Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 1 SC458115 Registered provider: Sheffield 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 run by a local authority and provides care for up to 19 children with learning disabilities. The accommodation and service are divided into long-term care and short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, six children were living at the home and no children were receiving short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2013. There has been no registered manager since July 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 21 November 2023

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2023 Full Good 22/11/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Good 29/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 3

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures in how children are helped and protected and the leadership and management arrangements of the home. This has left children at risk of harm. This has also had a significant impact on the experiences and progress of children living in the home.

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inadequate

The home environment is worn and is not well maintained. There are areas that are damaged or broken and require repair, including damp on walls and showers that are not working. One child’s bedroom had food debris on the floor, and cleaning products were left unattended inside. Most of the children’s bedrooms are bare, contain limited personal possessions and have minimal decoration. One child has been waiting for some time to have a television in their bedroom.

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inadequate

One child has recently moved into the home. This was poorly planned, and children were not supported to prepare for this move or understand that someone else was moving into the home. This child’s needs are different to the needs of the other children living at the home because they do not have a learning disability. The changes have negatively impacted on children already living in the home. There has been a marked negative impact on some children’s behaviour.

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inadequate

Children no longer have access to their messy playroom as this has been changed to a bedroom to accommodate a child. Staff have not recreated this area elsewhere, which means that children cannot freely access a space to do arts and crafts. This has had a significant impact on how children can use their home and enjoy a creative activity.

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inadequate

There are additional restrictions around the home which limit children’s freedom. Children are unable to access the second floor of the home, and there are locks on kitchen doors and cupboards. There are no assessments in place to justify these restrictions or ensure that they are necessary and proportionate to protect children.

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inadequate

Not all information children need, such as complaints information, is available in formats that are accessible to them. Some children require alternative methods to enable them to communicate and understand. For example, the activity plans for children are written in plain text, which limits children’s ability to understand the activities planned for them. However, staff have made improvements to the children’s guide. They have worked with a speech and language therapist to ensure that the guide is relevant to the home and in an accessible format.

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inadequate

Children have positive relationships with the staff who care for them. Where appropriate, staff support children to maintain relationships and keep in contact with the people who mean the most to them. Staff make sure that they communicate Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 4 important information to children’s families and professionals involved in their care, where appropriate.

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inadequate

Children are in good health and attend medical appointments. Most children attend school regularly. One child attends tutoring sessions away from the home while a suitable school is identified for them. Staff are working well with external professionals to try to make sure that the child attends a suitable school.

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inadequate

Staff take photos to capture children’s experiences, and children participate in a range of activities that they enjoy.

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

There have been incidents where children have been at risk of significant harm. Staff have not received the necessary training to meet the needs of one child. This has serious implications for how well that child, and others, are safeguarded, and on the safety and well-being of staff. Staff said that they are not able to keep the child safe and are not equipped to meet their needs. Staff also said they are not supported by managers to contact emergency services to help them manage serious incidents. They do not feel able to raise their concerns with leaders and managers. This creates an environment where risks to children have increased.

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

Children’s risk assessments and plans do not provide staff with all the information they need to care for children safely. For one child, the risk assessment does not contain instructions from health professionals to reduce the risk of the child choking on food. In addition, staff have not sought appropriate advice in relation to prescribed medication. For example, one child is prescribed medication to be taken as and when required. Staff are routinely administering this medication, but there is no plan in place to explain when it should be used.

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

Staff do not report or record all incidents where children have been at risk of harm. This includes serious safeguarding concerns and incidents when children have been restrained. Consequently, leaders and managers are not fully aware of concerns for children and do not have oversight of staff actions. Furthermore, managers did not notify Ofsted of all serious safeguarding concerns relating to children. This prevents the regulator from scrutinising safeguarding practice in the home. This lack of communication and cooperation leaves children at risk.

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

Staff have carried out fire drills to practise what they must do in the event of an emergency. However, one child has refused to leave the building on at least two occasions. In response, there have been no actions taken and no plans put in place to inform staff how to ensure the child’s safety in a real event.

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

Leaders and managers do not follow safer recruitment procedures for agency staff working in the home. There are gaps in the checks made in relation to agency staff. Leaders and managers cannot be assured that these staff have the necessary skills Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 5 and experience or are suitable to work with vulnerable children. This places children at an increased risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home does not have a registered manager and interim arrangements have not been effective. A new manager has been in post for three weeks but has not yet got to know the children or their individual needs. The manager’s understanding of the home, its staff and areas for development is limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders planned for a child to move into the home without assessing if that child’s needs could be met by staff or taking account of the likely impact on other children living in the home. The concerns raised by staff and a specialist health professional were not considered as part of that decision-making. The admission of this child breaches the home’s conditions of registration, and their care needs are not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. In addition, leaders and managers have not taken any action to ensure that staff receive additional training to support them in meeting the needs of the child and keeping them safe. Consequently, significant concerns have been identified in relation to the child’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant concerns relating to communication between leaders, managers and staff and the negative impact this has on the care provided to children. Staff say that they are unable to speak up and lack confidence in leaders’ and managers’ willingness to listen and take action. There are examples of unprofessional conduct and comments among staff, such as staff amending labels and photos with inappropriate comments in the staff areas. However, some staff say that they feel well supported by colleagues in their key team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring systems and oversight of the home are ineffective. Leaders and managers are not aware of key concerns or of the issues faced by staff. This means that serious shortfalls in practice, and areas in need of improvement, have not been accurately identified or addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not provided staff with sufficient training to meet children’s needs. Furthermore, staff are not receiving supervision that enables them to voice their concerns and reflect on their practice. Staff do not have the skills and knowledge to safely care for the children and are lacking the emotional support they need while managing a difficult situation. Not all staff attend team meetings and the minutes do not reflect the concerns that staff say they have raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The location risk assessment lacks consultation with other relevant professionals. This could mean that there are some unknown risks to children in the local area. This has not had an impact on the children who currently live in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)©) 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 2 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(c)(i)(iii)) 4 August 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 4 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 8 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 4 August 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.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 4 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 9 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the 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 is of integrity and good character;

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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

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(c)) 4 August 2024

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 12 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 10 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the previous inspection. 24 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home at least once per year. This review should include identification of any risks and strategies for managing these. In particular, the registered person should consult with relevant people and take their views into account. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC458115 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

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Inspectors

Honor Hamshaw, Social Care Inspector Rachel Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC458115 12 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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