Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 1 SC039414 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 home is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

An acting manager has been appointed to manage the home in the absence of a registered manager. An application to register has not yet been made to Ofsted, as required.

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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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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be 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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 November 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 2 A full inspection was undertaken on 10 November 2021. The findings from that inspection confirmed that leaders and managers had not been effective in managing this home. Serious shortfalls were identified relating to safeguarding practice and management oversight. This resulted in children receiving inadequate care and having poor experiences. The registered provider was issued with compliance notices and requirements to improve.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was completed on 5 January 2022. The inspector found that progress had been made and most of the compliance notice requirements had been met, apart from elements of regulation 12. This was reissued. Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/11/2021 Full Inadequate 15/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/01/2019 Full Outstanding 22/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 4

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improvement to be good

The quality of care for the children living at this home is not yet good enough. The children spoken to said that they continue to have frustrations about the inconsistencies in the way that staff care for them day to day.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not fully understand the children’s needs, which has resulted in the children having continued struggles in areas relating to their personal hygiene and care. For one child, there has been a continued delay in addressing their cultural needs, which has resulted in the child experiencing frustration and dismay.

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improvement to be good

The staff help the children to see their families and keep their parents up to date about their day-to-day experiences. However, the parents spoken to were critical about the effectiveness of the staff team and feel their children have made limited progress while living at this home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the children to go to school. Staff communicate effectively with schools, which is helping one child to work towards taking their GSCE exams. Another child had a brief increase in school attendance, which had not occurred before. The working relationship that staff have with educational professionals ensures that plans can be agreed for children in relation to their individual learning needs.

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improvement to be good

The children benefit from structured weekly planners and they are also able to choose the food they like to eat. The staff have been working hard to strike a balance in the home with regards to meeting the children’s individual requests. However, at times, this can cause friction and has negatively impacted upon the children’s relationships as staff are yet to help them with group discussions about living together.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk with the children more frequently than before about important subjects such as school, behaviour and their health needs. However, conversations lack focus on key areas that are prevalent in the children’s lives, such as personal hygiene and care, substance misuse, and the challenges of group living, which includes being tolerant of one another. This does not help children to develop the strategies needed to make sustained progress.

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improvement to be good

There have been some improvements to the home environment, with pictures now hanging on the walls, which helps it to feel more homely. There are several minor repairs that need to be addressed as this detracts from the effort that is being made to improve the environment. The children’s bedrooms are personalised, although there are large fire alarm horns, which make the rooms feel unnecessarily institutional. Children are reluctant to allow staff to help them tidy their bedrooms, Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 5 which means that bedding is not being changed as often as it should be, and rooms are often very untidy.

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improvement to be good

The children say they feel safer living at this home than before, since there has been more stability from the staff team in recent months. Staff have focused on establishing routines and boundaries, which has helped the children to become more settled.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of restraint, children being missing from home, and allegations against staff are now infrequent. When incidents have occurred, they have been well managed.

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improvement to be good

The quality of staff’s recording about incidents that have occurred has improved, and records are now more accurate and provide better detail. This allows managers to evaluate the effectiveness of staff’s practice and be assured that safeguarding procedures are followed. Consequently, children are being effectively safeguarded because of the actions and decisions that staff make.

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improvement to be good

Conflict between children is usually managed in isolation. This means that children are not always brought together to address their differences. This does not help them to develop the communication skills needed to resolve matters restoratively.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff have had training in the provider’s chosen restraint practice techniques. Also, these staff have not been debriefed on what action they should take should a child need to be supported with physical intervention. This leaves children at risk of being injured, and staff vulnerable to allegations.

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improvement to be good

The quality of children’s risk assessments is inconsistent. Not all of these records provide good enough insight into the children’s behaviours, and they still lack the guidance required for staff to respond to individual incidents. Not all of the warning signs with regards to the risks from exploitation and children’s emotional well-being have been added to raise staff’s awareness. This could result in concerns for the children’s safety being overlooked.

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improvement to be good

Talking to the children about the dangers of using the internet and social media is not yet an established part of the team’s safeguarding culture or ethos. This means that staff do not fully understand the children’s awareness of how to keep safe online.

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improvement to be good

The provider has not arranged for an environmental assessment to be completed for one child who has a diagnosis of autism. Therefore, the impact of the setting on their sensory needs is not fully known. This may limit the progress that the child makes and cause unnecessary emotional distress. Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 6

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good

There is a newly appointed manager who is ambitious and has a vision for the service. The manager has yet to embed the fundamentals needed to establish good childcare practice. However, the previous acting manager provided leadership to the team, which created some stability for staff and a sense of safety for the children.

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good

There is an ongoing programme of recruitment to rebuild the depleted staff team. Some new staff have been appointed and longer-serving staff have also returned to work after a period of absence. The gaps in the team have been mostly filled by agency staff who are known to the children. This has reduced the impact of the staffing changes on children and on the existing staff team, who were previously working long hours.

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good

Staff are happier in their roles and speak positively about the home, recognising the improvements that have been made over recent months. One staff member said, ‘The atmosphere is better, and behaviours aren’t as challenging. This is because the leadership has improved. There are more activities for the children, and more support for them with going to school.’

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good

The children’s social workers have raised concerns about the challenges when communicating with the team. Information about the children is not always shared within the team, and it can be lost and often needs to be repeated. This does not provide assurances that children are kept safe and creates inconsistency, which has impacted upon the children’s day-to-day care.

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good

The children do not have in place up-to-date in-house care plans that are aligned to their needs. This significantly reduces the team’s ability to evaluate the effectiveness and impact that their care has on the children’s progress.

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good

Core staff members receive regular supervision. However, agency workers do not receive supervision to support them with the demands of the role. This overlooks the importance of having reflective conversations with them about the needs of the children and limits the impact they can have within the team.

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good

There are several gaps in the completion of mandatory training courses, including an absence of learning on more specialised subjects, such as cultural awareness, autism, and child development and trauma. The specialist input for staff from a psychological support team, as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose, is rarely made available to this team. This does not support staff to have the knowledge and skills needed to manage the children’s complex needs.

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good

The independent visitor attends the home each month and the reports are submitted to the regulator in a timely manner. The visitor is curious and scrutinises the quality of care for the children and evaluates the effectiveness of the team’s safeguarding practice. This provides reassurance to the regulator that the independent monitoring of the home provides protection to the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 7 The manager does not yet have in place a system for seeking regular feedback from the parents and professionals, which would help them to make further improvements. This may limit the development of the team and the progress that the children make. Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 8

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

the children’s plans reflect their needs and provide the staff with the direction needed to help them to make progress;

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Requirement Due date

that staff understand the children’s needs and ensure that they provide effective support for their emotional, social and psychological well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

that staff help children with regular key work that is focused on their identified needs. For example, the dangers of 1 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 9 substance misuse, personal hygiene and care, and life skills relevant to the child’s age and development needs.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child has in place an up-to-date environmental and sensory assessment completed, to ensure that the help and care that is being provided is aligned to the child’s assessed needs. 1 May 2022

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

the children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans provide the staff with guidance and direction with what action they should take to help children to cope with difficult emotions;

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments must identify the children’s current risks and the actions that staff need to take to reduce and manage the associated dangers; and

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Requirement Due date

the manager must have a clear action plan/risk assessment that provides direction to staff who are not trained on de- escalation and restraint techniques. 1 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 10 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(f)(g)(i)) 1 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that agency staff have the same level of support and supervision as other staff that are employed by the provider. 1 May 2022

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 1 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 11 the quality of care provided for children.

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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) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a homely, nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that repairs are carried out regularly, and the fire alarm horns are removed from children’s bedrooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the team adopts as part of its safeguarding culture and ethos regular conversations and focused key work with children to help them understand the dangers of the internet and social media. The registered person should also ensure that staff know each child’s level of risk so they can put in place agreed strategies to help them keep safe online. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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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: SC039414 12

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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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Inspector

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC039414 13 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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