Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 1 SC035499 Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. The home provides medium- to long- term residential care for up to six children. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home and one child was living elsewhere, although still formally accommodated at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant. The deputy manager is undertaking day-to- day interim management of the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 25 January 2022 to carry out a full inspection and monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2022

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/10/2021 Full Inadequate 19/11/2019 Full Good 05/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 3

p.2

inadequate

Children’s experiences have not always been positive while living in the home. On occasion the need to place children has been prioritised over matching considerations. This has led to a mix of children who do not always get on and there is often conflict between them. There are also incidents involving violence towards staff and damage to the property. Managers and staff describe the home as feeling unsettled and hectic.

p.3

inadequate

New children moving into the home has resulted in others being moved out without sufficient time to prepare, either practically or emotionally. Sometimes, this has led to children being moved into temporary and unregulated accommodation. This does not support stability for children.

p.3

inadequate

Changes in staff, a high use of agency staff, and poorly matched admissions coincided with a deterioration in one child’s behaviours. This child’s placement was ended soon after, earlier than long-standing plans set out. This does not support children to experience certainty and stability.

p.3

inadequate

Staffing has been problematic, and vacancies have resulted in a high level of agency use. Two children have their care almost exclusively provided by agency staff. These staff do not access the same training as permanent staff, nor do they have the same level of scrutiny and support from the home’s manager. Safer recruitment checks are conducted by their employer, but interviews about their level of skill and experience are not explored by the manager.

p.3

inadequate

Agency staff are not involved in the same level of information-sharing as with the core team. Due to work patterns which differ from the home’s staff they do not always participate in handovers with them or share information before and after meetings and reviews which are discussed in these handovers. This results in children being cared for by staff who do not always have full or the most recent information about them. It also means that those staff delivering day-to-day care do not always have opportunity to contribute to plans and decisions about the children.

p.3

inadequate

The high number of agency staff and the lack of good information-sharing do not promote consistency for children. This prevents children from forming trusted relationships with adults.

p.3

inadequate

The manager refers children for input from specialist services and advocates for them to ensure a swift response. This is not always possible due to the nature of the waiting time for these services. However, in the absence of immediate intervention, there is not enough focus on preparing children for this input. This does not support children to develop strategies for self-regulation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 4 Staff do not always ensure that children have access to a suitable education provision. Children in this situation are offered a few hours of home tutoring, which is not sufficient to meet their educational needs. In addition, there is a lack of structure and routine for children. This reinforces their negativity about the home and culminates in unsettled behaviours.

p.3

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

Staff are not consistent when managing children’s behaviours. They do not always physically intervene with children, even when appropriate and directed by court. On occasions when staff have physically intervened, they have done so without the training or qualifications needed in line with the provider’s chosen model of restraint.

p.4

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

Children are not always held in ways which align with their behaviour support plan. Such incidents have not always been subject to an increased level of scrutiny and review. Ineffective management of incidents and poor decisions have contributed to court orders not being implemented, children going missing, staff being injured through assaults and police being involved. This does not promote children’s safety.

p.4

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

Staff sufficiency is impacting on children’s safety. On at least one occasion, staffing arrangements did not allow for a child to be collected during the night by staff after a period of being missing. When children go missing, staff do conduct local area searches but return home interviews are not always offered. These are missed opportunities to establish why children are leaving the home, to stop it happening again and to keep them safe.

p.4

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

Staff do not always ensure the home is safe and free from hazards. Dangerous household items are not always removed or stored out of children’s reach, even though children’s plans advise this should happen. Staff have not prevented children from accessing building materials and tools that have been brought on site by workmen. In these instances, children have obtained items they have used to harm themselves, others, or to cause damage to the premises.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective management over recent months has led to the home being chaotic. The managers and staff have been responding to regular incidents of violence and have not been sufficiently skilled to manage the deteriorating behaviours of children living at the home. This has hampered any aspirations for the development of the service. The previous requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have not been met and have been carried forward.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff have still not received any training on how to conduct searches. This was identified as a gap in staff knowledge at the last inspection. As a result, staff are still unclear about what items are deemed safe and what items should be removed from children’s bedrooms. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 5 There have been delays in submitting the independent visitor’s report. The manager’s quality of care review showed insufficient consultation with stakeholders. Safeguarding notifications have been late and some have not been submitted at all. These shortfalls in key management tasks reduce the regulator’s opportunity to have oversight and ensure actions are taken to keep children safe and well.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The managers do not always challenge other professionals when more could be done to make a positive difference to the lives of children. This is in relation to children’s health and education needs not being sufficiently met. They have also admitted children into the home when their needs cannot be met. This does not support children to make progress and achieve their potential.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say they receive regular supervision, but records were not provided by the manager and therefore the quality and timeliness cannot be evaluated or reported. Some staff say they do not always feel supported or get the guidance and clear decisions they need from managers. They were not all aware of having had an appraisal or the targets for their development set by the manager. This does not demonstrate effective workforce development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s monitoring systems are ineffective and do not recognise the shortfalls in the quality of care for children. Staff attend regular meetings and liaise with others to try to effect change and manage risk. However, this has not translated into children’s plans and neither has it led to improved quality of care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 6

p.5

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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(iii)) 12 June 2022

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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(vi)(b)(d)) 12 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 7 * 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.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.7

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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)) 12 June 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

* The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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; 12 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 8 that arrangements are in place to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

p.8

Requirement Due date

or the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i)(iii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

* The registered person must ensure that—

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.8

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.8

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.8

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 12 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 9 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.8

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”)—

p.9

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.9

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)(iv))

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

p.9

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.9

Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 12 June 2022

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.9

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.9

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.9

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 12 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 10 (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

p.10

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.10

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

p.10

Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

p.10

Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

p.10

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

p.10

Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 12 June 2022

p.10

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.

p.10

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—

p.10

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.10

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 12 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 11 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

p.10

Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

p.11

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

p.11

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)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

p.11

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.11

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any home using CCTV or other monitoring equipment must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. The use of CCTV is regulated by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and the Surveillance Camera Code of Conduct (Home Office 2013). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

p.11

Recommendations

quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs (around conducting room searches), and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 12 staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.11

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: SC035499 13

p.12

Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

p.13

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: East Riding of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA

p.13

Inspectors

Rachel Ruth, Social care regulatory inspector Victoria Horsefield, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035499 14 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.13

Inspectors

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.14

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.14

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.14