Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC356868 1 SC356868 Sheffield City Council

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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 is currently one child 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 second monitoring visit was completed on 1 June 2023. The compliance notice relating to the leadership and management standard 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.

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This monitoring visit

A third monitoring visit was completed on 20 July 2023. There were additional concerns about how leaders were guiding staff to effectively manage children’s behaviour to keep them safe and to protect them from harming one another. Leaders had also failed to ensure that actions identified in the fire risk assessments Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC356868 2 were addressed. Ofsted reissued the compliance notice and the restriction of accommodation notice remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

This fourth monitoring visit found that the provider has honoured the restriction notice. Children have been supported to move on from the home or return to the home from temporary arrangements. This has prevented care arrangements for children deteriorating further.

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This monitoring visit

The manager remains absent from the home. Leaders and managers are now providing improved levels of oversight to guide staff in their day-to-day care for one child. This provides the child with structure to his day. Staff report that they feel more confident in their roles. They have improved their monitoring and oversight of children. As a result, staff are protecting children from potential harm.

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This monitoring visit

There has only been one serious incident during this monitoring period. Leaders appropriately notified Ofsted. Staff responded promptly to ensure that the child received the medical care required.

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This monitoring visit

Staff had not updated one child’s risk assessment since he returned to live in the home. The details of the child’s associates were not included in the child’s Philomena Protocol. Staff and the police therefore did not have current guidance and information required to intervene and manage the child’s behaviour in a way that protected them from potential harm.

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This monitoring visit

A fire drill was not completed in a timely way. The child therefore did not have the opportunity to practice how to evacuate the premises when they returned to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The shortfalls relating to the gaps in the child’s documents were updated during the visit. The fire drill was completed on the same evening. The compliance notice issued under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000 was therefore met. The shortfalls identified were raised in a requirement to support ongoing improvement. The restriction of accommodation notice remains in place until the end of August. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC356868 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

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; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children’s assessments and plans are updated to provide staff with the guidance and information required to intervene and manage children’s behaviour in a way that protects them from potential harm.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the registered person ensuring that evacuation fire drills are completed relevant to the risk for the child. This includes timely drills when a child returns to live in the home. 14 September 2023

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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 5

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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 6 regulates and inspects 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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