Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 1 Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned and operated by a private provider. The home offers short-, medium-and long-term placements for one child who may have low self- esteem, who displays challenging behaviours or who has experienced repeated placement breakdowns.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since June 2021 and is in the process of being registered with Ofsted. The manager holds the required level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Full Good 13/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living in the home receives good-quality, individualised care from a committed and nurturing small staff team. These caring relationships enable the child to form positive and trusting relationships with the staff in the home. As a result, the child develops a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised by the staff. Staff ensure that the child is transported to school daily and is involved and engaged in day-to-day school activities. As a result, the child is making measurable progress from their starting point.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the child’s physical health by supporting them to remain active and providing a wide range of nutritious food. Staff ensure that the child attends all routine medical appointments. Because of this, the child’s health is maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to build positive memories of their stay in the home. The child enjoys a range of activities, such as going to the cinema, day trips to places of interest and taking part in karate lessons. This helps to build the child’s confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child contributes well to the running of the home. Staff hold weekly chats with the child, which enables them to share their views. As result of these discussions, more space was created to enable the child to have a study and a sensory area within the home. Consequently, this reinforces that the child is listened to and that staff are interested in their welfare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in promoting the child to safely see friends and family. Where barriers occur, staff work well with the family to try to find solutions. This helps to ensure that the child maintains close connections with important people in their life.

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

The child is well cared for by staff. Staff are highly skilled in identifying risks and ensure that the child is supported to become increasingly safe.

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

Risk assessment documentation is up to date and regularly reviewed. The identification of risk is clearly recorded in the child’s plans. This ensures that the staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff complete key-work sessions which are linked to the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff evaluate the impact of these key-worker sessions in team meetings. These reflective discussions ensure that staff develop relevant skills to better support the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 4 Staff have a good understanding of the therapeutic model used in the home. This approach enables staff to support the child to manage emotions better. As a result, there are no restraints or incidents of physical intervention in the home.

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

There are shortfalls in the recording of the management of allegations. The discussions with the designated officer for the local authority are not recorded appropriately. This means that the manager is not in a position to evaluate these events effectively to ensure that the child is better protected.

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

While there is evidence of safer recruitment, this could not be verified in all circumstances. This shortfall means that the manager has no assurance that all staff who work in the home are suitably vetted and qualified to provide care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change in management and the new manager has been in post since June 2021. The new manager holds a level 5 qualification relevant to the role and is in the process of being registered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious and is child-focused. She knows the service strengths well and has a vision for areas of development. In the main, the monitoring systems used by the manager are effective. However, there are some minor shortfalls. For example, not all case records are signed, dated or accurately reflect the staff working at the home. The manager acknowledges this shortfall and is in the process of addressing this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff are well supported to undertake their roles effectively. Staff have all undertaken the relevant mandatory training and new staff receive a structured induction programme. This helps to ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to support the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and reflective supervision. Supervision records are detailed and evaluate both the progress of the child and the welfare of staff. This means that staff have the right support to improve practice and promote the welfare of the child effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the child. She works closely with other professionals to ensure that the needs of the child are met. The positive relationship between services ensures that their communication is effective and the child’s outcomes have improved. Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 5

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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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 31 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)) 31 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that case records are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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 for children’s home: 1275188 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1275188 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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