Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

Inspection report children's home: SC039056 1 SC039056 Registered provider: Leicester City 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 operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to five children under short-break arrangements and a further four children under longer term arrangements.

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Information about this children's home

The manager is registered and suitably qualified and experienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: SC039056 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2023 Full Outstanding 02/02/2022 Full Outstanding 13/08/2019 Full Outstanding 05/02/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report children's home: SC039056 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build trusting and secure relationships with staff. Children, irrespective of disability or ability, enjoy a wide range of social, educational, and recreational activities, such as wheelchair trampolining, activities in the community and at the home. One child is in the process of planning their first trip to a Harry Potter castle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have enabled families to take their children to the seaside for the first time. This flexibility with this short break service means that families have undertaken activities they have never done as a family before.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Ability or disability is no barrier to children. Barriers are overcome by committed and experienced staff. All success is celebrated. For some children this is learning to take their own coat off after school, for others, this is planning an overnight stay away.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and carers of children that have a short break are very positive about the care that their children receive, and the support for themselves as a family. Managers ensure that short breaks are allocated in line with the family’s needs, and the health and social care needs of the children. The short break service offers flexibility to support families in times of need, additional to their planned stays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, including those who communicate non-verbally, are supported to actively take part in decisions that affect their day-to-day life. They are helped to use the most appropriate communication methods to make their views, wishes and feelings known. This means that children are fully involved in the decisions made about their lives. They grow in confidence and have improved self-esteem as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Introductions to the short break service are carefully managed in line with the families and the children’s health and care needs. Whilst some children adjust quickly, those that are anxious are offered an extended period to settle. Every effort is made to encourage children to feel at home, for instance, staff ensure that children are provided with their favourite meal. Children’s cultural requirements are consistently met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live at this home have a modern and purposely built environment. Children who come for their short breaks are accommodated in an environment that is currently under a scheme of development. Whilst this work is being undertaken, managers have not ensured that all areas are adequately monitored, to remain fit for purpose.

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

Children say they feel safe. They can identify staff who will help and support them. Staff know the children well, and look for signs that they may be unwell, unhappy, Inspection report children's home: SC039056 4 or worried about something. Staff receive regular training so that they understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Care plans and risk assessments detail the strategies that staff must follow to keep children safe. This means that children benefit from a consistent safeguarding approach from all staff.

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

Children who use complex methods of communication, are helped to make their views wishes and feelings known. Regardless of communication ability, children are encouraged by staff to make choices. For instance, children can make choices through eye gazing, sign language and through their body language. Staff are experienced and adept at interpreting children’s communication.

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

When incidents occur, staff make a clear record of events. A manager oversees and reviews incidents and provides a reflective overview and guidance.

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

Careful vetting of all staff minimises risk to highly vulnerable children. The manager ensures that robust recruitment checks are carried out on new staff. Once employed, new staff undertake a probationary period that includes thorough training. This ensures that only the right calibre of staff become members of this established team.

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

When children are living away from the home in a hospital, staff continue to provide care and support. They ensure that children continue with their education and learning. They go out on local trips. They have organised for them to meet up with their peers from the home. This means that when children come home from hospital, relationships have been maintained and will help with settling back into their home.

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

Arrangements for the monitoring and recording of the administration of medication are generally safe. Staff are trained, and competency is checked. If children have medication for epilepsy, a clear protocol is in place that staff must follow. However, processes for when medication needs to be disposed of, is yet to be safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and suitably qualified registered manager provides effective leadership to the short break service and the children’s home. They are supported by a management team, who are also well experienced. The registered manager is a passionate advocate for all children and their families and carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home and short break service is properly staffed to meet the needs of each child. High staff ratios means that the children receive a consistent approach to their social and health care needs. Children have many opportunities to undertake a wide variety of activities, supported by staff. Consequently, children are kept safe while also being given as much independence as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training and staff development systems are effective. The training programme is tailored to meeting the specific needs of the children. For example, staff undertake social care, and health care training to safely meet the children’s complex health Inspection report children's home: SC039056 5 care interventions. Training has included, Team Teach, first aid, medication administration, food hygiene and safeguarding. Staff have up to date safeguarding training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children can make their own views, wishes and feelings known. They can also make complaints. Information is clearly displayed about how to access advocacy services. Staff are aware that many children that have a short break, or live at the home, may not be able to access these meetings. Staff therefore monitor children for changes in usual behaviour patterns, signs of discomfort. Effective information sharing with families is evident. Managers ensure that when there are complaints from neighbours, they work to resolve these, and to maintain a positive relationship with the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A motivated and conscientious staff team receive support from a manager through a variety of forums, including supervision, team meetings and development sessions. Staff also receive informal daily support and guidance from the management team and each other. However, staff, including those who work mainly at nighttime, do not have sufficient opportunity to speak on an individual basis with a manager. This may mean that opportunities are missed for staff to raise their concerns and worries about the highly vulnerable children in their care. Inspection report children's home: SC039056 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards'. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff receive regular supervision. 4 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children's homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children's homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional 'impression. ('Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. ('Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.15).

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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 children's home: SC039056 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 1FZ

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Inspector(s)

Simon Hunter, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC039056 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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