Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 1 SC035543

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Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates this home. The home provides care for up to six children. The aim of the home is to prepare children for independence. Where appropriate, staff support children to return home or to foster care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Inspection date: 31 January 2024

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: SC035543 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

Children and carers enjoy good relationships. Staff implement advice from an emotional well-being practitioner on how to build trust and be responsive to children. This has a positive effect and enables children to share their worries with staff. The children said they feel settled at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children make progress both in and out of school. They spend time with their siblings and families, when appropriate, and are supported to return to their families when safe to do so.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff listen to what the children want, especially around big decisions, such as where they will live. Staff help them to research career choices and then find the right school or college to improve their chances of being successful in achieving their wishes.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s rooms are personalised to reflect their own interests. This helps the children develop a strong sense of their own personality. They have facilities to store their belongings securely. There are books and games in the communal areas, which encourages the children to spend time together.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments are detailed and helpful to staff. When children go missing from the home, the staff follow plans and actively search for them, which promotes children’s safety. Recently, there has been a decline in incidents of children going missing from the home.

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Findings from the inspection

If serious incidents happen, leaders and managers respond decisively. Other professionals who are part of the wider team around the child acknowledge this response. When children are upset, staff ensure children’s emotional and psychological well-being is promoted as well as their physical safety and health.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager recognises the importance of having a thorough understanding of children’s needs before children move into the home. The prior assessment he completes is comprehensive, which means that strategies to manage risks can be identified and implemented as soon as a child arrives. If new risks emerge later, then the entire staff team responds quickly to these.

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Findings from the inspection

At the last inspection, it was noted that there was poor oversight of medication administration. A new system has been introduced, which involves the manager now regularly checking staff medication recording practice. This promotes safer use of medication and there have been no errors since.

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Findings from the inspection

There are shortfalls in the recording of information at the home. Sometimes, children’s views are not noted, which may lead to information being missed. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 3 Incidents are recorded, but all relevant information is not always collated, even when the incident is serious in nature. This is an ineffective way to store information, particularly when it may be required by other professionals or if children request to see their own records.

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Findings from the inspection

Previously, there has been conflict and incidents between children. Work has been carried out by staff to improve children’s relationships, and very recently this conflict has reduced in frequency. However, this improvement has not been sustained for long enough to demonstrate that this change is fully embedded.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been some staff changes, and there are now fewer vacancies than at the last inspection. However, due to insufficient senior staff over the last few months, some staff have not had practice-based supervision as required. Nonetheless, supervision sessions are suitably reflective when they do take place.

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Findings from the inspection

If children have specific vulnerabilities, staff have relevant training to support them in their work. Advice from a psychological clinician forms part of this learning. However, there are still some staff who are yet to complete all this training.

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Findings from the inspection

The premises are in most parts well kept. However, sometimes damage takes a long time to repair. This is an unhelpful reminder of negative behaviour if a child has caused this damage. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Good 25/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that information about any serious incidents is recorded clearly and is easily accessible. 29 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)) 29 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the required training to meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 29 March 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff understand that homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met (for example where properties have not been maintained) – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure staff in children’s homes take into account the child’s views on strategies that they considered might de-escalate or calm a situation. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.55) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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