Amber House

Inspection report children's home: SC356604 1 SC356604 Registered provider: Pebbles Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company and provides care for up to four children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2020.

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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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC356604 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2019 Full Outstanding 15/05/2018 Full Outstanding 16/05/2017 Full Outstanding 18/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC356604 3

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outstanding

Children’s future life opportunities are significantly enhanced by the quality of care that they receive. They benefit tremendously from the consistent, stable and loving relationships that they have with staff. This enables children to develop, explore who they are, and develop a sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Children are actively encouraged by staff to participate and contribute towards decisions made about their care. Staff listen to children’s views and ensure that the right support is in place for them. As a result, children are flourishing in all aspects of their lives.

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outstanding

Staff have made significant efforts to create a homely and interactive environment for the children. An example of this is the ‘Positivity Tree’, where children and staff can add their thoughts to its branches. This enables children to express their views or worries indirectly if they find this easier. The manager has established an ethos in the home that has the children’s emotional well-being as its primary focus.

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outstanding

The manager is meticulous when planning for children to arrive at the home. This helps to ensure that children have the best possible start to their time at the home.

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outstanding

The manager is quick to respond to issues that affect the children’s focus in school. One professional from a virtual school stated, ‘The home is amazing, the staff advocate massively for the child.’ The manager instils ambition among the staff team to have high expectations for the children. This has helped to inspire all children to make progress with their learning.

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outstanding

Staff are skilled and creative in enhancing children’s opportunities to learn at home. Staff achieve this subtly by turning what can be mundane tasks into learning opportunities for the children. An example being encouraging children to manage money when they assist with the household food shop. This approach from staff equips children with vital life skills.

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outstanding

Relationships are a key strength and children have forged strong attachments with the staff. Staff talk with children about how to manage their frustrations. Children are actively encouraged by staff to be solution focused. The effectiveness of this approach is evident as children are happy and settled.

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outstanding

Staff are confident with addressing and responding to risk. Staff are successful in supporting children to become more self-aware. This means that children make progress with their respective care plans in areas such as networking in the Inspection report children's home: SC356604 4 community. Risk management is not punitive but dynamic. This means that children are more likely to learn and respond to staff support when they feel challenged.

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outstanding

The manager has ensured that the team does not work in isolation in its efforts to support the children. The manager has made extensive efforts to integrate the home into the local community and has established good working relationships with professionals such as the police. This enables the team to work closely alongside the police to address concerns as they arise.

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outstanding

Staff consistently encourage children to lead healthy and active lifestyles. Staff provide an appropriate level of support to the minority of children who use, or have used, tobacco or illicit substances. This includes staff supporting children to access external specialist support. This helps to ensure that children’s health needs are addressed promptly.

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outstanding

Staff swiftly address behaviours that they perceive to be bullying. A resonant strength noted by the inspector was the team’s shared values associated with acceptance and tolerance. Staff support children to embrace difference. This makes children feel safe, valued and protected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is skilled, committed and experienced in leading his team. The deputy manager also further strengthens the home’s management position. The deputy manager provides effective support and cover for the manager, which promotes the smooth and efficient operation of the home. The manager and his deputy combine very well as an effective management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team has equipped staff with confidence and awareness to address sensitive and complex issues with children. Staff feel able to speak openly with management and contribute to the children’s care planning. These factors combined have helped to create a nurturing and dynamic team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is passionate about his role and the team that he leads. The manager has a firm grip on all aspects associated with the functioning of the team and is highly supportive of his staff. Staff align themselves to the values that the manager projects. The manager is forward thinking and has a vision to continually improve the team’s skills and the resources that they have for the benefit of the children that they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that the daily staff handover is thorough and clear, which leads to clear planning for the day. Staff are determined to make effective decisions that support children’s progress. This ensures that any worries or anxieties that children may have do not fester, as staff are responsive to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that record-keeping in the home is clear and legible. Staff understand their individual roles and their duty of care to the children. This ensures Inspection report children's home: SC356604 5 that all members of the team are accountable for the care that they provide to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Incidents that occur in the home are infrequent. Yet, when they do occur, the manager supports staff through a reflective debrief. This ensures that staff are supported to reflect and develop their practice. The debrief process also equips staff with skills to support children to recover and learn from incidents that they are involved in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision sessions are meaningful and valued by the staff team. The manager ensures that staff have protected time to reflect on their care of the children and to focus on their personal development. However, the manager has identified that there is not a viable system in place for the annual appraisal of staff performance. The manager has implemented a plan going forward. The manager recognises that failing to put this in place could stifle staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team takes every opportunity to ensure that the staff team works consistently. The management team uses forums such as team meetings to ensure that there is accountability and input from across the team. Managers expect and encourage staff to make contributions in team meetings. This ensures that there is a shared ownership throughout the team towards the functioning of the home. Inspection report children's home: SC356604 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC356604 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

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC356604 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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