Children's home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC034220 1 SC034220 Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It offers pre-planned and emergency short breaks and long-term placements for up to seven children. This service is for children who have a sensory impairment, learning disability or physical disability. The home also offers extended and bespoke packages of care on a shared-care basis. The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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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 the 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 25 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring 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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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2019 Full Outstanding 18/12/2018 Full Outstanding 30/01/2018 Full Outstanding 13/12/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 3

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff are skilled at providing short-break care to children with disabilities. However, due to pressures on the local authority as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have amended their registration to accommodate some children on a full-time basis. This has resulted in shortfalls in the provision of care.

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improvement to be good

Children living in the home do not have secure plans in place for their next steps. Children who plan to leave the home do not yet know where they will move to or when this will happen. It is acknowledged that, for reasons outside of the control of the home, plans for their transition have been significantly delayed. However, the manager has not done enough to provide children with everything they need in the interim period. One child is subject to a deprivation of liberty order which allows for his containment in the home. The delays in securing a plan for this child have left him subject to this level of containment for a significant period. Children are left in limbo, which is impacting on their progress and their experiences of living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Communication is usually a strength in this home but not all children have access to appropriate support to communicate effectively with staff. One child’s primary language is not English. This child is not supported by staff who can speak his language and he does not have access to a translator. The child has additional communication needs but there has been no formal assessment of his needs or abilities. Although staff can communicate with the child on a superficial level, they are unable to answer his questions or communicate in line with his individual needs. This means that the child is left in a state of confusion and, at times, scared.

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improvement to be good

Not all children have access to appropriate education while living in the home. Due to the delays in progressing children’s plans, the manager has not sourced appropriate alternatives. This means that one child is being denied the opportunity to mix with their peers in a school environment, which limits their social interaction with others. Another child is not receiving formal education and there are no plans in place for informal learning. This is having a huge negative impact on their educational progress and social development.

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improvement to be good

The home is not a warm and homely space. One child’s living area was stark, in need of repairs and dirty. There was broken furniture and no homely touches. Another child’s bedroom had broken furniture and a specialist bed which is not required. The outside and communal areas of the home are in need of maintenance and repair, with damage and general wear and tear. It is positive that some of these areas were addressed during the inspection; however this work is ongoing. Children living in such conditions may not feel valued by those caring for them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 4 The home would usually cater for children who need to access a short-breaks service. However, due to the impact of full-time care for some children, the short- breaks service was suspended for a significant period. The short breaks have recently restarted but the home is limited as to what service it can provide. This

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improvement to be good

interruption in service delivery has had a significant impact on children and their families. In some cases, this has left children at an increased risk of harm due to the lack of support for them and their families.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from taking part in activities and experiences they might not otherwise have. Children have days out, create artwork to display in the home and build good relationships with the staff and other children. Children’s experiences are captured in photos which are collated into individual books for the children. This record captures both their memories and the progress they are making in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the children’s health needs are met and that all children have access to universal and specialist health professionals in line with their individual needs. If children are unable to attend appointments, such as optician appointments, staff arrange for these services to visit the home. This ensures that children’s health needs are met.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow the assessed plans for children. For example, one child grabs mobile phones from staff. One agency member of staff was observed using their mobile phone for a significant period while supervising the child. This not only means that an incident may have occurred, but it also demonstrates a lack of care and attention for the child. This could place children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Restraint practice in the home is not recorded in line with the regulations. Staff do not routinely record the efforts made to avoid the use of physical restraint. In addition, methods used to restrain one child are high risk. The use of language in records suggests that they are being used to control behaviour and not to assist the child’s behaviour. There is a lack of evaluation following a restraint to reflect on the use of a restraint and analyse the effectiveness of other prior interventions. This is not safe practice and means that it is not clear if the use of restraint is appropriate or proportionate for this child.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that all agency staff employed to work in the home have been suitably vetted. Some references for those staff have not been checked and verified. This could mean that not all staff working in the home are suitable and this may expose children to harm.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from high levels of supervision in line with their needs. Because of the level of supervision, children are not at risk of contemporary risks, such as substance or alcohol misuse or exploitation. Children do not go missing and are not exposed to negative influences in the community. The staff know the children well and are therefore able to keep them safer. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 5 Staff receive specialist training to meet the complex care and health needs of the children. The storage and administration of medication are well managed, which ensures that children’s needs are well met. Children who suffer from epilepsy and other medical conditions are monitored in line with their plans throughout the day and at night. This allows for a swift response to any medical emergencies. This ensures that children have access to urgent medical care when required. This also

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improvement to be good

gives parents confidence that their children are in safe hands when accessing the service.

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good

The manager has experience of delivering short-break care to children with disabilities as she was previously the deputy manager of the service. However, the manager has not been fully supported to understand her responsibilities in caring for children who are placed in the home full time. The home is not yet organised to deliver this care, which means that not all the children’s needs are being met.

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good

The manager does not maintain enough control over the allocation and practice of agency staff. Agency staff have been employed to care for a very vulnerable child who requires consistency and opportunities to build secure relationships. The use of agency staff means that the child is often cared for by unfamiliar adults. This means they are not able to build consistent relationships. Furthermore, the manager does not directly supervise those staff so opportunities to ensure safe practice are reduced. This means that not all staff are working to the child’s plans and consequently there are inconsistent responses to his needs.

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good

Not all staff receive supervision in line with the organisation’s policy. For new staff, this means that there are gaps in support during their probation period. This inhibits the manager’s oversight of their suitability and practice development.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose does not reflect the services offered to children. The current status of service provision is unclear, and the use of agency staff and their training is not reflected. This means that commissioners do not have an accurate understanding of what the home can offer to children.

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good

The manager and her team are dedicated to providing good care to children and the feedback from both professionals and family has been positive. The home has experienced some demands on the service which have placed additional pressures on the staff team. It is of note that they continue to show resilience and determination as they strive to care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 6

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 29 April 2022

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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; and

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; and 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 7 ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that—

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Requirement Due date

relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and

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Requirement Due date

satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)(vii)(c)(i)(d)(i) (3)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 8 help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children whose first language is not English have access to appropriate translation and communication services so that they can share their views, ask questions and be included in decisions about their care.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vii)) 29 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 9 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 10 the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that emergency admissions should not be taken unless the home’s statement of purpose and its capacity and support systems mean that the service has the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high-quality care to children already living in the home. In particular, ensure that the information in the statement of purpose is up to date and accurately reflects the service. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

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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: SC034220 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Deb Duffy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 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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