Children's home run by Leicester City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 1 SC038961 Registered provider: Leicester City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to 10 children who experience social and emotional difficulties and children who have highly complex needs and may be subject to court orders restricting their liberty.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced and qualified manager who is in the process of becoming registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2023 Full Outstanding 03/08/2021 Full Outstanding 14/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 3

p.2

outstanding

The children have extremely complex needs and have experienced considerable trauma in their lives. This has included family breakdown and multiple changes of placement. The managers and staff are exceptionally dedicated and committed to providing children with the very best care. From when children first move to the home, the managers and staff work collaboratively with external partner agencies to assess and gain a clear understanding of the children’s needs. This helps them to formulate plans to provide the children with stability and secure the services they need to help them start making progress.

p.3

outstanding

Children form very strong and dependable relationships with staff. The children know that staff are there for them and will never give up on them. Staff make the time and put a great deal of effort to engage children and develop these crucial relationships. Staff and children spend valuable time together and children undertake a good range of activities in the home and community, which helps them develop the strong bonds they need to start making progress. Activities include trips out to large cities, going to sports events and playing games and having fun at home. The children get to try new things and have experiences they will remember, and these are captured in memory books that children keep when they leave the home.

p.3

outstanding

The children are all in some form of education. For many, this is alternative education. Two older children are at college. One is training to be a plumber and has a clear drive to achieve this aim. The other is studying functional, core skills and business studies. Some children who move to the home have been out of education for a considerable period and struggle to re-engage with education. The staff work well with education providers and other agencies to help children re-engage and build confidence to start learning again. This is excellent work because many children have lost trust and confidence in education.

p.3

outstanding

Children’s physical and emotional needs are a high priority for the managers and staff. All the children have in-depth assessments of their emotional needs from the outset of their time at the home. These assessments are carried out jointly between staff and involved professionals, including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The partnership work between CAMHS practitioners and staff and managers at the home is highly effective in helping children to engage in therapy and supports staff’s day-to-day care practice. The leadership is very good, and the staff are extremely committed.

p.3

outstanding

A real strength is the work with external partner agencies and social workers. There are excellent multi-agency working arrangements in place. This means that the children have the right services and help in place to meet their needs. These Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 4 services are extremely well coordinated and provide maximum impact for children. The police are very complimentary of the help and support that children receive.

p.3

outstanding

The children enjoy a home that is very large, spacious and well equipped. The environment can be adapted to meet children’s specific needs, for example children who have court orders in place that restrict their freedom and require higher levels of supervision and oversight.

p.4

outstanding

Children are safer because staff are vigilant and never complacent. The staff consistently place the safeguarding needs of the children first. Staff have a detailed understanding and knowledge of each child’s risks and vulnerabilities because of good multi-agency assessments of children. The staff and managers understand the detail contained in children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans and know what actions to take should there be any risk to the children. Children’s risk management plans are continually updated and amended. Weekly, sometimes twice weekly, risk strategy meetings with all partner agencies take place. This means that all agencies work in a fully coordinated manner with up-to-date information about children.

p.4

outstanding

Staff follow the children when they go missing and try and persuade them to return home. At times, staff have placed themselves in vulnerable situations when trying to bring children home. They contact the police and other agencies to support and have developed excellent relationships with the police and external agencies. In relation to one child, who is very vulnerable, this coordinated response with the police has been highly valuable in responding quickly to missing-from-care incidents and trying to ensure the child’s safety.

p.4

outstanding

The children have complex needs, and, at times, present behaviours that challenge. The staff are adept at understanding the underlying triggers to children’s behaviours and respond proactively to prevent incidents from escalating. The staff and managers carry out debriefs with children and staff. These are detailed and reflective and aimed at trying to learn valuable lessons. Children’s relevant plans are amended, and any amendments are communicated to the staff team. The staff have an excellent understanding of the children and their needs and how to respond to them. This keeps children safer.

p.4

outstanding

The staff team is stable. Staff are committed to their roles and to caring for the children. This has led to a team of highly skilled and knowledgeable practitioners. The staff and managers are professionally curious and driven to keep children safe. They understand the parameters of their roles and know when to liaise with external professionals. Multi-agency responses to safeguarding incidents are excellent and all agencies work in a coordinated and collaborative manner to keep children safe.

p.4

outstanding

Staff persevere through challenging times with children. They demonstrate devotion, commitment and determination to help children. They understand the traumatic Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 5 experiences children have been through and the impact of trauma. The staff and managers have implemented preferred models of care practice underpinned by relevant theory and research. This care practice is supported by bespoke training and development in trauma-informed approaches to keeping the children safe.

p.4

outstanding

The manager and leaders use safer recruitment procedures to recruit new staff. Prospective new staff undergo a range of rigorous vetting and checking processes. This minimises the risk of children being harmed by those caring for them. The manager is aware of the strengths and challenges of the building and ensures that the environment is safely maintained through the required health and safety checks.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a very committed, knowledgeable and aspirational manager. Although she is relatively new to the role, she has worked at the home for several years as the deputy manager. She brings professionalism and drive to the role and has high aspirations for the future. She is very well supported by equally committed deputy managers. Together, they provide excellent leadership. Staff say they feel very well supported in their jobs and staff morale is consistently high. The management team’s ability to empathise with staff and children is notably strong. The team works alongside others to develop care practices that are consistent and focus on what works best for the child.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers are always visible. They work directly with the children and have good relationships with them. They have a detailed understanding of each child. This is because they are fully involved in the care planning for each child from the outset of when children move in. They remain fully involved, and indeed they lead the development of plans because they know children so well. One staff member said, ‘The management is child-centred and the children are at the heart of everything they do.’ Other external professionals listen to the views of the managers and will develop the children’s plans around the advice and guidance of the managers.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers have excellent quality assurance processes. They review every incident, every key-work session and a wide range of information. They provide their overview and will act if they are uncomfortable with any information they have reviewed. The manager is avaricious in reviewing all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the home. The manager values advice and guidance from the independent visitor, and this helps as part of her overall quality review of the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is diverse and is made up of staff from a range of backgrounds. This mirrors the diversity in the group of children. Overall, the quality of care is enhanced because staff and children share experiences and cultural differences and similarities. This helps children to understand other cultures and religions and enriches their lives.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are highly motivated and happy in their jobs. They say they feel able to express their views and opinions. Even if managers cannot implement their ideas, Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 6 they still feel listened to. They receive excellent support, which is achieved through regular supervision meetings. The managers are always available to staff to talk through any worries or concerns they might have. The staff have worked through a turbulent time at the home. Despite this, they remain committed to the children, and the support from managers has been key to staff remaining focused on the care and support of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 7

p.5

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 for children’s home: SC038961 8

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Phillip Morris, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038961 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9