Children's Home run by Laska Care and Education Ltd in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 1 Registered provider: Laska Care And Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned and run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to two children aged between 11 and 17. The aim of the home is to help children to develop the skills and ability to move on to supported living, semi-independent living, or fully independent living.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2020.

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 good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 14 September 2021

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: compliance notices were issued following the previous inspection. A monitoring visit took place on 27 October 2021 and agreed the compliance notices were met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. They have positive relationships with the staff team who work consistently with them. This gives children the secure and stable base they need to develop.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support to engage in education. When children struggle with this the staff team are tenacious in their approach to provide them with different opportunities. The staff respond quickly when children share their aspirations and ensure that plans are put in place to engage them. The staff work tirelessly with other professionals to ensure that plans in place are right for the children. One child now has perfect attendance at school and has made plans for their further education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a safe space to explore their identity. Children express themselves openly and experiment with who they are. The staff challenge discrimination from other professionals such as school, or from peers. This ensures that children’s identity is recognised and builds on their self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in plans for when they leave the home. This includes giving children the skills they need to be able to move on successfully. Working with the children and supporting them when they transition has ensured that this has been a successful move for them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a better understanding of who are positive influences in their lives and manage this better. Children are now starting to feel comfortable in the home and have regular friends and family visit. This is due to staff helping them to accept who they are and making it a homely place to be, reducing any negative association some children have with living in a children’s home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions support children to discuss numerous topics. Some of these are planned and some are reactive to situations. All are of a high quality and are creative, for example, using visual aids to discuss safe and unsafe items. This gives children the knowledge and information they need to make informed choices.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in their own communities and staff recognise that for some children this may not be the local community they live in. Staff support children to be able to maintain this while they build links with their new area. This helps children to feel valued and builds their self-esteem and identity.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children contribute to their own care plans created by the home to make sure that they meet their current needs. However, one child does not have a pathway plan and the manager has not challenged this. This prevents formal plans being in place from the local authority to prepare the child for their next step. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 4 Children’s records have improved. They are more child focused and capture their day in a way in that they will be able to look back on positively. Staff take pictures of children on activities but these do not contribute to tangible evidence of their time and memories from the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals value the home’s input and support for the children. They are complimentary in how staff advocate for children and meet their needs.

p.4

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

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are well known and understood by staff. Risk assessments provide clear guidance on how to support children. Strategy sheets give staff quick access and reminders of how to respond. As a result, staff respond consistently to children and this helps to reduce risk.

p.4

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

Sanctions are used sparingly to help support children to take responsibility for their actions. The staff are creative and work with children to implement how they can make amends. These are evaluated to ensure that they are relevant and to prevent them from causing additional safeguarding issues.

p.4

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

Incidents of self-harm have significantly reduced. Staff know and understand triggers for the children and put extra support in place to minimise the impact of potentially distressing events. The manager actively seeks support from other professionals to ensure that children receive the care they need.

p.4

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

The manager reviews and evaluates all incidents. Staff debriefs take place to help staff reflect, learn and develop. Discussions with children help to find any other areas of improvement. Any changes made at the request of the child are put in place while not affecting staff’s safeguarding responsibilities.

p.4

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

Missing episodes are managed well. The risks for one child have decreased significantly as have the associated risks with exploitation. The staff team is proactive in sharing information with other professionals to ensure that potential signs of exploitation are identified. This helps to protect children from harm.

p.4

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

When one child became unsafe in the community, staff took immediate action. The staff worked with other professionals to put plans in place and kept this under constant review to ensure that they were relevant. Although the child moved on from the home, this was managed well by staff. The child was able to make a positive transition out of the home which was in line with their wishes.

p.4

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

Staff manage incidents of substance misuse well. They know the procedures to follow and do this while also seeking support from other agencies. Children understand that drugs have a negative impact on their health and support is in place to address this.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 5 The management team has worked hard to improve the leadership and management of the home. They have taken on board feedback from the previous inspection and embedded this into their practice. The management team has the time to make continuous improvements to the operation of the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is confident in challenging other professionals when they have not shared information that could have affected their ability to safeguard children. The manager also identified and addressed the quality of recordings to ensure that discussions with others are accurately recorded. This supports her to challenge others more effectively.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions are reflective and provide staff with time to discuss the children and any issues as well as helping them to develop their skills. The use of personal development plans gives staff clear targets as to expectations and how to achieve these. The manager gives staff the time and support they need to meet their targets.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place monthly to share changes, any areas of improvement and provide the staff with opportunities to discuss the children and the home. Staff feel confident to share any concerns or issues and management responds positively to this. Staff respond consistently to the children as well as continuing to develop and learn from each other.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are up to date with their training and feel that any training they need is sourced for them. Level 3 diplomas are on track with clear timescales in place. The deputy manager is also enrolled on her Level 5 to further support her development and progression.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regulation 44 reports are evaluative and identify any areas of improvement. The manager uses this information to continue to improve the quality of care. Recommendations have reduced because of the manager improving her own auditing tools.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Significant incidents have not always been notified to Ofsted or have been delayed. All other professionals have been notified without delay and therefore there is no impact on the oversight of the home from others. However, this is not in line with regulations.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented numerous new systems to organise records which supports staff to have access immediately to items they need. This also enables audits to be more effective. As a result of this, the manager has improved oversight and is implementing changes to continuously adapt and improve the quality of care for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work well together. They are supportive of each other and eager to help due to the support given to them from management. The implementation of the employee of the month is helping to motivate them and capturing how well they are doing. The management team understands the emotional impact of incidents and Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 6 ensures that staff have support. Recent cases of COVID-19 and health issues within the management team has been managed well and as a result it has not affected the running of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 7

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children who are eligible have a pathway plan in place. Staff should advocate for this to be in place and contribute to the completion of this, alongside the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.28)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant events, including memory books. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents specified in Regulation 40 (4) are notified to Ofsted and without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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: 2593046 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Laska Care And Education Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Euroway House, Roysdale Way, Bradford BD4 6SE

p.8

Inspector

Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 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