Children's home run by North East Lincolnshire Council

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 1 SC394101

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Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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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 four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and who require a medium- to long-term residential placement. One child currently lives in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

The staff know the child who currently lives in the home well. At times, the child has better relationships with some staff than others. Staff keep working with the child to try to stabilise and build their relationships. When relief or agency staff are used to cover shifts, the registered manager tries to employ the same staff. This approach is helping to provide the child with consistent care and support.

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The care of children

The child’s school attendance varies. Poor sleep patterns affect the child’s ability to get up for school. The staff promote the importance of education and try to work with the child to help them to go to school. When these efforts are not successful, the staff try to put activities in place to help the child to make the most of the day. This limited formal education affects the child’s opportunities to gain the skills and qualifications that they will need for later life.

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The care of children

The staff understand some of the child’s health needs. The staff help the child to engage with specialist services to support their emotional well-being. Sometimes the staff are successful in helping the child to engage with other health professionals, and sometimes they are not. This means that not all of the child’s current health needs are being addressed.

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The care of children

The staff listen to the child and, where possible, they try to follow the child’s wishes and feelings. The staff encourage the child to share their wishes in a variety of ways, such as by helping the child to set goals for themself throughout the year.

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The safety of children

The registered manager has worked to improve risk-management strategies should the child go missing from the home. There are now additional steps for staff to follow that apply to night-time missing-from-home episodes. However, there is a lack of evidence of decision-making around night-time staffing levels and roles as the child’s risks and behaviours change. This is a missed opportunity to review and reduce risks for the child.

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The safety of children

The staff undertake a range of training. The training helps them to understand how to keep the child safe. The staff know how to follow procedures to report any concerns. They feel able to report issues to keep the child safe.

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The safety of children

The staff do not use physical restraint. They undertake training that helps them to understand how to manage behaviour without using restraint methods. They follow Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 3 the child’s plans and ensure that there are enough staff so they can change staff in challenging situations. The change of staff helps to support the child to calm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post since May 2022. However, she does not receive supervision. This lack of supervision is not helping her to feel supported to develop her skills or to assess current practices in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager is improving her monitoring of the service. There is a new monthly monitoring system in place that allows her to identify progress and areas where extra support is needed. This meets a requirement set at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The independent visitor’s reports are not sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. These reports do not always include all required information, or provide opinions as to whether children are safeguarded or their well-being promoted. The delay in reports and lack of key information are hindering Ofsted’s oversight of this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager carries out six-monthly reviews of the quality of care. She is making improvements to her analysis of the care the child receives. However, the reviews do not consider the feedback of parents, placing authorities or staff. This is a missed opportunity for the registered manager to identify strengths and areas for development to improve the care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager has good working relationships with other professionals. These positive relationships allow the registered manager to share information effectively with other services. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/11/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 5

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c)) 31 March 2023

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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 31 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 6 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

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (7)) 31 March 2023

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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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 (2)(a) (5)) 31 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 7

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: John Branchflower

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC394101 8 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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