Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 1 SC356868 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to accommodate up to five children with social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2008.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2019 Full Good 31/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/05/2017 Full Outstanding 08/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The staff at this home are committed in their approach and want to provide children with a positive experience. However, the team is not yet delivering good enough care. Staff are unable to consistently influence the children to engage with the help that is available to them. Having limited staffing has reduced the team’s ability to make a difference to the children’s lives. The home does not give children a sense of belonging. Children do not have a relationship with their peers and spend long periods isolated in their bedrooms.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have access to the local health services. One child is benefiting from clinical support from a child psychologist. However, staff are unable to positively influence the other children to access the specialist psychological help that is available to them. This limits the children’s ability to make progress with their social and emotional well-being.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff have worked with the education professionals to ensure that children have the opportunity to enrol at college. However, some children have been out of education for prolonged periods of time. Children’s attendance and engagement vary from week to week. For example, one child has consistently attended their college placement, but the other children’s attendance is more sporadic.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff have helped children to live at this home for sustained periods of time. This has provided the children with some stability after experiencing a number of disruptions prior to moving in. This has not been without challenge. One social worker said, ‘Staff have stuck with [name of child], despite there being continued challenges to keep him safe whilst in the community.’

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff speak to the children and complete direct work about making positive decisions about their future. This includes chats about keeping safe in the community, the dangers of substance misuse, training and employment. These discussions are helping the children to recognise what they need to do to fulfil their aspirations of living independently.

p.3

improvement to be good

There is an ongoing programme of decoration in the home. The main communal areas of the home do not feel homely. However, this is now being improved which is helping to create a more welcoming environment for children.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children’s engagement in positive activities is limited, though staff do offer regular opportunities for children to have fun. This has included them watching movies at the cinema and going out for meals to their favourite restaurants. One child is supported to play snooker. The child said, ‘I love it. Staff support me to go each week to the local club.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Some children are frequently missing from the home. The staff have not always been able to reduce these behaviours through positive distraction. Children are at an increased risk of harm as they continue to be absent from home.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager does not have an effective system for monitoring the significant number of missing from home incidents. The lack of management oversight of such incidents does not ensure emerging patterns of concern can be identified. Also, staff do not have up-to-date training on child exploitation. This limits the manager’s ability to evaluate as to whether children are at risk of harm through child sexual or criminal exploitation.

p.4

improvement to be good

Improved missing from home protocols now provide clearer direction to staff about what action to take when a child is missing from the home. Staff shortages have led to additional support from an agency to help the team at night. This strengthens the staff’s ability to respond to safeguarding incidents if children do not return to the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Feedback from other professionals has been critical about the team. Staff have not always followed the children’s plans or attended safeguarding meetings. However, the children’s social workers have recognised an improvement in the team’s safeguarding practice over recent months. One social worker said, ‘Things are better. They are working well with the other partner agencies.’ Overall, professionals are satisfied with the level of communication from the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Some children continue to misuse substances. One child continues to smoke in their bedroom. This could present a fire risk in the home. Staff try to engage children in learning about these dangers, but this has not resulted in any changes.

p.4

improvement to be good

The children’s risk assessments do not provide sufficient guidance to staff about how they can help children to better regulate their emotions. The staff have not devised behaviour support plans for children. The current plans are not aligned to the staff team’s behaviour management strategy. This means that there is no clear strategy on how staff should help children when they are in crisis. This may result in inconsistent help for children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Incidents of bullying between the children are challenged by staff. However, they have not been effective in helping children to develop positive relationship with their peers. This leaves some children feeling uneasy and uncomfortable.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff use physical intervention when needed to protect children and staff from harm. However, records do not always clarify how the threshold for restraint was reached. The records relating to the debrief with the staff members involved in the hold are also very brief. When the manager has been involved in a hold, no independent person has spoken to the child. This is not in line with the regulations and leaves children vulnerable to harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 5

p.4

good

The manager has suitable knowledge and experience to lead his team. He is ambitious for children and wants the best outcomes for the children. The manager’s ability to deliver effective care to children has been limited because of staff shortages. The provider has plans to increase the sufficiency of staffing, but this is yet to be achieved. This has had an impacted on the aspirational culture and the morale of the staff team.

p.5

good

Staff have regular supervision, team meetings, and generally feel well supported. Team meetings are further strengthened because of the input from a clinical support team. Staff have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the children’s needs. This helps them to have a better understanding about the children’s journey and their early life experiences.

p.5

good

The independent visitor’s reports have highlighted several shortfalls in the management of this home. Accessing information in the home has been a major challenge for the independent visitor. Records and documents relating to the quality of care and children’s experiences have not always been made readily available by the manager. This does not support effective external scrutiny of the practice at the home. The monthly reports have also been submitted late to the regulator on many occasions. This lack of transparency could result in children being at increased risk of harm.

p.5

good

The children’s records are poorly organised and there is limited information in relation to the help that is provided to them by staff. Records are also poor in quality and limit the children’s ability to have accurate memories about their time living at this home. The manager cannot be reassured that children are being effectively supported as the help they are being given is not consistently recorded.

p.5

good

The manager does not consult children about how to improve the quality of their care. This does not offer children an opportunity to have their voice heard or feel valued.

p.5

good

The manager has not always informed Ofsted of serious incidents, and notifications are often late. This prevents the regulator from monitoring the home’s safeguarding practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans include clear strategies for staff on how to reduce the risk of harm to children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that staff effectively manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. This includes responding effectively to incidents of bullying.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must devise a system to review and monitor the quality and effectiveness of risk management strategies, including children missing from home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that staff receive up-to- date training to assist them to safeguard children. This specifically includes training on child exploitation. 2 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 7 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(d)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, registered person should ensure that decisive and prompt action is taken to meet the above, and to:

p.7

Requirement Due date

 create an aspirational culture in the home where children are supported to make progress by an effective staff team;

p.7

Requirement Due date

 quality assure all records to ensure that they are completed to a consistently good standard;

p.7

Requirement Due date

 ensure that staff help children with regular and effective key-work responsive support of their needs;

p.7

Requirement Due date

 ensure that information is readily available to the independent visitor during the monthly monitoring visits of the home. 2 January 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 2 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 8 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.8

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.8

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.8

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.8

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.8

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)(a)(ii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that this record is scrutinised and evaluated to ensure practice is necessary, proportionate, safe and effective.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that evaluation of physical interventions is conducted by someone appropriately senior that was involved in them. 2 January 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that information in the report is accurate. 2 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 9

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, when completing the quality of the care review, the children are consulted about their experiences of living at the home and the impact the care is having on their lives. The registered person should ensure that the report is submitted to the regulator at least once every six months. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

p.9

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 for children’s home: SC356868 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sheffield City Council, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

p.10

Inspector

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 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.

p.10

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.11

Inspector

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

p.11

Inspector

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

p.11