Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 1 SC356868

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Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There are four children currently living at the home. At the time of the inspection, one child was staying away from the home with permission. One child has recently left the home but continues to have the option to return in the next few weeks.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2018.

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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 these inspections, the inspector(s) 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: SC356868 2

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Findings from the inspection

During the assurance inspection, Ofsted identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and the management and leadership of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

 The children’s risks are not always understood, and their welfare is not always safeguarded

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Findings from the inspection

 Leaders and managers have failed to keep the children safe

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Findings from the inspection

 Poor risk assessments and care planning arrangements mean children are not always kept safe.

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The care of children

Some children have lived at the home for a considerable time but said they feel unhappy. One child said it is better spending time away from the home or in their bedroom. This means children are not feeling relaxed in their home. One child is refusing to return to the home because of not wanting to become involved in altercations with other children.

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The care of children

The children talk about feeling that their home is not a ‘homely’ environment. Pictures that help children feel they belong are removed to prevent damage to property and harm to others.

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The care of children

Staff have not kept a child’s bedroom in good condition while they have been absent from the home. This does not make children feel welcomed back into the home.

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The care of children

One child values the support from staff. However, support is varied and means children are not offered consistent support around safe and consistent boundaries. Staff talked about needing greater support to understand some children’s needs.

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The care of children

Children are supported to develop independence skills. Detailed individual plans were not seen, but children talk about feeling able to do their washing and cook. One young person was supported with a planned transition to semi-independent living. Another child talked about feeling confident around their independence skills.

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The care of children

Staff are unable to help children to consistently attend school. Two children are encouraged to access alternative learning programmes, but staff cannot get them to engage. The children’s inconsistent attendance in education and employment impacts on their daily routines and may impact on their future opportunities. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 3

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The safety of children

Risk assessment and behavioural management plans are not updated with clear actions to support children. One child absent from the home is not supported in line with the child’s safety plan. Staff availability affects this, and staff say they are not consistently clear about the associated risks and actions required to assess the child’s safety.

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The safety of children

There is evidence that risks associated with children are not understood. During an incident, staff failed to access appropriate medical and mental health support for the child. Also, the child was not offered suitable follow-up support.

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The safety of children

During incidents, staff have been unable to de-escalate situations resulting in the need for police intervention. On one occasion, the police supported a child to leave the home without any planning or preparation. This was disruptive and traumatic for the child.

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The safety of children

When children go missing from the home, the support offered is not in line with protocol and not effective in reducing the risks of harm to the children. Staff do not search for or make sufficient attempts to see children. This includes when children go missing from the home overnight. On one occasion, staff failed to follow plans and did not report a child missing until two hours after the expected time. This means that concerns are not escalated to the police and relevant safeguarding professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Shortfalls linked to safeguarding practice and leadership and management of the home led to the judgement of serious and widespread concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Poor matching of children has affected children in the home, resulting in an increase in safeguarding incidents. This has placed children at risk of harm, and they report that they do not feel happy living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has failed to ensure Ofsted are informed of any notifiable incidents. There are at least two occasions when significant events have occurred for children and Ofsted have not been notified. This prevents Ofsted from having appropriate oversight and ensuring practice supports children’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff said they receive regular supervision. They also said that team meetings are used to talk about the children, and that other agencies sometimes attend to support staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Due to the significant concerns identified, a case review was held. Ofsted took the decision that it would be unsafe for children to move into the home. Currently, a restriction notice is in place alongside two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/05/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 30 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

30 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 6 *The leadership and management standard

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(d)(ii)(e)) 30 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 30 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 7 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c)) 30 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 30 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

Requirements under Regulation 12 and 13 are subject to compliance notices.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC356868 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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Inspectors

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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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