Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 1 SC039025 Registered provider: Leicester City 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 operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to six children who are unable to live with their families. Children may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2016 and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2021 Full Outstanding 23/09/2019 Full Good 27/11/2018 Full Good 13/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, there were six children living at the home. Children are settled and most have particularly good relationships with staff. Children receive thoughtful and personalised care from staff who are enthusiastic about their well- being and progress. Children spoken with on inspection were positive about there experiences of living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A real strength of staff is the support they provide to children to prepare them for adult life before they move on from the home. Managers and staff support children to develop the essential skills they need to live independently. Staff plan this work carefully to make sure that it takes place at the children’s pace. As a result, children’s transitions are well considered and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All six children are registered with an education provider. Most children are making noticeable progress from when they first moved to the home. Staff are collaborating closely with external professionals to try and improve educational attendance for two children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s interests. Staff offer children a wide range of activities, including holidays and day trips. Staff support children to have new experiences, which helps them to feel valued and grow socially and emotionally. Staff have regular conversations with children to support them with any worries and concerns and to seek their views and wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in a well-maintained, comfortable and homely environment. Their bedrooms are personalised, clean and tidy. Children say that they like their bedrooms and have everything they need. However, the garden has a high metal fence, which has an institutional appearance. This detracts from the otherwise homely environment.

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improvement to be good

A child took an overdose in June 2022, while out of the home. When the child returned home and discussed this with staff, the staff team failed to take swift and effective action. Staff failed to seek sufficient medical advice or contact emergency services to escalate concerns or seek advice from the duty manager. Staff allowed the child to go to sleep and dispensed further medication to the child. The delay in accessing medical support may have compromised the child’s health. In addition, managers failed to investigate this incident or carry out a learning review to understand the shortfalls and areas for development.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks and potential hazards for each child. Individual risk assessments are in place for each child and are regularly updated. However, there Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 4 are some areas where further assessment is required, for example children spending time away from the home, smoking, vaping and having access to lighters. There are also some interventions, such as turning the power off in children’s bedrooms, that are not properly assessed or included in the relevant care plans.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment checks are not yet fully carried out for new staff coming to work at the home. Managers have not verbally verified the reasons why new staff have left previous posts working with children or vulnerable adults. This oversight has not put children at risk as all other checks were carried out; however, this is an area that can be improved.

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improvement to be good

Managers report safeguarding concerns and serious incidents to the appropriate external professionals. However, on occasion, there are delays in notifying Ofsted of incidents. This hampers Ofsted’s ability to have external oversight of incidents quickly. This has not impacted on the safety of children as staff take action to safeguard children.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out key-work sessions with children. However, the quality of these varies. Conversations are not always linked to children’s care plans or behaviours. As a result, there are missed opportunities to support children to understand and reduce risks.

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improvement to be good

Two children frequently go missing from care. During these times, staff do not always know where the children are, who they are with or what they are doing. However, staff follow children’s missing-from-care-plans and there is good liaison with external professionals to try and reduce this worrying behaviour.

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improvement to be good

There has been one occasion where staff had to hold a child to keep everyone safe. This intervention was appropriate and for a short length of time. Staff know the children well and have good relationships with them, which helps to reduce the need to use physical intervention. All children said that they feel safe. They raised no concerns regarding their care or safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations and expectations for staff and the care provided to children. The team of staff deeply care about the children and do their best to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager monitors all aspects of the care provided effectively. She produces a detailed monthly report that assures senior managers that all aspects of the home’s operation are of the right quality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular professional supervision and have access to team meetings, staff development days and reflective practice sessions. There is a comprehensive range of training available, which staff have completed. Staff are motivated and competent in their roles. Staff said that the management team is available to them and supportive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 5 Managers and staff have developed strong relationships with all relevant involved professionals. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive. There is excellent communication between staff and professionals, which promotes children’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has not ensured that professionals and children are consulted with when she carries out the six-monthly review of the quality of care. This shortfall has not impacted on children’s care. Despite the shortfalls identified, staff are providing safe care to children, and children benefit from living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the garden fencing that is not in keeping with a family home. 15 May 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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)) 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 7 The relates to ensuring that staff and managers take effective action whenever there is a serious concern regarding a child’s welfare. This also relates to ensuring that all children’s risks are robustly assessed and effective strategies are provided for staff to follow. In addition, this relates to ensuring that staff carry out direct work with children to help them understand their risks.

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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,

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Requirement Due date

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

This specifically relates to ensuring that full safer recruitment checks are carried out for all new members of staff. 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that notifications to Ofsted are made in a timely manner to avoid delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that they consult with children and professionals when carrying out the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 15.2)

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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: SC039025 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FZ

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC039025 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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