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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 1 SC035499

p.1

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority and provides medium- to long-term residential care for up to six children. At the time of the visit one child was living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

This monitoring visit

On 3 May 2022, a full inspection identified significant and widespread failings in the leadership and management arrangements at the home. These had an impact on the safety, protection and well-being of the children living at the home. As a result of the identified shortfalls, the home was judged as inadequate in all areas.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A notice restricting accommodation was issued to prevent other children moving into the home. Ofsted also issued five compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard), regulation 14 (the care planning standard), regulation 35 (behaviour management policies and records) and regulation 40 (notification of a serious event).

p.1

This monitoring visit

The notice to restrict accommodation was issued on 11 May 2022, running until 3 August 2022 inclusively. This was subsequently extended to run until 16 October 2022 inclusively.

p.1

This monitoring visit

On 14 June 2022, a monitoring visit took place to review progress in addressing the identified shortfalls. Ofsted found that improvements had been made to address three of the five compliance notices. However, there were still shortfalls in respect of behaviour management policies and records, and notifications of serious events Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 2 were still not being sent to Ofsted in a timely way. Compliance notices were issued again for regulations 35 and 40.

p.1

This monitoring visit

On 29 June 2022, another monitoring visit took place to further review progress. No further progress had been made in meeting the remaining two compliance notices.

p.2

This monitoring visit

At a full inspection on 18 July 2022, serious and widespread concerns were again identified. Staff were not keeping children safe and managers did not provide good leadership.

p.2

This monitoring visit

As a result, compliance notices were issued relating to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard), regulation 14 (the care planning standard) and regulation 35 (behaviour management policies and records).

p.2

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor the progress made to meet the compliance notices and whether enough progress had been made to lift the restriction of accommodation. At the time of the visit one child was living at the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

When a physical intervention has taken place, support is now provided to all staff and the child. Senior staff have made consistent efforts to understand why it is sometimes necessary to hold the child for their own safety, and records have improved.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Although there has been some improvement in discreet areas of practice, the provider has failed to fully address all the shortfalls previously identified. This is particularly in relation to keeping the child safe both in the home and in the community. The provider does not have the resources and ability to reduce the risk of harm to the child living at the home. This frequently places the child at significant risk of serious harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Despite some changes made to the premises, they are not sufficiently secure. This means that the child is able to leave easily and go into the community, despite staff’s efforts to prevent this. This leaves the child vulnerable for those periods when they are not under the supervision of staff. The child has repeatedly been able to leave the home and has consequently been exposed to harmful situations. The child has regularly had access to things that can be used to harm themselves and others. This is despite high staffing levels.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home is without a registered manager and this has been the case since the beginning of the year. The acting manager in post at the last inspection has been moved elsewhere and new arrangements are temporary. This does not provide strong leadership or stability for the staff or child.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Due to the risk of serious harm that the child has been exposed to on multiple occasions, Ofsted has taken the decision to suspend the home’s registration from the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 3 date of the visit. This new enforcement action supersedes the restriction of accommodation that was in place until 16 October 2022.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last full inspection have not been considered during this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at a later date. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 4

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/07/2022 Full Inadequate 03/05/2022 Full Inadequate 25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/10/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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 (c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This refers to escalating concerns when the actions of other agencies may compromise a child’s safety. 23 October 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This refers to maintaining the home to a level where children feel that they are valued. 23 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 6 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.6

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This refers to ensuring the process of reviews is not disrupted during transitions, and that this forum is used to ascertain children’s views before decisions are taken. 23 October 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that staff— 23 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 7 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This refers to implementing effective strategies to prevent children hurting each other.

p.7

Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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)(b)) 23 October 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 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 the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(i)(ii)(iii)) 23 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 8 This refers to taking effective action when it is identified that the care provided is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

p.8

Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 23 October 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 23 October 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.8

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA

p.9

Inspectors

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Ruth Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035499 10 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.9

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.10

Inspectors

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

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10