Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 1 SC367802 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children whose care plan is to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2018. He is currently not in work. The interim manager is absent from work and there are no stable management arrangements in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

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

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 8 December 2021

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/12/2021 Full Good 15/04/2019 Full Outstanding 17/07/2018 Full Outstanding 09/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 3

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inadequate

Children’s experience of living in this home is poor. Children struggle to build trusting relationships with staff because they change daily. Sometimes, the support is provided by staff the children do not know. The inconsistency in staff does not provide the children with any stability. Some children choose to spend long periods of time out of the home as they do not like being there or they feel scared when other children are in crisis.

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inadequate

Staff do not consistently listen to and act on children’s wishes and feelings. Children say that they do not like living at this home and wish to move. One child said that they cannot spend time with the staff they like, due to the needs of another child. Some children feel that they are given false promises and excuses. They feel frustrated at the lack of action by staff and managers. The inability of staff to act on children’s wishes and feelings gives them a message that their views are not valued.

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inadequate

Arrangements for the safe storage and administration of medication are poor. On two occasions, medication has been administered late to a child. In addition, the storage of medication is disordered. For example, out of date medication which is no longer used is not disposed of correctly and is left in the cabinet. The lack of organisation and management oversight of medication is unsafe and detrimental to children’s health.

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inadequate

Inspectors observed that one child’s bedroom is in a poor condition. Damage to the walls has not been repaired. Furthermore, there is damage to electrical sockets throughout the home. As well as being dangerous, this does not give children the message that staff want them to live in a warm and nurturing environment.

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inadequate

Some children take their exams and have plans for college. This will help them to secure employment in later life. For other children, staff help them to understand the importance of education and they are steadily building up their attendance at school.

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inadequate

The children enjoy activities. What activities they can go on depends on staffing resources at the time. The staff try, where they can, to engage the children in positive activities. At times, activities are cut short or stopped due to staff limitations.

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

Children are living in a chaotic environment. Staff cannot manage incidents of unwanted behaviours and children do not feel cared for by competent, confident staff. The lack of staff’s ability to manage challenges significantly affects other children. Some are so scared that they feel they need to get out and leave their Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 4 home. They worry for staff who are trying to manage, but feel they need to leave to keep themselves safe.

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

Children are regularly involved in dangerous incidents in the home and in the community. Incidents include children setting fires, and climbing up scaffolding and on roofs. Staff cannot prevent such events from happening as they cannot positively influence children. They frequently require the police to resolve difficulties. During these incidents, children are at risk of significant harm.

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

Children’s risk assessments are not updated after serious events. They do not contain children’s current risks. The lack of information means that staff have nothing to follow to make sure that they keep the children safe. As a result, risks regularly repeat, and children are at risk of harm.

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

There is a delay in following safeguarding procedures when allegations are made against the staff. On occasions, decisions are made around staff resourcing issues rather than safeguarding protocols.

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

Staff do not record serious incidents promptly, due to the ongoing chaos in the home. On occasion, when serious events occur resulting in children being injured, records do not reflect what has happened and what action is required. Management oversight does not identify this gap in practice and improvements are not being made.

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

The arrangements for ensuring that children and staff are kept safe from the risk of fire are not established. Staff complete the required fire warden training. However, they do not ensure that fire drills are consistently undertaken and they do not regularly check that fire alarms are working. This poses a significant risk to children, staff and visitors to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight of the home is inadequate. There has been no registered manager in the home for several months. The interim manager is not in work. There is no manager currently assigned to this home. Some managers from other homes and the service improvement manager are trying to support this service. However, they cannot dedicate the time this service needs to make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior management oversight does not identify issues that matter most to children. Responses to difficulties are reactive and do not lead to improvements. This means that children live in a home that fails to meet their needs and no one takes responsibility for the impact that this has on them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no consistency in the staff team. Most shifts are covered by staff who are not permanent. Agency staff are used, including some who have little experience of working in children’s homes. Frequently, staff are confirmed to work the day before they start or on occasions, hours before they are due to arrive at the home. Children Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 5 are unsettled by this, and they voice their concerns. Despite this, senior managers do not take effective action and the situation is deteriorating.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

One child made a formal complaint to a senior manager. The child has not yet received a response to the complaint, despite the relevant timescales being exceeded by some weeks. This means the child feels that managers do not prioritise their views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive the training that they need to care for the children. Basic training is provided on safeguarding and physical intervention. However, staff do not learn skills to help them to meet children’s immediate complex needs, including health issues. There is no management overview of the learning that staff need in order to safely care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive regular supervision. Given the very difficult issues in the home linked to lack of appropriate management oversight and insufficient staffing, this is a significant gap. Staff do not receive the support they need. They do not have an outlet to share their concerns. Staff do not feel that their welfare is recognised by senior leaders. This results in poor morale within the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not reviewed the locality risk assessment following significant incidents in the community. Managers have not consulted with relevant people to ensure that all risks are identified. This means that staff do not have up-to-date essential information about local areas of concern. This leaves children at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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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. *(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 2 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 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—

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. *(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) 2(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 2 October 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; 2 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 8 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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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. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 2 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 2 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 2 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 2 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 9

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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: SC367802 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire DN35 8LN

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Inspectors

Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC367802 11 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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