Children's home run by Care Hubz

Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 1 Registered provider: Care Hubz LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private organisation owns and operates this home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home were registered with Ofsted in July 2023 to provide care for one child. At that time, a child was already living in the home. This child has since moved on.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 2

p.1

improvement to be good

The child is settled and has established good relationships with the staff. This has enabled the child to be emotionally supported through difficult situations. However, the manager has overlooked other fundamental aspects of the child’s care. Consequently, the child’s progress has been significantly curtailed.

p.2

improvement to be good

There is no evidence to show the manager’s planning or evaluation before children moved into the home. This undermines the good work that takes place to support the children to visit the home before they move in. The lack of planning means that strategies to reduce any known risks are not identified to safeguard the children at a vulnerable point in their care.

p.2

improvement to be good

There is no conscientious approach to supporting the child to become healthier. Meal plans and the weekly food shop do not consider the child’s dietary needs. The staff have been ineffective in using their influence and knowledge to encourage a healthy eating regime. As a result, there is a lack of focus on encouraging the child to enjoy a healthy, well-balanced diet.

p.2

improvement to be good

There is good engagement between the manager and the children’s families. This means that the manager can raise problems and issues effectively with the children’s parents to seek a resolution. However, a lack of understanding around delegated authority concerning a child’s legal status has resulted in a child having access to vapes. This practice undermines the child’s health as well as the law associated with vapes.

p.2

improvement to be good

The manager actively pursues better access to education for the child. When there has been delay with the assessment for a child’s education, health and care plan, the manager has given respectful challenge to the child’s placing local authority. Additionally, the manager has actively assisted the local authority to provide a tutor and helped to identify a suitable school for the child to attend.

p.2

improvement to be good

The manager and the staff understand the uncertainty that childcare proceedings can cause for the children. The staff’s level of awareness has enabled a child to be supported emotionally through this process.

p.2

improvement to be good

The manager does not use the information from the local authority’s statutory documents to inform the children’s care plans. The absence of clear plans means that the manager is unable to promote staff accountability. Additionally, the children’s written records do not consistently identify the level of support that the Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 3 manager says the children have received. These shortfalls undermine the credibility of the care that occurs in the home.

p.2

improvement to be good

The absence of meaningful care planning has hindered the manager’s ability to reflect and evaluate effectively. This has prevented the manager from recognising behavioural patterns that show that the child needs more help and support. This oversight limits the manager’s ability to make useful referrals to external professionals to seek additional help and support for the children.

p.3

improvement to be good

The staff do not use their notes from children’s safeguarding meetings to inform the children’s written plans. Although there has been no detrimental impact on the child’s care, this increases the risk that staff misunderstand, or do not apply, pertinent points raised in multi-agency meetings.

p.3

improvement to be good

The staff actively search for the children if they are missing from the home. There is effective information-sharing with other safeguarding agencies. Cumulatively, this has resulted in the child returning home safe and well. Importantly, the actions of the staff have reinforced to the child that the staff do genuinely care for them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children who have their liberty restricted through a deprivation of liberty order are supported well by the manager. His understanding has enabled one child to manage aspects of their independence in a safe and structured approach.

p.3

improvement to be good

The staff attend all the children’s medication reviews and contribute meaningful information. This enables the prescribing doctor to better review the child’s medication. Additionally, there is an organised system in place that clearly shows the staff practice around the administration of the child’s medication.

p.3

good

The leaders and managers’ auditing systems are ineffective as these have not recognised that the children’s support needs have not been identified in their care plans. Leaders or managers have not acted quickly enough when the independent visitor has failed to properly carry out their role. Consequently, the manager’s ability to make improvements to the quality of care that the children receive has been hindered.

p.3

good

Team meetings are frequent. However, these meetings do not provide the staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice or make plans that would promote consistent care planning. Therefore, the staff do not always address fundamental aspects of the children’s care. Consequently, there is a lack of any concerted effort to better support the child to overcome problems and issues.

p.3

good

The staff understand the importance of positive role modelling, and they have a sound grasp of professional boundaries. The staff understand the importance of sharing pertinent personal experiences that are helpful to the child. This has enabled the staff to show that they are relatable and that they are keen to use their life Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 4 experiences for the child’s benefit. This has promoted empathy, trust and mutual respect between the children and the staff.

p.3

good

Leaders and managers understand the importance of staff well-being, and the organisation values the staff team. The staff have access to counselling services and other holistic healthcare support as the organisation has invested in these services.

p.4

good

The staff induction and probation process incrementally develops the staff’s knowledge and awareness of their role. There are clear milestones in the probation process that the staff work towards. Successful completion of the probation period leads on to a well-supported diploma pathway. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.5

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)) 15 April 2024

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

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; 15 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 6 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.6

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)(b)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 15 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively encourage the children to read their records and add further information to them. The information that children read should be meaningful and relatable to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person they appoint has the skills and understanding necessary to relate to the children in the home’s care, assess all relevant information and form an impartial judgement about the quality of the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8)

p.7

Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2738686 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thorpe House, 61 Richardshaw Lane, Leeds LS28 7EL

p.8

Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 9 regulates and inspects 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