Children's Home run by Laska Care and Education Ltd in Calderdale

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 1 Registered provider: Laska Care and Education Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation and provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager. A manager has been appointed, but they have not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

Information about this children’s home

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 2

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The children can identify trusted adults they can talk to. Staff assist the children to share their wishes and any concerns during individual discussions. Occasionally, children have said that staff do not listen to them. The new manager encourages the children to talk to their social workers and has attempted to secure advocate support, but this has not yet happened.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff spend time with the children accessing activities such as going to the seaside and shopping. Staff work with children to develop their interests such as attending youth clubs and various religious activities. This provides the children with positive new experiences to enjoy.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff work with children to have their health needs met and are available to help children with their emotions. Staff also benefit from having monthly clinical advice from a practitioner, which helps them better understand how to support the children’s individual needs.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff work with children around attending education and offer children support to overcome any challenges they face.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to have a positive and sensitive move into the home. One child said, ‘Visiting the home and having all the information to read really helped me to settle in quickly.’

p.2

Findings from the inspection

On some occasions, staff have physically intervened to keep children safe and prevent injury to themselves and others. Leaders and managers provide effective independent oversight of these incidents. Children and staff are given the opportunity to understand and reflect on events and look at ways to prevent reoccurrence.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff and the manager are clear about responsibilities around safeguarding incidents and ensure that concerns around allegations are shared with appropriate agencies.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff search for children when they leave the home without permission and are aware of the procedures for notifying and reporting missing from care incidents.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Children’s risk assessments are updated following significant incidents. This helps staff understand children’s associated risks, and staff offer children appropriate support to reduce these risks. However, there are gaps in recordings around some significant incidents and daily events. This makes it difficult to understand any actions taken by staff and whether children have been offered care in line with their individual risk assessments and care plans. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 3 Management arrangements have been strengthened and the new manager has monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided. However, these systems need further embedding because gaps in recordings mean that the manager does not have all required information to ensure appropriate management oversight of significant incidents. This means the manager is not able to monitor the effectiveness of staff responses or consider whether follow-up actions are needed to

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Supervision sessions are conducted by an external person to the organisation who has not gone through the required safer recruitment processes. Staff have gaps in their supervision records. This means staff are not provided with a copy of agreed actions, and it is unclear if they have consistent opportunities to reflect on the care offered to the children.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The responsible individual has experienced challenges sourcing consistent professional support to help staff complete the necessary level 3 diploma. This means one staff member had lapsed the timeframe to complete the qualification, but continues to be working towards this.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The interior decoration of the home has been refurbished and looks more welcoming, with children’s photos displayed in the lounge and communal areas. The responsible individual understands the benefits of ensuring that children have sufficient necessities to support them to live comfortably. Repairs are required to the household equipment to reduce the likelihood of children sustaining injuries. The manager is also required to ensure oversight of the home so that the children continue to have food and nutrition in line with their dietary needs.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have been proactive in progressing some of the requirements from the previous inspection. However, not all requirements have been fully met, resulting in three requirements being restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/07/2022 Full Good 22/03/2022 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that recording of children’s significant incidents, risk assessments and oversight of any incidents clearly promote children’s welfare and meet their needs in line with their care plans. 24 November

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 24 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 6 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff members receive debriefs and supervision from a person independent and free from any possible conflict of interest to promote children’s welfare.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 24 November

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. 24 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 7 The relevant date is—

p.6

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; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

p.7

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Laska Care And Education Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Euroway House, Roysdale Way, Bradford BD4 6SE

p.8

Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2593046 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9