Children's home run by City of Doncaster Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2702037 1 Registered provider: Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority operates this home. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties. There is currently one child living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since September 2022, when it was re- registered from trust ownership to Doncaster council. The current manager has been interviewed as part of the registration process.

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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: 2702037 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Child-focused plans ensure that the relevant people are involved in planning for children to move into the home. This includes mapping the needs of the children against the skills of the staff and ensuring strategies are in place to address any gaps in planning. This has included additional training, increased staff or limiting the number of other children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Statutory health assessments are used to inform health plans. Staff advocate on behalf of children to receive the healthcare they need to help them make progress. Two children have received targeted support, helping to identify health needs that were unknown when they arrived. This allowed appropriate plans to be developed to ensure their needs were fully met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised for children. Routines are maintained that support good attendance, and staff advocate on behalf of children. Personal education plans are reviewed regularly, and these meetings are used effectively to ensure that education plans drive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a high standard throughout. The environment has been adapted to meet the needs of the child, but this does not detract from the homely feel. Children’s bedrooms are appropriately personalised in accordance with their wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships with people who are important to children are supported and encouraged. This includes staff helping families understand the needs of children and inviting them to the home to offer support and encouragement. When children’s plans centre on a return to family, staff work with the family to share their knowledge and skills. This has enabled two children to safely return to their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The parent of one child felt that the staff meet her child’s needs well and that they work hard to keep him safe.

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

When children go missing, they receive a coordinated, multi-agency response that reduces the risks. Staff know children’s plans well and appropriately respond to fluctuating risks, prioritising the safety of children. If children are missing, staff go and search for them. People who are important to children are contacted and involved in searches when this is appropriate. Return home interviews by an independent person are offered. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702037 3 Staff try to engage children in important conversations about their safety and risk factors. They discuss issues relating to their families as well as engaging children in enjoyable activities.

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

When incidents happen, staff respond to children well and strive to understand the context of the behaviour. Relationships between staff and children are used to reduce the need for physical intervention. When physical intervention is used, this is proportionate and for the least amount of time possible. Afterwards, staff focus on maintaining positive relationships with children.

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

Risk assessments are comprehensive . They show due regard to children’s needs and are appropriately reviewed in line with a change of risks. This enables the manager to have a good understanding of whether progress is being made around risks. Staff have not always followed the risk assessments in relation to phone use and vaping. The manager addressed this with staff during the inspection.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns. Staff feel confident in raising concerns and understand whistle-blowing procedures.

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

The manager ensures that new staff are suitably checked and vetted in line with safer recruitment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is appropriately qualified and experienced. He is committed and child- focused. He has a strong understanding of how children’s experiences impact them and their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good management oversight through his monitoring systems. This has resulted in clear and agreed management plans for things such as physical intervention and missing-from-home episodes. Good working relationships have been built with partners, such as the police and health professionals. This ensures plans are holistic.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not informed Ofsted about notifiable events. This involved two serious incidents. This prevents Ofsted having oversight of safeguarding concerns and the actions taken by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior leaders offer regular support to the staff. This is in the form of debriefs, critical incident reviews, group supervision, refocus days, development opportunities and support plans. This is supporting the team members to increase their understanding of the frameworks that underpin their work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, which can be reflective. However, this is not consistent and does not offer challenge when needed. This does not promote the growth and development of staff. The manager does not have good oversight of Inspection report for children’s home: 2702037 4 supervision carried out by others, and this prevents him from offering support to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff have not completed mandatory training within the stipulated time frame. This has an impact on the rota and the skills available when caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Self-evaluation of the team’s skills has identified strengths and weaknesses. This has enabled a development plan to be produced and its implementation set in motion. However, evidence of the impact of these changes has yet to be seen. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702037 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, 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 within the given timescales.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have completed their mandatory training within appropriate timescales. 27 October 2023

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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)) 27 October 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s risk assessments are consistently followed by staff. In particular, ensure that boundaries in line with the risks identified are maintained by all staff members. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person needs to ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. This includes having oversight of supervision that takes place for all staff. If supervision does not offer appropriate Inspection report for children’s home: 2702037 6 reflection or challenge, actions should be taken to address this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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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: 2702037 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2702037 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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