Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 1 SC356868 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 or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two children currently living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in day-to-day charge of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Due to serious and widespread concerns identified at the assurance inspection on 8 March 2023, a case review was held. Ofsted issued a restriction notice and two compliance notices under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 5 May 2023. The findings from this visit confirmed that leaders and managers had not been effective in making sufficient progress to meet all of the actions set out in the compliance notices. As a result, Ofsted reissued the two compliance notices under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000 and the restriction of accommodation remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit was completed on 1 June 2023. The compliance notice relating to the leadership and management standard that was issued under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000 was met. There were further concerns during this monitoring visit about how staff safeguarded children, including preventing children from harming each other. Ofsted reissued the compliance notice in relation to the protection of children standard. The restriction of accommodation also remained in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 2 The purpose of this visit was to assess the progress made to meet the steps identified in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Two children have been adequately prepared by staff to move on from the home. They are now living in suitable accommodation. A further child is being cared for in alternative accommodation by staff who he knows and who provide consistent care. However, the child is being moving to different accommodation on a weekly basis. This is unsettling for him.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are still not managing children’s behaviour effectively to keep them safe and to protect them from harming one another. Dangerous behaviours involving lighters to ignite the pressurised gas within an aerosol have not been responded to swiftly. Staff did not anticipate the danger, and this led to staff and another child being threatened. Leaders did not regard this incident as serious and notify Ofsted. The inspector was therefore unaware of the incident and unable to monitor how leaders responded to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have failed to ensure that actions identified in the fire risk assessments are addressed. The fire risk assessment states that fire drills must be carried out on a regular basis relative to the risk. There have been two separate incidents of fire- setting since the last monitoring visit. Staff have not completed a fire evacuation drill since April 2023. This does not keep children or staff safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always provide care in accordance with their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. Two children were dropped off in the community for unsupervised time by a member of staff in an unplanned way. No risk assessment of the children had been completed to reflect on the children being out together.

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This monitoring visit

When children go missing from home or do not return on time, staff do not always complete searches of the local area. There were no attempts to find one child and encourage their return home at the earliest opportunity.

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This monitoring visit

When children have been placed in alternative provision, staff have not always ensured that the premises are safe and free from hazards in line with safe caring risk assessments. One child was able to remove a kitchen knife, which was later used to threaten staff, and was subsequently arrested. This increases the risk of criminalisation.

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This monitoring visit

Staff’s response to risk is weak. Risk assessments are not always detailed and are not always updated in response to new concerns. Staff did not search the premises or the garden when another child told them about a knife they had hidden in the garden. This leaves children and staff at significant risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There has been limited progress since the last monitoring visit. There are further concerns and shortfalls that have led to the compliance notice being reissued. The restriction of accommodation notice remains in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 3

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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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 4

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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 with 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the guidance and support needed to intervene and manage children’s behaviour in a way that protects them from harm.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff take effective action when there are serious concerns for the children’s safety. 11 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 5 The registered person must ensure that actions identified in the fire risk assessment are completed, and that children’s behaviour is managed effectively to reduce risk in the home.

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 11 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sheffield City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356868 7 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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