Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 1 SC033127 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a local authority. It provides care for up to 11 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The home is divided into three buildings. Two of these provide long-term care, and one provides short-break services. At the time of this inspection, five children were living in the home on a permanent basis.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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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: 17 October 2023

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2022 Full Good 14/07/2021 Full Good 21/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children in the home have varied experiences of care. Some children are supported by a qualified staff team. One child has had several different groups of staffing over recent months. Their experience of care has been disjointed due to the changes in staffing. Temporary staff have not followed children’s plans, which has left children and staff at risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager has cancelled some overnight short stays in recognition of the current risk levels. Families are upset due to the short notice. One family feels let down and has no alternative support. Children are not receiving planned care, and families spoke of repeated cancellations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child has had to move bedrooms to a different area of the home to keep them safe. Professionals and staff have noted changes and regression in children’s behaviour recently. This suggests that children are upset or worried. One child has had disturbed sleep due to noisy incidents at night. The effect of one child in distress is negatively impacting on others who live there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some areas of the building have been refurbished. They are bright and inviting for children. Other areas within the home show signs of damage, which are awaiting repair. The garden has loose and damaged masonry and a broken gate with exposed nails. These were within reach of children and could cause injury to them. The manager arranged for these to be cleared when they were made aware.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children who have lived in the home for a long time have warm and trusting relationships with staff. Staff speak positively and with care about all children and want them to achieve the best outcomes for them. Families and professionals speak of the trust that they have in the manager and staff of the home. Families spoke positively about the care their children usually receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child described the manager as fair. They said that the manager listens to them and tries to make things change for them. Most children’s experiences, until the past few months, have been positive.

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

Children living in the home have said or demonstrated that they do not feel safe in the home. Staff have not assessed risks after incidents. Appropriate action has not been taken to reduce the risk to children. A child who is subject to a legal order has had episodes of going missing from home. On return to the home after one episode, the child said that they were exposed to exploitation while they were missing. Appropriate follow-up work took place for the child. Staff have not prevented the child from going Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 4 missing. On one occasion, the child spent time in police custody when found. The child is at increased risk of exploitation and criminalisation.

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

On a recent occasion, staff did not prevent a child with high-risk behaviours from entering different areas of the home. The child was able to enter these areas after disabling the door fobs. Children and staff were at significant risk during this incident.

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

Temporary staff did not follow the plans agreed to support a child. The plan identified where a controlled item should be stored. The staff did not follow the plan and a child was able to obtain the item with ease. Despite this taking place, staff were still not clear about the storage guidance for the items, during the visit.

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

Records of incidents do not capture children’s views and feelings after them. Post-incident reflection with staff is also not captured. This prevents learning and the opportunity to change support strategies. Reflective work has not been completed, which would help the children to form more positive relationships with staff and others. Work to express their emotions differently or explore risk has not been completed. Children and staff have not been afforded learning opportunities from these incidents.

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

Staff were not able to find fire extinguishers in one part of the home. The manager found the fire extinguishers during the inspection and alerted the team. The fire risk assessment does not address the safe storage of oxygen tanks. These are stored for children’s health needs but were unlabelled. Oxygen signage was put in place as soon as it was raised. Risks around fire have not been identified by staff and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has worked in the home for several years and is respected by their team. The manager has been managing a crisis in the home for the past few months. The manager does not have sufficient staffing capacity to complete the required daily tasks. The management structure of the home does not offer the manager practical day-to-day support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The current additional temporary team is in place due to the required staffing levels. The manager has not supported the temporary staff to the same level as the permanent staff. The temporary staff are managing a complex situation. There has been a lack of supervision and oversight for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Permanent staff in the home are up to date with their training. Permanent and temporary staff say that they do not have the training and skills to support one child. Staff spoke of their care for each of the children and their commitment to them. The situation is affecting the staff’s emotional well-being and physical health. Some staff do not feel safe at work, and others have been injured. Staff do not have the training and skills to keep all children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Temporary staff support one child. The staff are not following the child’s plans consistently. Incidents have increased, and temporary staff have been hurt. Permanent Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 5 staff intervene and offer support. They are working with other children, so this then affects their care. The manager has not been able to review recent incidents. This prevents reflection and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager did not have detailed information before the admission of a child. The child arrived in an emergency. Once the child was in the home, the manager was able to gain a better understanding of the complexities of their needs. The move was intended to be temporary. Professionals who know the child state that this was not an appropriate or safe place for the child to live. These professionals raised concerns of increased risk to the child and others. The child remains in the home, and the level of risk to them and others is significant.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager finds themself spending much of their time responding to incidents involving one child. The manager attends twice-weekly multi-agency meetings, but no alternative placement has been identified. The manager has closed their short-stay service temporarily to reduce the risk to other children. They have moved children who live in the home to different areas of the home to try to reduce risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders and managers proposed a plan to increase safety during the inspection and to avoid higher enforcement by the regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 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 that staff 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

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

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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(d)) 11 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person enables, inspires, and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. 11 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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 has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e))

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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 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 that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(c)) 11 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; 11 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 8 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(x)(xi))

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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

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person") has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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 (3)(a)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, support children to talk about their feelings, and ensure that learning from incidents from children and staff feedback takes place. 11 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire;

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the fire risk assessment should address the safe storage of oxygen and where fire extinguishers are located, and children should be supported to understand what to do in the event of a fire through practice drills. 11 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 9 * These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a children’s guide for all children in the home. This should be accessible to the children who live in the home, considering their communication needs. It should be kept under regular review with the statement of purpose and any changes explained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 9 paragraph 4.21,22 and 23) Page 9 Paragraph 4. 21, 22 and 23

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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: SC033127 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes DN35 8LN

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Inspectors

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033127 11 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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