Children's Home run by North Yorkshire County Council in North Yorkshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 1 SC034235

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Registered provider: North Yorkshire 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 under the ‘No Wrong Door’ model. It provides care for up to six children aged between 10 and 18 years with social, emotional or mental health difficulties. The home can also provide care for a further two children in separate accommodation for up to 28 days.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for five children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2019.

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Inspection date: 27 February 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 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: SC034235 2

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection did not find any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff help children to build trusted and secure relationships with them. They enjoy spending time with the children and getting to know the children’s needs, likes, dislikes and aspirations. One child described staff as ‘supporting and kind, really nice and easy going’. The child has adults they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. The child feels safe and rated the home a ‘solid eight and a half out of ten’.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s rights are respected and promoted. Staff encourage the children to take part in day-to-day decisions about their lives through focused conversations and regular home meetings. The children are helped by staff to personalise their bedrooms and contribute to decisions about the décor of the home through mood boards. In addition, children have access to a range of social, educational, and recreational activities. This has enabled one child to achieve a Duke of Edinburgh award.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s safety and progress are promoted through the children’s individual care plans and risk assessments. The plans are developed and reviewed in collaboration with a range of professionals. This supports staff to have a good understanding of each child’s needs, risks and vulnerabilities and how to help and protect them. In addition, the regular review of the children’s plans in a multi-agency forum helps children to understand the progress they are making from their starting points and celebrate their achievements.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and know what to do should a child go missing from the home. The children’s individual missing-from- home plans are comprehensive and support staff and external professionals to secure the safe return home of children when they go missing.

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Findings from the inspection

On the occasions where children need to be held, staff do this as a last resort to keep the child and others safe. Staff receive appropriate training to ensure that they practice in accordance with the regulations and promote the safety and well-being of children. The records relating to incidents where children have been held have improved since the last inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff conduct searches of a child’s room when they have concerns about the safety or welfare of that child and the safety and welfare of the other children living in the home. However, the records relating to room searches lack detail and do not support children to understand how staff have helped them.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers support staff to access relevant training to meet the needs of the children living in the home. In addition to formal training, staff can develop their Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 3 skills and knowledge through regular in-house training days, support from a substance misuse worker and support from the clinical psychologist attached to the home. Staff expressed that they get the right training to provide appropriate care to children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff enjoy working in the home. They feel supported by leaders and managers. Staff value practice-based supervision and team meetings, as these promote their well-being and assist them to reflect on the needs of the children and their vulnerabilities. These conversations support staff to develop their practice and increase their understanding of how they can promote the children’s progress, well-being, and safety.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who is supported by two deputy managers and the responsible individual. Both deputy managers are working towards a suitable qualification.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers do not appropriately notify Ofsted of any significant events in the home. This shortfall prevents the regulator from assessing the safety and well- being of the children living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have made improvements and are addressing the shortfalls identified. This includes taking steps to ensure that external monthly monitoring is undertaken by an independent visitor who is suitable.

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Findings from the inspection

The requirements previously issued under Regulations 13 and 36 were either not met or are yet to be tested. For this reason, they are restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/05/2022 Full Inadequate 15/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 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 leadership and management standard is that the regis- tered 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 reg- istered 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to decision-making by senior leaders to admit children into the home when the registered manager has assessed it as not being suitable to do so. 1 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case rec- ords”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 1 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 6 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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 1 April 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that a child's bedroom is not generally being entered without their permission. Records of room searches should contain information about the purpose of the room search, the explanation given to the child and how the child felt about their room being searched. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 16, paragraph 3.20) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Northallerton, DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Shirin Khan Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 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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Inspector

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