Children's home run by North Yorkshire Council

Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 1 Registered provider: North Yorkshire County 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 pre-planned and emergency short breaks in a residential setting to children with profound learning disabilities, including autistic spectrum disorder and complex health needs. The home also offers extended and bespoke packages of care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since August 2020.

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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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2020 Full Outstanding 05/02/2019 Full Outstanding 21/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 3

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outstanding

Children make excellent progress and this is life changing for them and their families. The care and attention that children receive is exceptional as the staff focus on the children’s happiness, abilities and independence. For example, one child has been taught how to feed themselves. Another child has made lasting friendships for the first time.

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outstanding

Children’s lives are enriched as they enjoy time spent with staff and their peers. The children enjoy a range of activities and gain new experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic has limited activity choices, but the staff ensure that children’s breaks are fulfilling and full of fun and laughter. One parent said, ‘My child is not missing out because when at the home he is involved in activities that I cannot safely provide for him.’

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outstanding

The home provides a service that helps children and their families to stay together. The COVID-19 pandemic and the emergency admissions of children have impacted the service, with short-term closures. The manager’s and partner agencies’ response was to focus the provision of overnight breaks for the most complex and vulnerable children in the authority. One parent said, ‘The service is outstanding. I was looking at a residential placement for my son, but the service that we now receive means I can keep my son at home.’

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outstanding

The staff team go above and beyond to meet the complex health needs of children. Parents trust the staff to care for children where their medical conditions mean that sudden unexpected death is a potential risk. Staff’s ability to meet the children’s needs is a testament to the guidance and training that they routinely receive. When children need medical assistance, the staff provide the medical care and the nurture and comfort that the child needs during these frightening times.

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outstanding

Children struggle with change. Children’s stays are planned, and even when children experience an emergency move into the home, steps are taken by the staff to help alleviate the child’s worries and fears. This can include the child’s favourite toys or bedding being placed in their room. They are greeted by people they know and they have a social story to explain their experience. The same attention is paid to help children to move on from this home.

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outstanding

Children communicate their wishes and feelings. The staff understand the children’s subtle cues and respond appropriately to children’s requests, excitement, feelings of unhappiness, pain or discomfort. Communication resources continue to be developed to enable children to have greater involvement in the decisions about their care. Children are helping staff to complete a ‘this is me’ document about them. These records now contain drawings that children have done of themselves and their families. Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 4

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outstanding

The children receive high levels of care and supervision from staff. This maintains their safety and well-being and reduces the risk of harm. Staff routinely report any bruising or injury seen on a child and these records are overseen by the management team to ensure action is taken to investigate.

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outstanding

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager’s diligence has helped to protect the children and staff from the COVID-19 virus. It is a testament to the manager and staff that they continued to provide a service to the most vulnerable children throughout the pandemic.

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outstanding

Children are treated with dignity and respect. The staff are aware of each child’s abilities and they enable them to have choice and control over elements of their care. The manager expects her staff to deliver a high standard of care and takes immediate action when practice concerns are identified.

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outstanding

The manage is aware that in society disabled children can sometimes be restricted from conversations about sexual health, feelings and relationships. A professional commended the manager’s ability to sensitively raise this within meetings about the children, when relevant, to enable the implementation of private time for teenage children. The manager understands how the over-protection of disabled children can place them at risk if they are not helped to learn about safe relationships or explore their sexuality.

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outstanding

Physical intervention is rarely used for children who attend short breaks. Staff have found it necessary to use physical intervention for a child who temporarily moved in to the home on a longer term basis. To hold a child in a restraint is the last resort for staff in order to prevent injury to the child and others. Records of these incidents are transparent and the manager’s oversight clear, but dates of oversight are not consistently evident. Staff check the impact of the physical intervention on the child in line with the child’s communication methods. Currently, children’s feelings are not explored when they have witnessed the restraint of their peer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a wealth of skills and experience. Two deputy managers have been appointed and this brings strength to the management of this service. The manager and the staff team are committed to their role and the service they provide to children and their families. The manager is continually looking at ways to develop the service and this has seen improvements to some procedures, such as medication procedures. Further development is needed to the children’s records and assessments as they do not always reflect the quality of practice being delivered by staff. Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 5 Recruitment for staffing vacancies has been difficult. The manager’s response was to change the local authorities’ approach to recruitment. These changes have improved the calibre of applicants and led to the appointment of staff. Staffing has been fragile during the COVID-19 pandemic and agency staff have been used. The

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

manager has implemented an induction pathway for agency staff. This ensures that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the children that come to this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are well supported and very much enjoy their job. They have embraced the changes made to the management team and the improvements that they are making to the home. The staff have shown great resilience and strength during these challenging years. The manager knows the qualities of her staff and stresses their individual worth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a strength and the manager and staff have regular communication with parents/carers and professionals. There are high levels of parental and professional satisfaction. The manager advocates for the children and challenges professionals when their actions impact a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place for managing and monitoring staff practices. The care that the children receive is second to none and this is because of the practice development and competencies of the staff team. Staff receive regular and necessary training, and this is well received by the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 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 registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 21 January 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should understand that the context in which restraint is used should also recognise that, as a result of past experiences, children will have a unique understanding of their circumstances which will affect their response to restraint by adults responsible for their care. In particular, children’s feelings should be explored when they have witnessed the restraint of their peer. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.54)

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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: 1256500 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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