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

Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 1 SC380956 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 for a period of assessment to assist in future placement planning.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager voluntarily cancelled her registration in March 2021, and an interim manager has been in day-to-day charge of this home. The interim manager has been appointed but has not submitted a complete 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 visited this setting on 25 January 2021, 18 March 2021 and the 21 April 2021 to carry out monitoring visits. These reports are published on our website.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted were aware during this inspection of a police investigation into serious allegations about restriction of liberty at the setting. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered, where appropriate, alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 2 Date of last inspection: 2 September 2019

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

During the monitoring visit on 25 January 2021, Ofsted identified breaches in the leadership and management arrangements of this home. These failings were detrimental to children’s safety, protection and welfare. Consequently, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 and made a further five requirements.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Inspectors reviewed these compliance notices during a monitoring visit on 18 March 2021 and they identified that the required steps within the compliance notices had not been met. These notices were reissued.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted carried out a further monitoring visit on 21 April 2021 and concluded that all steps set within the compliance notices were met. Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2019 Full Good 04/09/2018 Full Good 27/09/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 4

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inadequate

Children’s overall experiences and progress are inadequate. This is because leaders, managers and staff fail to take appropriate action to protect children from the potential risk of serious harm. Furthermore, the home has been without a registered manager since March 2021.

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inadequate

There is currently one child living in the home. However, within this inspection period, other children have lived in this home. Each child’s length of stay at this home varies.

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inadequate

Children’s progress is limited. Staff do not have the necessary knowledge or skills to meet the current child’s needs. The child requires a therapeutic placement, but after six months at this home the child still has no exit plan to move to a home suited to their needs.

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inadequate

Children do not have the opportunity to reach their full educational potential. A school has removed a child from their roll and this has impacted on them receiving a formal education. Tutoring has recently started for the child, but this only equates to eight hours per week, which is insufficient to meet the child’s needs.

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inadequate

Children self-harm and this includes ligaturing. At the inspection, two ligature cutters were misplaced and one was lost. The outcome of not knowing where the ligature cutters were could have resulted in the death of a child. Although prompt action was taken by the provider to rectify this, the impact of this failure is significant. When staff remove a ligature from the child, they have no procedural guidance to aid their decision-making about sourcing medical help for the child. This shortfall in practice could result in the child having untreated injuries caused by ligatures.

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inadequate

The child likes to spend time with their family. The staff understand the importance of supporting family relationships. Staff involve the child’s parent in significant events, such as planning and celebrating their child’s birthday.

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inadequate

Children very much enjoy taking part in activities. One child’s free time is restricted by the court, but staff facilitate a range of activities and experiences for the child. Staff have listened to the child’s wishes and feelings and incorporate these into their planning. This means that the child spends time with her friends and enjoys positive activities.

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inadequate

Staff try to create a homely environment, but more work is required to improve the standard. There is evident damage to the walls and furniture in the child’s bedroom. The named ‘reflection room’ does not convey a positive space for a child. The safety of this room needs addressing. For example, the lock needs to be removed and the fire door closure restored. Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 5

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

Children are experiencing harm. Children have disclosed that they are being physically restrained by staff and that the methods used are not necessary or proportionate. The inspector was made aware during the inspection that these matters are subject to an external investigation. Although physical restraint should be the last resort, the staff are led by risk assessments that direct them to restrain a child to prevent damage to the home or anti-social behaviour. This practice is unlawful.

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

Staff’s knowledge of the child means that they can identify the subtle indicators that the child is emotionally struggling. However, incident reports fail to evidence the steps that the staff take to de-escalate a situation for a child. Poor shift planning also contributes to incidents. These incidents have led to children being restrained. Historically, children are being held on multiple occasions during an incident, but records reflect this as a single event. This under-reporting impacts on the staff’s ability to reflect on, learn and review the effectiveness of their strategies.

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

Children’s moves into this home are not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Since July 2021, the manager and senior leaders have facilitated the placement of children into the home through emergency arrangements. These children move in to the home without suitable risk assessments or plans. This means that the staff do not have adequate direction to review or mitigate any potential conflicts or risks.

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

The manager has not sent the updated statement of purpose to Ofsted. There is no children’s guide. Staff do talk to children about the expectations of the home, but children have no access to a guide that depicts their rights. Children do not have the contact details for agencies, such as Ofsted, or the children’s commissioner. This prevents children from raising any concerns that they may have outside of the local authority.

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

Children do not have free movement in their home. The child’s risk assessment and behaviour support plan direct staff to close down areas of the home during an incident. The dining room was also locked to limit the risk of tins of food being thrown through the window. The steps taken by staff are not proportionate to the risk or the least restrictive for children.

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

Procedures are in place to ensure the safe storage of medication. Administration records are clear and prompt staff to check medication quantities. However, to ensure the safe administration of medication, staff need to gain written medical confirmation of any deviation from the medication label.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 6 The home has been without a registered manager since March 2021. The provider has not taken effective or timely steps to ensure the appointed manager has registered with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following the internal recruitment of staff, the manager has not accessed their recruitment files. This impacts on the manager’s knowledge and oversight of her staff. When staff’s professional conduct has been investigated, the manager has no systems in place to review or monitor the staff’s future professional practice. Shortfalls in the manager’s oversight of staff means that she cannot be assured of the standard of care being delivered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff report that they are supported by their senior team and say that they receive practice supervision. However, there are shortfalls in the regularity of these sessions, and the content of these discussions is not routinely recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have some systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children. However, these contain limited evaluation of the child’s progress. There remain shortfalls in the accuracy of written entries within the child’s records. These inaccuracies may cause confusion for the child and other staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 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

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)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the person in day-to-day charge of the home registers with Ofsted. 12 December

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (Regulation 8 (1)) 12 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)) 12 December

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)) 12 December Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 8 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

*Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)) 12 December

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b) (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 12 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 31 December Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 9 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)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. The home will, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15 paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that in line with Regulation 23 the registered person ensures that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35 paragraph 7.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24 paragraph 4.21)

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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: SC380956 10

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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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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC380956 11 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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