Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 1 SC488679

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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 local authority. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

An interim manager was appointed May 2023 and left December 2024. The new manager has yet to submit her application to Ofsted.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/06/2023 Full Good 13/03/2023 Full Inadequate 16/11/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 3

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improvement to be good

Three children have lived in the home for a long time, and the other child has recently moved in after moving to England. Staff have acted quickly to ensure that this child’s cultural and dietary needs, and religious beliefs, are met daily. This gives the child a sense of stability and security. Nevertheless, one child was not given the opportunity to celebrate their families religious celebrations.

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improvement to be good

Education progress for some children is not yet good enough. During the inspection, some children did not attend education. There is no structure throughout the day to provide a routine, or alternative learning opportunities. Non-attendance in education may have a negative effect on children’s educational progress and social development.

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improvement to be good

Children’s relationships with staff are positive. Despite the children wanting to spend time with their friends away from the home, they have opportunities to enjoy a range of activities, and some have been on a short holiday with staff. Time spent with staff helps build positive relationships and helps children to develop.

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improvement to be good

One child said that they like living in the home, and that they like the staff who care for them. The child said that they know who they can talk to if they have any worries, and the staff provide them with the support they need.

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improvement to be good

Following support and guidance from the staff, one child has a part-time job. The staff supported the child to ask their employer pertinent questions. This support provides the child with life skills that they can use in adult life.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their independent living skills so they can learn life skills to prepare them for adulthood. Some children are engaging with multi-agency teams to support them with their transition to semi-independence. The children’s support worker said that the children are engaging, and have spoken about their further education and training. Necessary steps have been taken to help the children with their onward move.

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improvement to be good

Staff notice any changes in the children’s health, and they support children to attend their appointments. Staff supported one child with their health needs, and revisited topics with the child through discussions. This ensured the child had a better understanding of safe relationships and how to keep themselves safe. However, the staff have failed to register one child, who is new to the home, with any health care providers. Furthermore, children have not been to the dentist in over one year, and staff have not educated the children on the importance of oral hygiene. Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 4

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improvement to be good

Some children’s risk assessments do not include clear actions for staff to follow to support children during difficult times. For some risks, the strategies that are in place are not effective. This prevents some children from understanding why their actions and behaviours may increase potential risks to their safety. Furthermore, for some risks there are no dates of the incidents. This does not help staff to understand whether the risk is current or historic.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are not consistently followed for new staff. Consequently, leaders and managers are not aware of the content and relevance of new starters previous employment references, or if the new starters have previously been subject to disciplinary procedures regarding any safeguarding concerns. This does not ensure that staff employed are safe to work with vulnerable children.

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improvement to be good

The children’s missing-from-home protocols provide clear actions for the staff to follow. They are aware of these protocols and they follow them when the children are missing from the home. This means children are located as quickly and safely as possible.

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improvement to be good

There is a multi-agency response when there are any safeguarding concerns with the children. Staff further support these meetings through one-to-one sessions with the children to discuss, and consider possible triggers to these events. This reinforces to children that staff care about them and their safety.

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improvement to be good

There has been one physical intervention since the last inspection. Leaders and managers have identified a shortfall with this practice. They have taken appropriate action to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers take allegations from children seriously. They consult with social workers and the local authority designated officer, who all work towards the same plan. This means that children feel listened to and that their concerns are taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager for over one year. This has impacted on the stability of the home. Due to the lack of guidance and support, the staff are feeling vulnerable in their roles, and has resulted in fractures in the team. The new manager is aware, and she has plans in place to support the staff. However, these plans have yet to be embedded, and the staff morale remains low.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the service as they do not use the available internal and external auditing tools to monitor or review staff practice. Therefore, shortfalls in children’s records, documents and care, have not been identified and addressed. Furthermore, senior leaders and managers have Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 5 not made the best use of their external monitoring to improve services for children, as senior leaders and managers have not acted on the recommendations made by the independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Long standing staff who have worked at the home for over two years, do not have the required childcare qualification. This is a repeated breach in regulation and has been reissued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some regulation 40 notifications that are submitted to Ofsted are of a poor quality. They do not include an accurate or succinct account of safeguarding matters, or detail what actions the staff have taken to ensure the children’s safety. Furthermore, leaders and managers have failed to inform Ofsted of serious incidents. Consequently, Ofsted cannot be assured that all relevant safeguarding actions have been taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision sessions are reflective and provide the staff with an opportunity to discuss any practice concerns. There is a sense of unease about the future at this service, as there has been a lack of leadership and management in the home. While there is a new manager in post, she is in the infancy stages of embedding a culture where there is support and guidance from a management perspective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff training is up to date. When necessary, staff also complete specific training that reflects the children’s individual needs. This helps staff to better understand and meet the children’s needs and behaviours. Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 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, The 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)) 19 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 7 that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 19 May 2024

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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)) 19 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 8 The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 9

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that each child is given the opportunity to celebrate any religious celebrations with their family. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.22)

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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: SC488679 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 1UR

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC488679 11 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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