Children's home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 1 SC034220 Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council Full inspection 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 offers pre-planned and emergency short breaks and long-term placements for up to seven children.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for children who have a sensory impairment, learning disability or physical disability. The home also offers extended and bespoke packages of care on a shared-care basis.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing long-term care for two children and short-break stays for 17 children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2022 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/10/2019 Full Outstanding 18/12/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled in the home and enjoy trusting relationships with the staff, who know them well. Children receive individualised care from the staff who understand each child’s specific communication needs. As a result, children can communicate their choices effectively and are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend school and have excellent attendance. The staff attend education meetings where appropriate and communicate with schools daily by way of a handover. When one child was experiencing barriers to attendance and learning, the registered manager effectively advocated to seek a creative daily education package in the home for the child. This approach supports the child’s return to full- time education in the new school term.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. Children receive support from a range of professionals including specialist services. For children with complex health needs, the staff are suitably trained and support the children with all aspects of their care. This supports the children to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For those children who move on from the home, staff manage this sensitively and with care. Detailed transition plans are developed, and the staff ensure that the new staff team fully understands the children’s needs and routines before the child moves on. Social stories are carried out with the child which capture in words and pictures any transition plans. This approach ensures that planning is smooth and prepares the children for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of home-based activities at the home that appeal to their specific likes and interests. Staff also take the children on outings and activities in the community. This encourages the children to socialise and become part of the wider community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home looks tired and rundown in some areas. Funding has been granted for redecoration in the home, but there is currently no timeframe for this work to start. Damage in some parts of the home has not been repaired, nor has it been recorded in the maintenance log for action. The outside of the home is a lovely space for the children to enjoy. However, the garden is also looking untidy and overgrown. A significant amount of work is required in the home to make it a homely and inviting environment for the children.

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

Children are kept safe by staff who understand and respond to each child’s individual needs. Staff support the children to manage any unwanted behaviours. The newly registered manager has been working with the staff to support them to understand the triggers and reasons for children’s behaviours and then tailor the staff’s responses and de-escalation techniques to the child’s individual needs. This Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 4 approach has led to a significant reduction in incidents of concern and physical interventions needing to be used to keep everyone safe.

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

Children do not usually go missing from the home. Doors are appropriately locked due to the level of vulnerability of the children in the home. However, an incident has taken place where a child managed to exit the home following a door being left unlocked. Staff responded appropriately when alerted to this and the child was located and returned safely to the home very quickly. The registered manager has taken steps to ensure that this does not happen again.

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

Children’s behaviour support plans and risks assessments are detailed and easy to understand and follow. They include identified risks, as well as actions for staff to follow to mitigate the risks reoccurring. However, two examples were identified where known risks were not identified and, therefore, not risk assessed. This means that staff do not have an agreed plan of how to respond to these children when presenting risks occur.

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

When children move into the home in an emergency, a risk assessment is not completed prior to them moving in. This means that children are moving into the home without consideration and evaluation of the potential risks and how those risks can be managed.

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

Not all children have targets in place for them to achieve. For those children that do, the targets are vague and are not formally reviewed regularly and, where appropriate, new targets set. While children make clear progress, they are not being encouraged to meet their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a permanent, suitably experienced and qualified registered manager, who is supported by two deputy managers. The registered manager is new in post, but has already made a significant positive impact on the running of the home. She has an excellent understanding of the service provided and the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate about her role and has a clear vision for the home, wanting to improve performance while ensuring that children in the home are happy and safe. New management and auditing systems have been implemented. However, the effectiveness of these cannot be evaluated as they are not yet embedded into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have developed positive working relationships with children’s social workers, professionals and families to ensure that the children’s needs are met. The quality of communication and care, as well as the commitment of the registered manager and the staff to the children, was a consistent theme from the feedback received, which was overwhelmingly positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager. Mandatory training is up to date for all staff, as well as training that is specific to children’s individual needs. Due to staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 5 sickness, supervision sessions have not always taken place in accordance with the provider’s policy. The quality of supervision also varies with no opportunity for reflection of practice. This means that the staff are not provided with the opportunity to consider their own practice and make any changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is out of date and does not reflect the current staffing structure or qualifications of staff. Ofsted has also not received the most up-to-date version of the report. This failure means that parents, commissioners and Ofsted are not able to scrutinise the information to ensure that the current staff have the appropriate skills, experience and knowledge to care for the children appropriately and safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment processes are not followed when agency staff are appointed. This does not provide assurance that the staff are suitably vetted and qualified to provide safe care to the children. Not all relief staff hold the required qualification and have passed the relevant date for gaining their required residential qualifications. This failure means that some of the staff are not appropriately qualified to care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 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, The 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s risk assessments, or assessments completed prior to a child moving into the home. This also relates to the setting of targets that allow children to reach their potential. 8 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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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 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 8 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 7 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; 8 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 8 or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision so that they can reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC034220 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034220 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 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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