Children's Home run by Young Foundations Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities. There was one child living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager both registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 2

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improvement to be good

The shortfalls identified in how well the children have been helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers have impacted on the children’s overall experiences and progress.

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improvement to be good

Three children have lived in the home since registration. Two children moved on after staying in the home for short periods of time. Staff have not always been able to promote positive endings for children. One child moved into the home in an emergency, which was not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. These changes were unsettling for all three children and affected their overall experiences and progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not been able to support children to develop positive relationships. Some children said they have felt unhappy in the home. Staff spend time with the current child; they understand their preferred communication methods and help the child share their views. Leaders and managers also help children and their families access clear information that they can understand.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the current child to have positive care routines and access health appointments. Staff work with several specialists who help them understand the child’s development. Monthly multi-disciplinary meetings and ongoing support from psychiatrists, psychologists and speech and language specialists mean that the child’s care plan is reviewed without unnecessary delay.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not been able to support all the children’s attendance at school. However, they support the current child’s attendance effectively. The fact that the school is on site helps reduce the child’s anxieties, resulting in an increase in their attendance. Care and education staff support the child to have opportunities to develop their independence. Staff also support the child to enjoy activities in line with their interests.

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improvement to be good

Staff sensitively support the child’s cultural needs and support the child to see their family.

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improvement to be good

In the past, some children have said that they do not feel safe living at the home. The children have had varied relationships with staff. Staff understand that the current child requires further support to build secure relationships. The child’s social worker shares this view but said that the child is starting to make progress and seems more settled. Systems are in place that support children to share their views. Staff help children to spend time with an independent advocate and contact their Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 3 social workers when needed. Children also have access to the complaints process, which the manager responds to in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the children’s individual needs and associated risks. However, there have been gaps in some children’s risk assessments regarding actions that staff should take to help prevent children from harming themselves. On one occasion, staff have not managed to prevent a child harming themselves. This resulted in the child requiring medical attention and refusing to return to the home. There are also gaps in records of actions taken by staff when removing an item from a child. The support offered by staff appears proportionate for safeguarding the child but is not in line with their plan. Gaps in records also mean that leaders and managers do not have the required information to support effective oversight of significant incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not ensured children are always supervised in line with their care plan. On occasions, staff have lost sight of a child, resulting in the child leaving the home and being without appropriate care and supervision. Staff notified relevant parties, found the child, and returned them to the home. The registered manager has implemented additional steps to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

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improvement to be good

Staff only ever hold children when necessary. However, staff have not always followed the correct procedures when doing this. On one occasion, staff have held the child to prevent them from harming themselves and others, but this has not been recorded in line with regulations. The registered manager has not ensured appropriate and timely oversight of the incident. Gaps in records of some incidents mean it is not always clear how staff have assessed and explored whether children have any injuries and if any additional support is required.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of actions to take when children make allegations about staff. The manager has allegation management procedures in place, shares information with the local authority and has links with the local authority designated officer. However, the systems in place require strengthening to support management tracking and oversight of all incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff communicate with the current child to help the child feel safe and offer positive reassurance and support to understand associated dangers, such as internet safety. Leaders and managers have made changes in the recruitment system to strengthen the recruitment checks in place, which prevent unsuitable people from working in the home.

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good

The manager has been spending time supporting another home, and this has hindered their effectiveness in the home’s leadership and management. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 4 Monitoring and reviewing systems are in place, but they have not highlighted shortfalls in some significant incidents. Gaps in records of incidents mean that the manager does not consistently have effective and timely oversight of incidents.

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good

The home’s manager has developed new management systems. However, these are not sufficiently embedded to ensure that they can confidently review the quality of care provided to children. The home’s development plan, statement of purpose and review of the quality of care have not been updated and shared in a timely manner. This means that staff, parents, professionals and Ofsted do not have updated information regarding how the staff ensure that children’s needs are met.

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good

Some staff are not receiving regular supervision sessions. This means that staff miss consistent opportunities to reflect on the needs of children and their practice. The manager has not ensured that some staff have records to support the completion of their probation. Therefore, staff and the manager have not had the opportunity to reflect on staff development in line with the home’s procedures. Some staff have not accessed training in line with the home’s policies. Therefore, it is not clear that all staff have the required skills to meet children’s needs.

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good

The manager has a positive working relationship with staff. The staff talked about feeling supported and working well as a team. Team meetings take place on a regular basis and offer staff an opportunity to reflect on children’s needs and for the registered manager to clarify the requirements of children’s care plans. This helps in supporting the current child to have consistency of care.

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good

The manager has effective links with the local authority designated officer. The current child’s social worker said they are updated regarding significant events, and staff share weekly information regarding the child. The manager understands children’s plans and raises concerns with children’s local authorities. The home is furnished well and is maintained to a high standard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s risk assessments and plans include all the relevant information to support the children’s needs, that children are always cared for in line with their plans and that the recordings of any incidents clearly describe actions carried out by staff. 5 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 6 The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (2) (3)(a)(viii)(c)) 5 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 5 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 7 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure thorough safeguarding systems are in place to strengthen management oversight of significant incidents in a timely manner and ensure records show what actions have been taken by staff. In addition to ensuring that the home has a development plan and that the statement of purpose, is kept updated and shared with relevant parties in a timely manner. 5 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, "the appropriate person" is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the 5 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 8 local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer.

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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 (1)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the records of these are completed and shared with relevant parties in a timely manner.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they undertake a review of the quality of care offered in the home, complete a report and send this to Ofsted and the local authority at least every six months. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2 and 15.3)

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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 for children’s home: 2735938 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alexander House, Highfield Park, Llandrynog, Denbighshire, Wales LL16 4LU

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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2735938 10 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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