Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 1 SC458115 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care for up to nineteen children with learning disabilities. The accommodation and service are divided into two remits, with one offering long-term care and the other operating as a short breaks provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2017.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 15 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2020

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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: SC458115 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2020 Full Good 30/01/2019 Full Good 10/10/2017 Full Outstanding 21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have meaningful and positive relationships with staff. Staff invest time with children and understand their individual needs. Non-verbal children’s methods of communication are understood and used effectively, giving them choice and positive social interactions. One child stated that the staff were the ‘best thing’ about the home, and said, ‘I like them a lot; they really listen and support me.’ Children appeared happy and confident living at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make remarkable progress. Designated staff teams oversee each child’s care arrangements, and this promotes a well-coordinated and individualised approach. The support children receive through key work is targeted and helps them to become more independent in their everyday lives. One child now travels alone to college on the bus and enjoys train trips with friends. Another is looking forward to moving into independent living accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children achieve at school; they continue to attend during their short breaks, and those currently living at the home long-term access education on a full-time basis. A tutor has supported a child who was not in formal education. This continued as the child has now moved on from the home. One child has had a successful transition from a specialist school to mainstream college. Children have a positive daily routine and enjoy their learning. A head teacher commented, ‘I can’t begin to praise the staff enough. I have a very close working relationship at all levels.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The creation of ‘quiet areas’ and a new ‘T-swing’ in the garden ensures that the home is well resourced to meet children’s recreational and sensory needs. Children choose regular activities out of the home, such as swimming, and are now planning their next summer holiday. Subscriptions to specialist play centres allow children to have extra monthly outings and promote children living at the home long term and children who have short breaks to spend time together. Children have fun, enjoy new experiences, and they have positive social interactions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote time with important people and work alongside families. Children spend time with family, and friendships are encouraged. Children are able to re- engage with family members who they have not seen for periods of time. One child’s arrangements for time with family have recently changed. An understanding of staff’s responsibilities in providing outreach support is not fully documented in the child’s care plan. This could mean that staff are unclear of the frequency and nature of contact required, and the outcomes of this support are therefore unknown.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers are responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic and make decisive choices in adapting the services offered. A reduction in the number of children living at the home for a period of time has ensured that those in placement have had consistent care. Staff continue to respond effectively to the risks and health needs of children, Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 4 and to use resources to inform their practice and enable children to understand how COVID-19 effects their daily lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive introductions to the home. Tea visits occur for the short break service and staff take opportunities to meet and observe children before their arrival, such as in school. Children known to short breaks are now again re- accessing this service following the temporary changes made in response to COVID- 19. The manager has missed an opportunity to fully review how their needs may have changed, and to update their placement plans prior to this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well-prepared for their move from the home. Staff ensure that children understand their plans through social stories, and they have opportunities to visit their new home. As a result, children look forward to their next steps and settle down with minimal disruption.

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

A high level of safety, security and supervision helps to keep the children safe. Care plans created by staff for children living at the home are detailed and informative, and they share children’s views on how they want to be cared for. Key information relating to any deprivation of liberty is now available on children’s records. Staff are informed of children’s needs, routines and the arrangements for children’s individualised care needs.

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

A consistent behaviour management programme informs staff’s practice and the care that is provided to children. Staff discuss children’s behavioural needs during team meetings. Incidents are subject to a full evaluation and review. Adjustments to children’s risk assessments take place at the daily coordination meetings and after significant events. Comprehensive safety plans alert staff to children’s individual needs and provide strategies on how they should respond. Staff apply these effectively, and, as a result, the frequency of incidents and the use of physical intervention has significantly reduced.

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

Children seek support from staff who help them to manage their emotions. Children do not frequently self-harm or use ligatures. Staff are responsive when this occurs and review children’s medical needs and the safety of the environment around them. Managers have presented guidance to some staff around managing ligatures in response to the requirement from the assurance visit 15 December 2020. Staff are not yet formally trained. The lack of training in this area has not given assurance that staff are competent in using ligature cutters should an incident occur in the future.

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

Children are supported in line with their level of independence to use electronic devices and mobile phones. The risks around accessing the internet are appropriately assessed. Children learn about the safe use of the internet through regular key-work discussions. This enables children to maintain contact with the home and friends through a mobile phone. Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 5 There are little concerns about children being missing-from-care as there has only been one incident of this nature. The outcomes of an independent return home interview are not recorded and a recently created missing-from-care protocol is incomplete, which could impede future responses.

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

Managers ensure that children are cared for by staff who are suitable and skilled to meet their needs. Safe recruitment procedures are practised, and this is inclusive of the use of temporary workers. Children receive consistent care as some temporary workers have now taken on permanent roles.

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good

Competent deputies support the manager, they are knowledgeable and coordinate their work well. Staff enjoy their work and work cohesively as a team. Staff are appropriately qualified, there are opportunities for career progression and deputy managers undertake management qualifications. This ensures that children are supported by a skilled workforce.

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good

Staff feel supported and receive regular supervision. New workers engage in a comprehensive induction programme that prepares them for the role. The annual appraisal of staff’s performance and fitness to work is overdue.

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good

Professionals and family speak very highly of the care and support children receive. Written compliments record positive views on the progress children make. The manager has not used feedback or the opinions of children, families and professionals to inform their quality of care review, and the report has not been shared with the regulator within the required timescale.

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good

Medication is safely stored and regularly audited. There was one occasion when medication had been administered incorrectly for one child. Staff took swift action to respond to the child’s health needs. Additional training and thorough assessment checks have ensured that staff are competent to undertake this duty.

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good

There are gaps in the manager’s records relating to allegations. On one occasion, a thorough investigation was not documented. The local authority designated officer and Ofsted have not been informed. On another occasion, the manager had not recorded the challenge they had made to staff regarding their responsibility for sharing information about work practice. This does not provide assurance that shortfalls in staff practice are sufficiently addressed.

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good

The manager cannot demonstrate a full assessment of one child’s need prior to them moving in. The home’s suitability to meet the child’s needs and consideration of those already in placement are therefore unclear.

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good

Consideration is given to the suitability of the home’s location. The manager collates key information such as local crime statistics, but these are not included in the Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 6 location risk assessment. The risk assessment also lacks detail about risks such as exploitation and the strategies that need to be used in order to manage these.

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good

The condition and decor of the home is improving since the appointment of a handy-man and cleaner. This has had a positive impact on the routine maintenance of the home. There is a new modern kitchen, and some areas are now brightly decorated with artwork displayed on the walls. The children are now living in a more homely environment that is tailored to their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they document their challenge to staff to improve staff’s response when concerns arise about work practice and the conduct of staff. 1 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and 1 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 8 plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an impact assessment is in place prior to a child’s arrival and that care plans consistently provide staff all necessary guidance. This specifically relates to the care plans for children receiving short breaks services being reviewed when children have not accessed the service for a period of time, that Philomena protocols provide the actions that staff are to take should a child be missing-from-care and the arrangements of their support while on extended home visits.

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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 the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager informing LADO of concerns raised regarding staff practice. 1 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 1 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff undertake training on ligature risk (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person should ensure that following an episode of missing from care a record of the independent return home interview is available (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least annually (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that the location risk assessment includes an analysis of local crime statistics and risks such as exploitation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64,

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Recommendations

paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review includes an understanding of how the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff are considered and ensure that the document is received to Ofsted within 28 days of having been completed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 64 and 65, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.3)

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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: SC458115 10

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Alex Howitt, Social Care Inspector Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 11 regulates and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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