Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 1 SC066747 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care for up to five children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2021.

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

Inspection date: 10 February 2022

Date of last inspection: 21 December 2021

p.1

Inspection date: 10 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 10 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 2

p.1

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.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The same five children continue to live in this home. Their experiences and progress since the last inspection have varied. Some children have been involved in further incidents in the home and community which have placed them at risk. The registered manager has notified Ofsted in a timely way and provides regular updates. This helps the inspector to monitor children’s progress and ensure that care plans help to keep them safe.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager discusses children’s progress with a range of professionals including psychologists and specific police officers who know the children well. The registered manager attends strategy meetings. This results in appropriate plans being put in place to safeguard children living in this home.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff spoken to know the children and their risks well. They are committed to providing the children with good care. However, during a period when agency workers supported significant staff sickness, staff did not follow one child’s behaviour management plan. Staff contacted the police on several occasions requesting support to manage one child’s behaviour. This resulted in the child being arrested for the first time and experiencing increased anxiety.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team is now more stable, with staff returning to work. Staff recognise that one child requires nurturing and consistent boundaries. Staff supervise children, but they still do not anticipate and de-escalate situations as effectively as they could. Some children display verbally and physically aggressive behaviour towards each other and staff in the home. One child was hurt in the community while staff were with her. Children’s experiences of staff keeping them safe are not always positive.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child avoids potential confrontations in the house by remaining in his bedroom. He will talk to staff about his feelings following an incident in the home. Not all children are provided with daily positive experiences to support them when other children are unsettled. This does not help all children to reach their potential.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager ensures that damage caused by children to the house is repaired. However, some damage remains, for example a broken curtain pole in a child’s bedroom. This does not provide the child with a homely bedroom where his dignity is respected.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff complete bedroom searches when they receive information indicating a new risk. However, during the visit, the inspector found a broken metal window handle in one bedroom. Staff had not identified this as a potential weapon and removed it Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 3 during a daily bedroom check. This placed children and staff at risk of potential harm.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff update children’s risk assessments, but the effectiveness of this varies. Staff do not consistently update information across all areas of the risk assessment. Staff recorded risks and protective measures in place following one child’s recent criminal activity. Staff have not, however, updated the risk assessment with regard to increased frequency of, and risks associated with, missing episodes. This does not link the child’s behaviour to potential child criminal exploitation within the risk assessment.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff worked with one child’s social worker to significantly improve the child’s safety plan. Staff spoken to during the inspection know how to respond to different circumstances to keep the child safe when she is away from the home. However, staff do not always record their actions as clearly as they should. Although there has been no impact to children’s safety, this does not evidence, on one occasion, that staff adhered fully to all steps in the safety plan when the child was missing.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has overseen ligature cutting training for all staff, including agency and bank workers. Staff have recorded that training has been completed. However, the registered manager has not ensured that the location of the ligature cutters and guidance on using them are within the risk assessment. This does not inform new staff of arrangements, or act as a reminder for staff reading updated risk assessments. More positively, there have been no significant threats or incidents of self-harm since the last inspection. This shows that staff are helping children to manage their distress more effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(xi))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This relates to staff having the skills and relationships with children to anticipate situations and de-escalate children’s behaviour.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This relates to staff managing a child’s behaviour in accordance with their plan. 19 March 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 5 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 6 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that each child’s risk assessment contains up-to-date information for all areas of risk.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to providing guidance within the risk assessment to inform staff of how to respond if a child uses a ligature.

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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to completing and recording daily bedroom checks to remove anything that could cause harm to a child or others. 19 March 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring windows are furnished to provide a homely bedroom and dignity for a child.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to considering the impact of all children’s experiences living in the home and providing additional positive opportunities which help children to fulfil their potential. 19 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should support staff to be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful and clear recording in risk assessments and when children are missing. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.7

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.

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 for children’s home: SC066747 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC066747 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