Children's Home run by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 1 Registered provider: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in July 2020 and is owned by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2022. She is experienced and is currently completing a leadership and management qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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 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

Date of last inspection: 18 October 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2022 Full Good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress from their starting points because they respond to the consistent and nurturing care provided by staff who know them well. Staff understand the importance of building secure and trusting relationships with the children. This provides children with a sense of stability and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have improved health outcomes because of the support that they receive from staff. Some children have been helped to overcome their anxieties about attending health appointments. This has enabled them to access the right support and treatment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to helping children with their emotional and mental health. Staff talk to children about their feelings. This helps children to understand their emotions and experiences. This positive approach helps children to find better coping strategies, and for some children, it has led to a reduction in risk, including substance misuse and other behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are making progress in their education. One child has improved attendance and increased the number of hours they attend school, and another child has achieved some formal qualifications. Staff understand the barriers to education and advocate for children to ensure that they are receiving the right support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to spend time with the people who are important in their lives. This promotes identity and family relationships. A family member of one child said, ‘[Name of child] has been going through a difficult time. The staff never give up.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy doing activities with staff, and some enjoy spending time with their friends. They like to go out for walks in the local area and on day trips to the coast. Staff support children to do activities with their friends.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children’s peer relationships have been challenging, staff have provided individualised activities and supervision to allow the conflict period to settle. This is followed up with key work to help children understand the others’ perspective and feelings.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children go missing, staff understand their responsibilities and are clear on the steps to follow. They search for children and report them missing to the police if they are not located. Children can talk to an independent person when they return home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 4 Holds and restraints on children are rarely needed. When it has been used, it has been necessary and proportionate. Children and staff can talk about the incident to reflect and learn new strategies. The staff do not apply consequences in response to children’s behaviour. Staff talk to the children, which helps them reflect and learn from the incident.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. When children are involved in serious incidents, staff respond sensitively to children and use a restorative approach. Staff use their relationships with children to manage unwanted behaviours positively and have taken children away to help manage the dynamics in the home. However, on one occasion, staff did not act promptly in response to a situation of concern with a child, and this was not reflected promptly in their risk assessment. Following on from the incident, staff did significant key work with the child to help them understand the risks involved. Debriefs took place with staff and the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Most risk assessments are well written and clear, but strategies to manage one child’s behaviour have not been specified clearly. They identify the risks to children and provide staff with clear guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The committed manager supports the staff to work consistently as a team to provide nurturing and unconditional care to the children. She is attuned to the children’s emotional needs, and this is disseminated through the staff team. She provides support and positive role modelling to staff, which helps to equip them with the skills to provide a high standard of care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and feel supported. Staff meetings take place regularly and include discussions about risks to children and the progress that they are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of strong partnership working at this home. The manager and staff work collaboratively with other professionals involved in the care of the children. This ensures that the children receive the right support and that the care they receive is consistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The systems in place to review and monitor the quality of care that children receive are effective. The manager has improved the systems for storing children’s records and tracking information about incidents. This enables the manager to monitor the changing risks to children and the progress children are making in line with their plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is sufficiently staffed. This supports children to receive consistent care from a team that is suitably trained to meet their needs. However, at the time of the inspection, one child was absent from the home for a few days, participating in activitiess. He was being cared for by a team of agency staff that he did not know. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 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, The 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; and

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the risk assessment should be updated to include details of the risks and clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow. This guidance should be shared with all staff working with the child, including those who are employed through an agency. 25 July 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, during the day or night, at the home should be from an external agency. This relates to when children are cared for at a location away from the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17) Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 6

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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: 2597567 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham S60 1AE

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2597567 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 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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