Children's Home run by City of York Council in York

Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 1 Registered provider: City of York Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for one child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection two children have resided in the home who have had vastly different experiences. One child has made good progress and has successfully moved to independent living and continues to be support by staff from the home. Staff do support children in purchasing household items, attending meetings and painting and decorating their new homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

In contrast the child who has recently moved in has not had a positive experience. The child described a poor introduction to the home. They did not visit or see the home or meet all of the staff before moving in. They do not know the rules and expectations in the home. The child has not been provided with a copy of the home’s statement of purpose or children’s guide. No one-to-one discussions or key-work sessions have been carried out with the child since moving into the home. This has not given the child the message that they are important and valued and has prevented the child from settling into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child does not know how to make a complaint and has not been provided with the home’s complaints procedure. Complaint forms are not readily accessible in the home, so if the child wants to make a complaint confidentially, they are unable to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home does not provide a warm and nurturing environment. Although the home is appropriately furnished, it is in need of redecorating, and the hallway and stairs carpet are dirty and threadbare in places. Some areas of the garden are in disrepair.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child has moved on from the home. However, there is no specific written independent living programme that staff follow to support children to develop vital life skills before moving on to independent living. Children are also not provided with a clear transition plan to follow when they move on from the home.

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

The provider’s response to how both children have been safeguarded in the home since the last inspection has been strikingly different. This has been acknowledged by the registered manager and senior leaders, and immediate action was taken to ensure the safety of the child currently living in the home.

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

The registered manager has revised the paperwork for physical interventions, however this does not meet the regulations. Although there have not been any physical interventions since the last inspection, the current guidance would not direct staff appropriately should physical intervention be required. As a result this requirement has been restated.

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

The registered manager has not completed any risk assessments before one child moved into the home. The registered manager did not evaluate the impact on the child Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 4 of moving into the home and whether staff could meet the child’s identified needs. This left the staff unable to fulfil their roles properly and placed the child at risk.

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

There is no clear plan in place agreed in consultation with the local authority social worker as to how the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered to keep the child safe. The child has been allowed to sleep through the day and be awake through the night. There are no plans or activities arranged for the child. This has resulted in both the staff and the child not understanding the expectations placed on them.

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

Not all staff have completed fire safety training. On one occasion, there were no staff working who were trained in fire safety. The fire evacuation procedure has not been discussed with the child who is currently living in the home, and no fire drill has been undertaken. This places the child at risk should there be a fire in the home.

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

A previous shortfall about significant delays in notifying the regulator of serious incidents has continued. This means that Ofsted is unable to scrutinise information in a timely manner to ensure that children are kept safe. Therefore, this requirement has been restated.

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

For the child who has recently moved on from the home, staff worked hard to reduce any presenting risks. Consequently, frequent incidents of going missing from home and the use of physical interventions eventually reduced to zero. Risk assessments were in place and clearly identified the risks and actions for staff to take to reduce the risks. Feedback from the child’s parent stated, ‘Some staff went above and beyond, and without them, [name of child] wouldn’t be in the position they are today.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been a lack of management oversight which has resulted in significant and widespread failures. This is due to the registered manager being absent from the home for significant periods of time and not having effective management oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Poor management monitoring systems mean that the registered manager has failed to identify or act on significant failings. For example, the most recent statement of purpose had not been received, the quality-of-care review report was received late and contained no feedback from children, and the lack of consultation in the independent visitor’s report was poor. The registered manager was also unaware that two new members of staff who had not completed essential mandatory training were working together to support the child without supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive regular supervision sessions in accordance with the organisation’s own supervision policy. Staff report that morale is low, the home is in ‘chaos’ and that they do not feel that they have been supported by senior leaders and managers. This means children do not receive quality care from a motivated staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff have completed essential mandatory training, including safeguarding children, first aid and fire safety. Not all staff have completed training specific to the child’s individual needs, including self-harm and ligature training. Not staff are trained Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 5 to care for children with a learning disability. This means that staff do not have the skills and experience to fully meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Serious and widespread concerns were raised throughout this full inspection. During the inspection the provider acted to reduce the likelihood of a serious safeguarding incidents occurring in the home. They also made changes to ensure the child’s needs are met. Senior leaders from the local authority offered assurances that these actions are long-term. These assurances prevented Ofsted from taking higher enforcement action. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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 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)(ii)(iv)(b)) 31 December

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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

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; 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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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)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 8 the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 9 develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(b)(ii)(d)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(c)(d)) 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 10 The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(b)(iii)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a homely and domestic environment for children to live in. This specifically relates to redecoration and the stairs and hallway carpet needing to be replaced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2667363 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: City of York Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Offices, Station Rise, York YO1 6GD

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Inspectors

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2667363 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection. 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 . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under

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Inspectors

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 .

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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