Children's home run by North Yorkshire Council

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 1 Registered provider: North Yorkshire County 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 pre-planned and emergency short breaks in a residential setting for children with profound learning disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder and complex health needs. The home also offers extended and bespoke packages of care.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left this home in July 2022. Interim management arrangements are in place. A new manager has been appointed and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 2 November 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. The inspector has 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: 1256500 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 There is a lack of procedure guidance to provide staff with clear actions to take to ensure that children receive the correct and necessary medical attention, particularly after an incident of self-injury.  Ineffective monitoring of children’s body map increases children’s risks and vulnerability. While injuries or bruises are not routinely reviewed, it prevents necessary action and investigation.  Staff have not consistently supported one child in line with their bespoke healthcare plan. These plans are in place to safeguard and protect the child from potential medical complications.

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The care of children

Children enjoy their time at the service. The range of play equipment and resources helps the children to have fun through individual and group play. Children have the opportunity to gain new experiences, such as ice skating. This service provides children with opportunities that parents and carers may find difficult to facilitate.

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The care of children

The service continues to be a lifeline for families. For example, when a child had an extended stay in hospital, staff visited to provide company to the child and a break for the parents. A child also stayed at the short-break service while their parent recovered from an operation. This helps to provide children with consistent care and support.

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The care of children

The staff encourage children to attempt tasks that build on their independence. Children are also given choices so that they have more control of their lives. During personal care, the children’s care plans direct staff to encourage and help children to be as independent as their abilities permit. However, there are factors in the environment that restrict some children’s ability to toilet independently. This is specifically in relation to the height and design of the fitted toilet-roll dispensers.

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The care of children

The home environment continues to be developed. The summer house and medication room are recent additions. Children are welcomed into a nicely decorated and creative environment that is equipped to meet their collective and individual needs.

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The safety of children

Children express their emotions in varying ways, including behavioural responses, such as self-injury. Staff will seek medical guidance and observe children following any self-injury. However, there is no procedural guidance to aid staff in their decision-making about when they should seek medical guidance. All head injuries are potentially serious, but there is no detailed assessment about a child’s Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 3 accumulation of head injuries and pre-existing conditions when seeking medical guidance. This places children at an increased risk of harm.

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The safety of children

Children do not go missing from this home. The missing-from-home protocols in place direct staff to call for police assistance immediately. All children have a missing-from-home plan. However, this does not provide information about where children are likely to go or information about their likes and interests. This additional information would help to locate and engage the children and support their safe return.

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The safety of children

There are expectations that body maps are routinely completed by the staff to ensure that any bruising or injury to a child is recorded and then reviewed by senior staff. Since the full inspection, there are noted improvements in the completion of daily body maps for each child, but the oversight from senior staff is not embedded.

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The safety of children

Staff are expected to familiarise themselves with children’s care plans before providing care. However, staff have not consistently supported one child in line with their bespoke healthcare plan. This was a shortfall at the recent full inspection. These plans are in place to safeguard and protect the child from potential medical complications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager’s focus has been to respond to the shortfalls raised at the last full inspection and improve the service for the children. There has been a lot of change, and the manager recognises when the staff need additional practice support and guidance. Additional training has been provided and improved systems and records have been implemented to help the staff consistently deliver a high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Supervision provides staff with a safe space for practice reflection. The frequency of staff supervision sessions has improved. However, not all staff consistently receive regular supervision. Staff who work unsociable hours are not receiving the expected level of practice-based supervision and are not as visible to the manager. This is a missed opportunity to provide staff with the time to raise any concerns and to support their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff recruitment and improved staff retention have brought stability to the service. Children are being cared for by a consistent staff team who are responsive and attuned to the children’s behaviours and needs. This helps children to feel safe and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Relationships with the children’s families and local neighbours have improved. The manager understands the need for open communication and has taken proactive steps to repair relationships. The neighbours are welcoming of the children, and parents and carers attended an organised coffee morning. This provided parents and carers the opportunity to get together in a safe and supportive environment and gain support from other people who share similar experiences. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 4 External monitoring routinely takes place at the home. These reports provide practice guidance and challenge leaders and managers about the impact of their decision-making on the safety and well-being of children. Since the full inspection, these reports are routinely sent to Ofsted. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/11/2021 Full Outstanding 14/01/2020 Full Outstanding 05/02/2019 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 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

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; and

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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.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(vi)) 14 April 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; and 14 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 7 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

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This has been carried forward and further shortfalls identified. 5 May 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that in the event of a missing child, the children’s missing-from-home plans contain information that would support the police in their search and interaction with the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256500 9 inspects 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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