Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 1 SC035543 Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates this home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to six children. The aim of the home is to prepare children for independence. Where appropriate, staff support children to return home or to foster care. The home is currently being managed by an acting manager who has been in day- to-day charge for the past few months.

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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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Inspection date: 20 December 2021

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 20 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have mixed experiences while living in the home with some children struggling to settle. Children have formed good relationships with staff over time; however, these relationships are often in competition with pulls from the wider community and the children’s family or friends.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff offer a variety of supervised activities to share experiences and strengthen their relationships with the children. The children have a good bond with each. They spend time together with staff on trips out and enjoy each other’s company when at home. This is progress from the previous inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are not engaging with or attending their respective educational placements. Consequently, they are not making progress in respect of educational outcomes. Staff make efforts to offer alternative learning opportunities, but children are frequently not motivated to participate in these. On the occasions that they are, staff seize these opportunities and offer rewards and incentives. Staff are proactive in working with other professionals to identify appropriate schools and colleges for the children to move to.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager ensures that there is appropriate consultation and analysis when admitting new children to the home. Following the admission of one child, effective action was taken to prevent a serious incident from being repeated. However, this has resulted in one child now being accommodated in an unregistered setting.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has benefited from comprehensive plans to support her move out of the home and into her own property. Life skills work was completed with the young person, which has promoted the success of more independent living.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two children have recently left the home on an emergency basis due to concerns for the welfare of others. This resulted in little opportunity to formulate plans and prepare the children to move. While this is not ideal, it was an appropriate response in respect of safeguarding the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals have expressed their concerns about the risks associated with criminalisation and exploitation of some children. Staff work closely with specialists to try to understand and reduce these risks. However, this is not always effective. One child frequently goes missing, often leaving the home during the night for several hours. On these occasions, staff follow plans and search for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 3 While things have been done to try to reduce risk and change this behaviour, some strategies remain untested. Staff share and escalate concerns appropriately, but have not yet been successful in disrupting this routine behaviour by promoting better sleeping patterns during the night.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all incidents relating to fire safety at the home have been notified. This reduces opportunities for the regulator to maintain good oversight and reassurance that the home is safe and that staff’s response is appropriate. Not all children living at the home have participated in a fire drill. Additionally, not all staff have completed fire training. The fire door was damaged in November and is no longer fire safe and has not yet been repaired. In terms of fire safety, all these factors combine to pose an unacceptable level of risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some areas of the home have improved since the last inspection. The bathroom has been refurbished, and the presentation now is pleasant and hygienic. The home was decorated for Christmas and looked attractive and well maintained. This helps to make the children feel valued and cared for.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff routinely lock internal doors overnight and the computer cupboard when not in use. This practice is not necessary for safeguarding purposes and does not promote children’s access to all areas of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has resigned and has not been in day-to-day charge of the home for several months. Staff now describe the home as feeling more stable with the consistent presence of an acting manager. The changes made by the new manager have been welcomed by the staff. Good management review and oversight of the home has led to positive action in addressing the previous requirements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff describe the atmosphere in the home as ‘more settled than it has been for the last year’. Staff speak fondly about the children and were persistent in encouraging one child to move into the home. This helped to progress the child’s care plan. The number of safeguarding incidents and challenges in the home remains high, but the experienced staff work cohesively and show resilience in responding to these. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/01/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

This refers to introducing measures to reduce incidences of children leaving the home during the night, and more effective monitoring of online communication. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working in the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to conducting fire drills with new children and staff at the earliest opportunity, ensuring that repairs to fire doors are expedited, and ensuring that staff’s training in fire safety does not lapse. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 6 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that children have access to all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). 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. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC035543 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Room - AF97, Goole Council Offices, Church Street, Goole, East Yorkshire DN14 5BG

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 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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