experiences. One professional said, ‘There are noticeable improvements in the quality of care afforded to [name of child] and this has led to a discernible positive impact in terms of them feeling settled, valued and supported.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met. The manager advocates for the children to ensure that their reoccurring health issues are medically explored. A health professional said, ‘It is the manager’s determination that has resulted in a child’s diagnosis.’ The action taken by the manager means that children receive the necessary medical treatment now and in the future.

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improvement to be good

Children are now better supported because staff are engaging in trauma-informed training. They demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of therapy for children. Children recognise how important this is to their development. One child said, ‘There is nothing that you need to change to make my home any better.’

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improvement to be good

Staff now ensure that children’s school placements meet both their emotional and learning needs. By sourcing the right school for children, the schools can confidentially support children to attend full time. This is a significant development for children whose education was previously restricted to tutoring and self-learning with staff in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of activities and hobbies. Community group activities provide children the opportunity to make friends. The children’s time spent in the community reflects their assessed vulnerabilities and needs. One child has been helped by staff to safely go to the local shop and play in the front garden with friends.

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improvement to be good

Children are not routinely provided with the opportunity to talk about their concerns. Children have made comments to staff about wanting to move out of the home. These comments have not been explored by staff, which limits the child’s opportunity to discuss any worries. Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 5 The home has been modernised and redecorated. Improvements have been made to the children’s bedrooms and the kitchen. Work to modernise the bathroom is planned, and all these changes provide a nice home for the children. However, the landing door has a lock, which means that children’s movement around their home is restricted.

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improvement to be good

Staff are inconsistent in their approaches when helping children who are struggling to manage their behavioural and emotional responses. Strategies that children have helped to create in their behaviour support plans are not embedded in staff practice. This results in an escalation of children’s harmful responses.

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improvement to be good

Children have been physically held by the staff to prevent injury to themselves or others. The number of physical restraints for children has reduced. However, the staff do not record each restraint as a separate entity in the children’s records. Following a restraint, the staff and children, including any child who has witnessed the incident, have the opportunity to talk about their experience. However, as children and staff are spoken to by managers involved in the restraint, there is no independent oversight of the incident. This may impact on the child's ability and opportunity to raise any concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staffing levels are improving, which means that staff are now better able to follow the children’s safety plans, risk assessments and missing-from-home plans. However, on occasion, there are staffing shortfalls. When staff cover is not found, it impacts on children's safety plans being followed and the staff’s ability to respond effectively to all incidents.

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improvement to be good

Allegations made by children are taken seriously and investigated. Children can talk about their concerns with professionals who are independent of the home. Children are heard, and plans are created by professionals. For one child, this meant that they were supported to move out of the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager shares potential safeguarding concerns about the children or their families with relevant agencies. This includes when children share further information about an investigated historic allegation. This helps children to feel that their voice and worries are heard.

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good

The home still does not have a registered manager; however, the appointed manager has now submitted her application to register with Ofsted. Children have benefited from the manager’s leadership of the home since her appointment. Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 6 The manager has responded well to the compliance notice and requirements issued following the last full inspection. The manager uses learning from the recent inspections to ensure that she and staff perform to effect positive change for children.

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good

The manager responds to gaps in staff’s knowledge and skills by improving their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager routinely shares practice updates and assigns training courses to the staff. The staff are engaging in trauma-informed training to aid their delivery of care. This development of care practice is not yet embedded.

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good

The manager’s implementation of monitoring systems helps her to have oversight of the children’s progress. The aim of her monitoring is to continue to improve the standard of staff practice and help children to achieve positive outcomes. However, there are shortfalls in the accuracy and transparency of the children’s records. These should represent their childhood memories.

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good

The external monitoring is weak. There are significant gaps in monthly reports being sent to Ofsted. The authority has appointed a new independent person who has undertaken her first monthly visit. This shortfall in external monitoring has impacted on the inspector’s ability to have oversight of this home and the safety and well- being of children.

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good

The manager understands the impact that poor matching of children can have on this home and has confidently refused to place specific children where their needs cannot be met. The manager has a vision for this home and the care that staff will provide to children. The home’s statement of purpose is unclear about their care offer. The manager also needs to review the terminology within this document as it does not accurately represent this home and is not child focused. Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 7

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

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child's care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i)) 17 December

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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)) 17 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 17 December

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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 17 December Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 8 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)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 17 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. This particularly relates to the lock on the landing fire door. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that

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Recommendations

will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC069618 9

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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: SC069618 10 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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