Children's Home run by Young Foundations Limited in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited 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 private company. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2022. She holds suitable qualifications for this role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is inviting, warm and cosy. It is beautifully decorated and furnished and the children are respectful of this. All rooms are spacious and communal areas are designed to encourage socialising. It is a family home with photos of the children on display. This helps children feel they belong. The children can be heard playing musical instruments, singing, laughing and interacting with one another and the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and feel safe. They have good relationships with the staff, who they trust. As a result, the children feel able to share their worries and talk about their feelings. Staff listen to the children and empathise with them, and this helps children to talk things through without feeling judged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in, they are presented with a welcome box from the children already living in the home, who have been prepared for their arrival. Great care is taken to ensure that their bedroom has been decorated, furnished and personalised in line with their tastes. This helps children settle. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] has settled so well, even after having had the most turbulent time.’ Another said that the approach taken when children move in ‘blew me away’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with items in line with their therapeutic needs. This helps children feel understood and cared for. Children have pets to look after and this gives them a sense of responsibility. For one child, this has contributed to a reduction in episodes of going missing from care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff advocate on behalf of children who are not attending their education placement. They attend and arrange meetings, where they are persistent in pursuing options the children have chosen. They challenge opinions and approaches that are not in the children’s best interests. They ensure that professionals understand the reasons for children’s anxieties and behaviours. However, staff are not always proactive in obtaining minutes and plans from important meetings. As a result, actions required to help children could be missed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are not in education have unlimited access to screens and technology during school hours. They also go to sleep very late, which means they often wake mid- to late morning. This places barriers in the way of children’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all staff routinely challenge children when they are heard to be using unacceptable language, such as swearing. This does not help children to learn about the impact of unacceptable behaviours on themselves and others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Measures are used to help children learn that there are consequences to their unwanted behaviour. The manager reviews this practice to ensure that it is fair. Children are given the opportunity to make amends and gain back what they have Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 4 lost so that measures can be removed following positive behaviour. However, children’s views are not routinely sought on the use of consequences, which means their voice is not aways heard.

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

Prior to children moving in, care is taken to ensure that their needs can be met at this home. The manager ensures that she has all necessary information about the child. She provides information about the home to those people who are important to the child. One professional said, ‘This helped me make an informed decision.’ While the manager fully considers the competing needs and risks of all children, this is not reflected in the impact risk assessment. Likewise, detail around some of the actions identified, such as staff supervision levels, is not included in the assessment. This could result in protective measures being missed by staff.

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

Children’s plans are unique to the needs of each child and updated regularly. A clinical psychologist has oversight of and input into the plans, which enhances their quality. Staff are familiar with children’s plans and, as a result, they understand the children’s needs and how to meet them. Staff are alert to children becoming distressed or anxious and are skilled in de-escalating situations. This means children experience fewer physical restraints.

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

A significant amount of direct work takes place with the children, both in a planned way and as and when issues arise, including after an incident. Children undertake online courses, in which they learn about the impact of harmful behaviours and relationships and how to keep themselves safe. However, staff do not always make sure that children understand written information that is given to them. This means that learning could be lost.

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

When children go missing from the home, there are individualised procedures in place for each child based on their vulnerabilities, and staff follow the Philomena Protocol. This means that responses are appropriate for each child. Staff actively look for children and make ongoing attempts to contact them. This reduces the time children are away from the home, which makes them safer. The manager scrutinises these missing-from-home episodes to ensure that robust action has been taken and identifies any learning for staff.

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

Bedroom searches are carried out when necessary. These have uncovered unsafe items, which have been disposed of appropriately. Items that children are known to use to self-harm are stored safely, with care taken around their usage. This helps to protect children from harm.

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

Door alarms are activated on all children’s bedroom doors, regardless of whether these are necessary to safeguard the child. The decision to use door alarms has not been risk-assessed, reviewed or consented to by the children’s social workers. This may be an unnecessary restriction to the children’s liberty. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 5 Staff have completed all mandatory training. They also obtain additional skills through a programme of ongoing training. This enables them to better understand and respond to children’s specific needs and risk issues. This means that children are better safeguarded and cared for.

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

Measures are in place and followed to ensure that new staff are recruited safely. This prevents unsuitable people from being recruited to work with the children in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations for the children and leads by example. She is fully aware of the strengths of the home and the areas for development. She has made significant improvements in the relatively short time she has been in post, in terms of the home’s conditions, staff morale and the experiences of the children. One member of staff described her as a ‘reassuring presence’. Another reflected on the ‘huge difference’ she has made. Several others spoke about how ‘it [the home] is the best it has ever been’. The children are described as ‘relaxed and able to be themselves’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are now provided with regular, effective supervision and team meetings, in which their opinions are sought and valued. They are debriefed following serious incidents, which they appreciate because it provides them with emotional support and an opportunity to reflect on what took place and identify what they have learned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The clinical psychologist attends team meetings, providing guidance and strategies to the whole staff team. She also offers individual sessions to staff. This helps staff to better understand the children’s behaviours and respond more effectively. It is also another avenue for emotional support to staff, which helps them continue to support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation invests in its staff. Leaders and managers actively encourage staff development. Some staff have been enabled to attend university courses because it is acknowledged that this will benefit the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication is a particular strength within the team. The manager has introduced a number of systems to ensure that important information is swiftly and successfully shared with the whole staff team. The manager ensures that staff learn from serious incidents and that a consistent approach is taken with the children, which best meets their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff work hard to avoid placement breakdowns. They undertake extensive work with children, arrange and attend multi-agency meetings, and obtain additional resources. However, when risks continue to increase for children, the right decisions are taken, in the best interests of all children. Managers and staff ensure that, regardless of the circumstances, transitions on from the home are carried out carefully and considerately. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 6 The management team has good monitoring systems in place so that they know what takes place in the home involving the children and staff. They are able to see any trends in the children’s behaviours and therefore determine progress or otherwise. Assessments and plans are amended as necessary, and actions implemented. This means that children are helped according to their fluctuating needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 7

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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 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;

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that barriers that may prevent children from attending education are removed. 28 December

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments contain information about the competing risks and needs of all children, and how these will be managed by staff, including through staff supervision. 28 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; 28 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 8 the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the use of alarms on children’s bedroom doors.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that important documents about the children are obtained swiftly so that the care children are receiving is in line with agreed actions from professionals’ meetings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 8.11)  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. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. In particular, children’s views should be obtained about measures that are used to help children learn that there are consequences to their behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that expectations of standards of behaviour

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Recommendations

are high for all staff and children in the home. In particular, ensure that swearing by children is appropriately challenged by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 2.5)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported to be aware of and manage their own safety, both inside and outside the home, to the extent that any good parent would. In particular, ensure that children understand written information that is given to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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) Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 9 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 7 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD

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Inspector

Emma Ridley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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