Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 1 SC036023 Registered provider: Sheffield City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority short-breaks service is registered to provide care for up to eight children who may have learning and/or physical disabilities. However, the short- breaks service is currently on hold and a variation of the conditions allows two children to live here. Two children with complex health needs were admitted to the home in June 2022 in an emergency. One child has moved on from the home and the other continues to live at the home. One other child attends the home for day care and has begun to have overnight stays.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the full inpsection on 4 and 5 October 2022, Ofsted judged the home to be inadequate. The findings from this inspection confirmed that leaders and managers had not been effective in managing this home. Serious shortfalls were identified Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 2 relating to safeguarding practice and management oversight. This led to enforcement action through two compliance notices under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulations 12 and 13. At the monitoring visit on 27 November 2022, Ofsted found the provider had met the steps in both compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2022 Full Inadequate 28/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 4

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improvement to be good

Repeated shortfalls in safe recruitment practice of agency workers have had a limiting impact on the overall judgement for this home.

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improvement to be good

Children have trusting relationships with staff, who provide them with a sense of safety. Staff know the children and their needs, and invest time into promoting their welfare to help them make progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff prepare children for their health appointments by having conversations and using social stories. This helps children feel comfortable and supported to access healthcare services. The children’s more complex health needs are reviewed by staff in partnership with specialist healthcare professionals, to ensure that their health needs are met.

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improvement to be good

Home tutoring sessions provide the children with an alternative way of learning. Staff promote a structured daily routine to help children engage with their tutor during school hours. The tutor uses a ‘Messy’ playroom to provide one child with a positive distraction, and to reduce the impact unsettled behaviour can have on their learning. The second child is in the early stages of their home tutoring programme and is developing their relationship with the tutor.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to build confidence that enables them to take part in activities and have enjoyable experiences. Children have been helped to cope better in open spaces, buy items in shops, and enjoy eating out at local restaurants. One child achieved their goal of going on a train ride for the first time. The child’s social worker said, ‘Staff have built good relationships and have got to know them really well. They have put [Name of child] at ease.’

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the children’s independence by encouraging them to be less dependent on physical aids. For one child, this has resulted in them being more mobile around the home and in the community without the need to use their wheelchair. Staff capture these types of achievements by taking photos to enhance the children’s ability to reflect back on their journey.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to spend positive time with their family when they visit the home. Parents recognise the positive relationships staff have with their children and said, ‘[Name of child] has a good bond with staff’, and ‘[Name of child] has their cultural needs well promoted.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 5

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improvement to be good

Shortfalls remain with the provider’s recruitment practice because managers do not consistently scrutinise and evaluate the suitability of all agency workers. Recruitment checks do not consistently evaluate whether agency workers have the knowledge and skills needed to care for the children living at this home. For example, Disclosing and Barring Service checks and employment references are not always seen or explored by managers when discrepancies are present. This does not keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Discussions between the home’s senior manager and the local authority’s safeguarding manager addressed ways to strengthen practice to ensure that children are better safeguarded. However, these agreements have not yet been translated into the safeguarding policy. The requirement issued for this shortfall at the last monitoring visit has not been met.

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improvement to be good

Children’s missing from home protocols do not have sufficient information about the children’s needs, or direction for staff to follow should an incident occur when in the community. This may impact on the police response as critical information about the children may be overlooked.

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improvement to be good

Children have trusting relationships with staff. Over time, staff have developed a better understanding of the children’s needs to improve how they help the children cope with difficult emotions. This has enhanced the children’s sense of safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children prepare for their day ahead by reminding them of their routine. They take the time to explain to the children when a change may need to occur, to limit the impact this may have on their emotional well-being. This allows for children to feel safe as they know what to expect.

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improvement to be good

The manager has effective links with the children’s social workers, the local authority designated officer, and other important safeguarding agencies. The multi-agency approach to safeguarding about matters, such as unexplained bruises on children or concerns about staff practice, ensures that procedures in place to protect children from harm are followed.

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improvement to be good

Despite much delay, the environmental assessment has been completed for one child. This has provided assurances that the home is not causing the child unnecessary emotional distress and confirmed the need for the child’s behaviour support plan to be aligned to their needs.

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improvement to be good

The regular practice of holding children is proportionate and focused on keeping them safe. The frequency and intensity of holds for one child have reduced because staff have developed a better understanding of the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 6 Safety checks have not identified that a go-kart used by the children in the outdoor play area was rusty with flaking paint. The sharp edges were not recognised as a potential hazard that could cause an injury to a child.

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good

Agency workers who are regular members of the staff team do not receive practice- related supervision. They do not attend team meetings and staff handover discussions, and have limited oversight from managers and senior staff members. This could impact on the alignment of their care to children’s needs and does not provide them with the necessary direction and guidance to support their practice.

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good

Practice-related supervision for permanent staff encourages reflective and critical thinking about the needs of the children. However, this is not consistently applied across all the staff. Discussions about the children’s needs are sometimes overlooked or have not been captured in the supervision record. This does not help managers or staff to revisit poignant discussions in support of improving staff practice.

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good

Team meetings provide permanent members of staff with a space to maintain their focus on what the children need to be happy. Staff take time to reflect on the previous week and make decisions about how to keep children safe and promote their welfare. The absence of agency workers in these meetings means there is a significant disparity in the development, support and challenge of their childcare practice.

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good

The manager is proactive and is fully involved in the care for children. His established relationship with both children enables him to remain in touch with their care needs. This helps him to offer guidance and direction to staff and plan for what the children need on a daily basis.

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good

The children’s key workers have a strong insight into their allocated child’s needs. They keep the children’s care plans under constant review, so that staff are kept up to date with the children’s daily routines. This helps to improve the consistency of care for children.

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good

Children’s case records provide a number of good examples about the children’s experiences and their achievements. However, the case records do not make it clear what progress children make from their starting point. Reports completed by key workers and the manager do not describe to the children and their families the impact the home has had on the children’s journey. This limits their ability to recognise when milestones are reached, and how children’s progress has been sustained.

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good

The manager has a number of systems in place to track and monitor the children’s experience and the effectiveness of staff’s practice. However, when information is collated, the practice in reviewing the qualitive information lacks managerial analysis. This may impact on the manager’s and the team’s decision-making when Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 7 considering what actions need to be taken to meet the children’s needs, or limit what information is shared with other professionals involved in the children’s care.

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good

There is limited consultation with children, their parents, social workers and other key professionals when the manager completes the quality of care review. This does not meet the expectations set out in the Children’s Home Regulations and may limit the development of the service.

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good

The independent person scrutinises the care for children when completing their visits and evaluates if children are safeguarded. However, the reports lack evaluation about the high number of restraint incidents and whether they are deemed to be reasonable, proportionate and necessary.

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good

The requirements issued at the last inspection relating to staff supervision, amending the safeguarding policy, and safe recruitment checks have not been met. The good practice recommendation in relation to staff reading and signing the team meeting minutes and other documents is also still not met. Therefore, these have been repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 8

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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

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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all play equipment used is well maintained and does not present a risk of injury to children. 2 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 2 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 9 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that workers receive the same level of support, direction, guidance and development opportunities as permanent staff members.

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Requirement Due date

Th registered person must ensure that monitoring systems include scrutiny, and that staff read and sign staff meeting minutes and other records as required.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have in place a system to check and verify the experience, training and other relevant checks, such as DBS and references of agency staff members.

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Requirement Due date

Prior to an agency staff member working at the home, the registered person must ensure that they have taken the 2 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 10 necessary steps to verify and assess if the agency members of staff have the skills and experience needed for the role.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must review all agency staff recruitment files, to ensure that they have followed safer recruitment practice as outlined in the regulation. A record of the findings must be made, and any identified actions undertaken.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that regular agency workers receive practice-related supervision as described in the home’s supervision policy.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have in place a system to ensure missed supervisions are rearranged at the earliest opportunity

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have in place a system to monitor that all staff receive the same quality of practice-related supervision. 2 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that sharing a concern and reporting protocol specific to this home is included as part of the reporting concerns procedure for this setting. 2 April 2023

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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.

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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— 2 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 11 the quality of care provided for children;

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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

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain 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 (1) (2)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, where there is a possibility that a child will run away or go missing when in the community, the registered person should ensure that their plan includes strategies to minimise this risk. Their missing protocol should include such strategies and align to the local missing strategy used by the police. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.2)  The registered person should review the monitoring systems used for the oversight of the children’s care, to consider how to improve their analysis of the children’s care and show the impact of the staff’s intervention. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.2)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history and show the progress

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Recommendations

they make from their starting point. The registered should consider how to improve the records for children to show how they meet their milestones, and the aims and objectives identified in the children’s care plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  The registered provider should ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous evaluation about the use of restraint with children, and from their findings evaluate if the use of restraint practice is necessary, proportionate and reasonable. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 12 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: SC036023 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sheffield City Council, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspectors

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Shirin Khan Mahmandi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC036023 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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