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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 1 Registered provider: Laska Care and Education Limited

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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 operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2567806 2

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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.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, another child has moved into the home. Staff spend time with the children and work to build relationships. This helps the children settle into the home. Staff support the children to share their views around their daily care. Children know how to raise complaints and concerns and the registered manager responds to these appropriately.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff meet the children’s health needs and support them to attend appointments. Children are supported with their emotional health and staff assist them to accesses therapeutic support.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager and staff work well with education services. They work together and review the children’s progress in their learning, and ensure that the children have appropriate support to address any difficulties they may experience, such as peer relationships.

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Findings from the inspection

The children benefit from attending additional activities such as horse riding. They enjoy spending time with staff and with their friends. This helps the children build relationships and develop their confidence.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff know the children well and provide them with routines to help develop their independence skills. Not all staff offer the children consistent daily care routines. This impacts on the children having continuity of care and causes frictions among the staff team.

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Findings from the inspection

The children’s risk assessments and plans are updated following incidents and shared with staff. However, some staff are not aware of associated peer risks in the home, or appropriate support that should be offered to children. The home’s location risk assessment has been updated to include risks in the local area. However, the children’s risk assessments do not include all relevant local risks. This prevents staff from understanding all the required actions they need to take to reduce potential risks to children.

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Findings from the inspection

The overall improvements in recordings of incidents help the registered manager understand and review the support staff offer to the children. On occasions, staff have held the children to keep them safe and prevent injury to themselves and others. These holds are proportionate, and staff and children are offered the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the incidents afterwards.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are aware of risks associated with online safety and offer children one-to-one time to develop their understanding of associated risks. Staff undertake searches of Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 3 children’s rooms when necessary to ensure the children’s well-being. However, on one occasion, permission was not sought from a child.

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Findings from the inspection

Management arrangements have been strengthened and the registered manager has monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided. The registered manager has reviewed the children’s progress and the review report now includes the children’s opinions about their care.

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Findings from the inspection

The environment now presents as homely because essential repairs have been carried out, and the children’s bedrooms have been newly decorated. However, children’s arts and crafts are stored in plastic bags and need to be in suitable storage to create a nurturing environment.

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Findings from the inspection

Ongoing gaps in team meetings mean staff are not provided with consistent opportunities to reflect on their progress and the care offered to the children. This means the registered manager misses team opportunities to address staff practice and ensure that staff offer children consistency of care.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager failed to ensure that a safeguarding notification was shared with the regulator in a timely manner. This does not provide Ofsted with the opportunity to assess that the provider has responded to the safeguarding matter effectively and within timescales.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have been proactive in progressing some of the requirements from the previous inspection. However, not all improvements the provider intends to make have been made. This has resulted in one requirement being restated and further requirements have been made. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/06/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 5

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all associated risks are recorded in children’s risk assessments, and ensure that staff understand all associated risks and actions to reduce risks for the children. 22 March 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

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;

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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)(a)(c)(g)(ii)(h)) 22 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure that arrangements are in place to offer staff consistent team meetings to assist them in having a clear understanding of procedures, and help them to consistently meet the children’s needs.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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)) 22 March 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s environment is homely and ensure that appropriate storage is used to promote a domestic homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that they consistently inform children and seek their views before searching their bedrooms, unless perceived risks mean an immediate search is necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Laska Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2567806 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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