Children's Home run by Care Hubz in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 1 Registered provider: Care Hubz Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation owns and oversees the operation of this home. The home registered with Ofsted in November 2022 and provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel supported and prepared before moving into the home. The manager works well to alleviate the child’s anxieties through carefully considered planning. This makes sure that children are reassured and have the best chance to succeed in their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk lovingly about the child and avoid the use of unhelpful language. The language that carers use with the child is relatable. This means that the child has a better chance of learning from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the need to be good role models for the child. Staff hold meaningful conversations with the child to develop the child’s self-awareness. Important conversations are captured in the child’s written records. Therefore, the child can reflect on important conversations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is small, homely and decorated to a high standard. The child’s bedroom is personalised, and they take pride in it. There are photos of people who are important to the child proudly displayed around the home. This creates a relaxed and homely environment that the child flourishes in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager understands the need to support the child to repair relationships. These actions help the child to understand that, when they experience a change of carers, relationships can heal and recover. This helps the child to learn how to resolve conflict in important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has not accessed school for a significant period. The manager has not efficiently challenged the child’s virtual school to seek a resolution. Consequently, this has contributed to further unnecessary delay.

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

The child is happy and feels safe and well cared for by the adults around them. Inspectors observed the child to have positive relationships with all members of staff.

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

Staff provide good parenting boundaries, specifically around the child’s use of video games and technology in the home. The staff strike a balance between the child’s existing interests and access to new experiences. They also implement strategies to ensure that the child is kept safe online. This includes a review of what has been accessed online and educating the child about the dangers if this is needed.

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

The child’s risk assessment is updated as their needs change. This enables the staff to respond appropriately to the child. However, there was a shortfall in the child’s missing-from-care risk assessment. This plan did not detail suitable actions for the Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 4 staff to take when the child left the home at night. This resulted in staff failing to act to keep the child safe.

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

Staff are employed following a safe recruitment process. The manager ensures that appropriate checks on any agency staff are carried out to safeguard children from unnecessary risk.

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

Missing-from-care documents are completed for the child and updated when an incident takes place. However, the documents do not always match the risk assessments in place. This means that, at times, different plans outline different steps to take in case of a child going missing. These discrepancies mean that staff do not have a clear plan to follow so that the child receives a consistent response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation is committed to the development of staff. The manager takes his own development seriously and is enrolled on the required qualification. All the staff are enrolled on the required qualification, which supports their development in their roles. This ensures that the staff team feels valued and supported by the wider organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular, reflective supervision sessions. These are valued by the staff, who feel that their learning and development are supported. The child is discussed during these sessions. Regular team meetings are also held, which are well attended by staff. This time is used to drive improvement, discuss changes and allow space to reflect and share experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person carries out timely visits and reports their findings. However, these reports do not always contain enough analysis around significant events that have happened in the home. This prevents Ofsted, placing authorities and parents from having a detailed oversight of what life is like for the child living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation uses an electronic system to collate its policies and procedures. This makes it easy for staff to locate these when they are needed. It also contains links to wider reading and learning around research and guidance. However, the staff are not fully aware of how to use this system effectively to improve their knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation’s electronic system for the child’s records is used well by the staff. However, during the inspection, some technical issues meant that this system was inaccessible until the issues were resolved. This highlights the vulnerability around access to the system. Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(viii)) 15 August 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)) 15 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain an efficient recording system. Some records may be kept electronically providing that the information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Electronic records should be held at the home in accordance with data protection principles. Information technology systems should ensure the safe storage of these records, and business continuity planning should be in place to prevent loss or damage to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person should ensure that the individual who is appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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: 2686872 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thorpe House, 61 Richardshaw Lane, Leeds LS28 7EL

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Inspectors

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2686872 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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