Children's Home run by Madiba Yorkshire Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 1 Registered provider: Madiba Yorkshire

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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 registered in September 2023 and is owned and managed by a private company. There is currently no registered manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for one child who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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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 inadequate

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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: 13 December 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 3

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improvement to be good

The child has continued with the progress that was identified during the last inspection. However, their experience has been impacted by significant safeguarding concerns within the home and the lack of an appropriate response by the provider.

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improvement to be good

The child has developed trusting and secure relationships with members of staff. The child feels safer at the home than in other places they have lived. Staff notice when the child is not okay and do something about it. This is helping the child to learn how to verbalise their feelings.

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improvement to be good

Staff are child focused and the care they provide is aligned to the therapeutic model that is outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff are proud of the progress that the child has made, and have a clear understanding of the goals moving forward.

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improvement to be good

Complaints from the child are taken seriously. Where possible, actions are considered in collaboration with the child, who is always provided with an outcome. There is clear management oversight of complaints and staff check with the child that they are happy with the response. This helps the child to have a voice and feel valued and respected.

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improvement to be good

There is a strong multi-agency team that promotes the child’s health and well-being needs. Regular communication between agencies ensures that there are timely changes to plans. This is complemented by weekly therapy from the in-house therapist.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to express their emotions in positive ways. They are a talented poet and lyricist, and this is promoted, encouraged and celebrated by staff. This has made the child confident enough to perform their poetry for staff and the inspector.

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improvement to be good

The home is personalised throughout by the child. It has their stamp on it, and this promotes a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff provided the child with a bag that contained dangerous items. These were used to cause harm to staff and could have led to the child self-harming. Staff have not been supported to reflect on this incident and the information shared with the regulator about the incident was misleading.

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improvement to be good

The child’s documents are written in a child-focused way. They are easy to understand and are updated appropriately. The risk assessment contains relevant information, and the child’s voice is evidenced throughout. There are clear strategies for staff to follow when risks present. The care plan is extensive and used to inform and track goals and Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 4 outcomes for the child. Both documents evidence the progress that has been made to reduce risks. For example, the child’s self-injurious behaviours have reduced significantly in number and severity.

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improvement to be good

Appropriate planning takes place with external services, alongside the child’s multi- agency team, to ensure that when the child is in crisis, the emergency service response is helpful rather than antagonistic. When the child is not in crisis, their independence is promoted. Staff support the child to prepare for a reduction in restrictions at the right pace.

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improvement to be good

Most staff are attuned to the child’s needs. This allows staff to notice when the child needs support. Most of the time, staff successfully implement strategies to support the child. There are times when staff have held the child to ensure everyone’s safety. When this happens, appropriate records are made, and managers speak to staff and children to ensure that they are debriefed. However, these conversations lack curiosity and are not aligned to the therapeutic model within the home. There is also a lack of explicit focus with the child about the impact of the physical intervention.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are not used in the home. Staff have regular conversations with the child about issues that are important. They support the child to understand the impact of their actions. The child benefits from these conversations, along with the boundaries that are implemented. This helps the child to feel understood rather than blamed and shamed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The provider failed to take appropriate action in response to a safeguarding incident, which resulted in staff being harmed. The provider’s response to an allegation made by the child was weak. They failed to share concerns with the relevant professionals in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no manager in post at the home. The deputy manager has been supporting the management of the home, but this has not been enough to provide thorough oversight and has lacked appropriate responses to safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are enough staff to meet the day-to-day needs of the child. However, there have been instances when multiple staff have taken annual leave at the same time, resulting in the need for staff from other homes to cover shifts at the home. This has been unsettling for the child and was a contributing factor to a serious incident occurring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Notifications to Ofsted are of poor quality. They do not provide enough information for the regulator to have effective oversight of safeguarding matters. This is particularly concerning as the provider’s oversight and response to safeguarding matters are inadequate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The oversight around fire equipment has not considered whether fire doors remain compliant. Given that doors in the home are routinely locked to keep the child safe, this is a concern. The provider rectified this during inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 5 Staff feel supported by the deputy manager, and they enjoy working at the home. The deputy manager’s support to staff has enabled some staff to remain resilient. Staff receive regular supervision, which includes time to reflect on the child’s progress and any challenges. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 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, 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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that appropriate and timely action is taken when an allegation is made. This includes informing the relevant agencies. 6 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

promotes their welfare. 3 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that leaders and managers have clear oversight of safeguarding concerns to ensure that appropriate and timely action takes place. This may include investigations into practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 3 June 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

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

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; 6 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 8 must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Recommendations

 The registered person needs to ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access an advocacy support to help them with this and, where possible, their thoughts and ideas should inform risk assessments and care planning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.6)

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Recommendations

 The registered person needs to ensure that staff have appropriate opportunities, provided by managers and leaders, to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for, particularly after physical interventions or serious incidents have taken place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person needs to ensure that the home complies with the relevant health and safety legislation; this includes regular checks that fire doors are effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2730253 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: One City West, Gelderd Road, Leeds LS12 6NJ

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2730253 10 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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