Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 1 Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated and run by a local authority. It is a solo placement, providing care for one child.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has recently been appointed but has not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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 inadequate

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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

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 3

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improvement to be good

Shortfalls in how children are helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers have had a negative effect on the overall experiences of the child living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Until recently, the child attended school full time but, currently, they receive only five hours of education per week. Staff have pursued additional resources to help support the child. However, the current education arrangements do not meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of the child’s health needs and ensure that any physical needs are fully addressed. Staff advocate on the child’s behalf for additional support with their emotional well-being. However, this support is not yet being provided.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to have established and predictable routines. The child talks positively about their day and feels safe, knowing that staff offer consistency of care. Professional feedback about the relationships between the staff and the child were positive.

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improvement to be good

The child chose the decoration in their bedroom and this reflects their personality. Staff ensure that the home is homely and nurturing throughout. It is well decorated, clean and tidy and has a welcoming feel.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to engage in social activities and learn independence skills, both in and outside the home. The child is able to choose which activities they do and what to eat at mealtimes. The child enjoys caring for their pet rabbits and playing in the garden.

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improvement to be good

The child has recently experienced some challenges and shared with staff some personal worries and concerns. Staff have reassured the child appropriately. The sensitive and caring approach from staff helps the child to feel settled.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments identify all known risks and are updated regularly and following any incidents. However, risk assessments and the child’s care plans often contain conflicting information. Such inconsistencies cause confusion among the staff as to how to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, some of the child’s medication was not stored safely and was mislaid. Staff eventually found the medication after an extensive search. The response from leaders and managers to this incident was ineffective. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 4 investigation of the incident and response to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence were not thorough or rigorous.

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improvement to be good

The home’s location risk assessment does not contain up-to-date information from relevant professionals to inform any risks in the local area. Currently, staff supervise the child in the community. However, relevant information is necessary to ensure that risk assessments are accurate and purposeful in order to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are minimal and are used as a last resort in line with the home’s policies. Staff work to support the child to understand the outcomes of certain behaviours. This approach helps the child to further develop their relationships with the staff.

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improvement to be good

There have been no missing-from-home episodes and the child is always well supervised by staff when out in the community.

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improvement to be good

The child said that they are happy living in the home. Since the last inspection, there had been an increase in incidents when the child became distressed, but these are now becoming less frequent. Professionals discussed how staff have remained committed and child-centred in supporting the child during some challenging times.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since December 2022. Since then, there have been three changes of manager at the home. This has had a significant impact on the effectiveness of the home’s leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring systems have not been effective in identifying shortfalls and assessing the quality of care provided for children. There are frequent gaps in important records. Management oversight regarding incidents is ineffective. Managers and leaders have implemented some new strategies but these are not fully embedded and need to progress further to strengthen management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff have not received formal supervision in line with the home’s policy. Not all staff have received annual appraisals and support with their continuing professional development. These shortfalls mean that staff do not receive the appropriate opportunities to reflect on the needs of children, and do not receive adequate support to address their training and development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are a large number of gaps in the induction records of new staff. It was therefore unclear whether new staff receive an appropriate induction in order to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff have received essential training in line with the home’s function and the child’s care plans. This does not equip the staff with up-to-date skills and knowledge to support them to carry out their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 5 The home’s statement of purpose does not reflect the services provided in the home. This means that parents, children, the regulator and other professionals do not have the correct information available to ensure that children are cared for in line with the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, reports by the home’s independent visitor have not been shared consistently and in a timely way with the regulator. This has recently improved and will support independent oversight of the home moving forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Before being promoted to manager, the new manager had worked in the home for some time in a previous role. They know the child and staff well and the child and staff have positive relationships with the manager. One staff member said, ‘We are a strong team and supportive of each other.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments and children’s care plans provide staff with clear guidance and steps to follow.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should clearly audit and securely store medication, to enable them to mitigate any risks to children. 26 July 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— 16 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 7 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should have systems in place to ensure that information in children’s case files and other documents is consistently recorded by staff.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that there is effective oversight and monitoring of any incidents that happen in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 16 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 16 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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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; 16 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 8 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 (1)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 16 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the suitability and location of the home is reviewed, and that they include updated information about any identified risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that reports provided by the independent person are consistently shared with HMCI. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2676828 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA

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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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