Children's home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 1 SC439535 Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to five children with social or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2013.

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

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 14 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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

good

Date of last inspection: 25 February 2020

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/09/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/07/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff form good relationships with children. However, the children’s experiences and progress are mixed. Not all children said they are happy in the home. One child said that they feel their needs can no longer be met because they believe that some staff do not fully understand these. Work to help the child to understand how their views of their needs may differ from the views of professionals is ineffective. This prevents the child from continuing to make progress.

p.3

improvement to be good

The current monitoring measures of the home environment are not sufficient to ensure that living standards are always good for children. Electrical cables were covered by clothes in one bedroom, and there was mould on the window seal in another bedroom. A shower cubicle in one bathroom had limescale. A mattress and a door were left in the garden. These poor living conditions have the potential to negatively affect the children’s physical and mental health. Equally, they do not provide an opportunity for the children to recognise what are acceptable living standards.

p.3

improvement to be good

Several experienced members of staff have left the home since the assurance visit in October 2020. One child said, ‘It’s upsetting seeing staff that you have bonded with leave.’ Leaders and managers understand that this affects children and are creating stability in the staff team to help children to build positive relationships with the new staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children make progress in education because staff support their engagement and prioritise this aspect of their development. Some children have successfully completed GCSEs and moved on to study A levels or a vocational course. This helps to increase children’s opportunities later on in life.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff supported children to remain active during the COVID-19 restrictions by taking them for walks. With the easing of restrictions, children now enjoy activities such as going to the cinema, performing arts and day trips to the seaside. This improves the children’s social skills and confidence.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to develop independence skills, including budgeting, shopping and cooking. Staff gradually help children to move on from the home in a planned way, and support children to visit their new placements. This means that the children are more likely to settle into their new home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to see their families. This ensures that children maintain family ties and positive relationships. As a result, children do not feel isolated from the people who are important to them. Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Risk-management systems are not effective. Although risk assessments are regularly updated and reviewed, not all current risks for one child are understood by staff. For example, there are no risk assessments identifying the child’s hazardous bedroom environment or strategies to manage this. This means that presenting risks are not reduced, potentially leaving children at risk of harm.

p.4

improvement to be good

Not all staff are equipped with the skills that they may need to promote the welfare of the children in the home. Some staff have not completed training linked to the children’s individual needs. For example, self-harm, harmful sexualised behaviour and internet safety. This means that not all staff are sufficiently trained to respond to children’s risks or needs.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff promote positive behaviour by using praise and verbal encouragement to help children to behave well. This approach ensures that there are no sanctions or restraints used in the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff follows safe practice. All new employee checks and verifications are completed. This means that the managers are confident that staff are suitable to work with children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children begin to learn how to keep themselves safe and benefit from key-work sessions with staff. These cover a wide range of topics, including online safety and safe relationships.

p.4

good

The manager is suitably qualified for the role and is supported by a deputy manager. The staff are committed to helping children.

p.4

good

Leaders and managers do not ensure that the home operates in line with its statement of purpose. This document states that each child will have a ‘therapeutic formulation plan’. However, records show that children currently living in the home do not have these plans. The manager has not completed training in this area. This shortfall means that placing authorities and families are not provided with accurate information to enable them to decide whether the home can meet the needs of their children effectively before they move in.

p.4

good

The manager completes a quality-of-care review and provides a copy to Ofsted every six months. However, the review does not always include feedback from children, staff or professionals. This means that opportunities are missed to explore other ways to promote better outcomes for children.

p.4

good

Staff benefit from regular informal and formal supervision. A reflective approach is used which offers staff space to discuss the needs of the children and their Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 5 own well-being. Staff spoke highly of the support from their manager and feel part of a team.

p.4

good

The home has positive relationships with social workers, teachers and other agencies. This provides children with joined-up care and support. Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(vii)) 25 February 2022

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 25 February 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. 25 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 7 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In order to complete the quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5)) 25 February 2022

p.7

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: SC439535 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC439535 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9