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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 1 Registered provider: City of York Council

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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 or a learning disability.

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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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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this children’s home inadequate at the full inspection on 7 November 2023. Two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). This was because of serious concerns relating to the safety and protection of children and the widespread failings in the leadership and management arrangements of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed the home’s admission procedure. There are now clear expectations in place about processes the registered manager must follow when considering a new child moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The current child’s risk assessment and ‘presenting behaviours support plan and individual crisis management plan’ are now in place. These documents are detailed, reviewed regularly and identify the actions for staff to take should risks or concerns emerge. However, staff spoken to struggled to identify the known risks for the child and what steps they should take to manage them. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 2 Home conditions have improved. A new hallway and stair carpet have been fitted and soft furnishings have been purchased. The child who is living in the home has chosen new bedroom furniture and staff have decorated their bedroom to the child’s likes. While it is acknowledged that more work still needs to be done in the home, it is now a more homely environment for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

Regular key-work sessions now take place. These are specific to the assessed needs of the child or in response to an incident. This helps the child to increase their knowledge and awareness of issues that are relevant to their needs.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now completed both mandatory training and training specific to the child’s individual needs. This means that the staff have all the necessary knowledge and skills when managing related incidents and issues.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now completed fire safety training. A fire evacuation plan has now been completed and discussed with the child and a fire drill has been carried out.

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This monitoring visit

All members of the management team have completed supervision training. Supervisions are now taking place on a regular basis and are described by staff as being ‘more thorough’. This means that the staff are provided with regular opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has been present in the home daily, ensuring effective management oversight. New management and auditing tools have been created. However, some of these have yet to be implemented. It is, therefore, too early to identify what impact these tools will have on assessing and improving the standard of care that the child receives.

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This monitoring visit

The quality-of-care review does not evidence what feedback has been received from children about the home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. This means that children’s views are not considered in the development of the service.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, it was decided that both compliance notices have been met. The requirements previously issued under regulations 7, 12, 13, 14 and 35 were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2023 Full Inadequate 08/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 4

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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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 4 February 2024

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 4 February 2024

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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. 4 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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 4 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 6 measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii) (c))

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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

This requirement has been restated. 4 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there is a system in place which allows them to undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2667363 8

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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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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2667363 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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