Children's home run by Leicester City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC039001 1 SC039001

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Registered provider: Leicester City 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 operated by a local authority. The home provides care for up to seven children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were five children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is supported by two assistant managers.

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC039001 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2023 Full Inadequate 21/11/2022 Full Inadequate 19/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC039001 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care that meets their needs. Staff show children emotional warmth and care. Children enjoy meaningful relationships with staff and have a sense of belonging. They enjoy activities together, such as attending premier league football matches and going shopping. Children feel cared for, safe and understood. As a result, children with complex needs experience stability and make progress. One professional describes staff as ‘fantastic’. They further stated, ‘Staff go above and beyond.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to explore their culture and identity. For example, children are supported to attend church and the mosque. They are also enabled to follow chosen practices, such as eating halal foods and fasting. Regular cultural theme nights and events held within the home help children to embrace diversity. Children therefore grow in confidence and feel supported to be themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff support children to be active and live a healthy lifestyle. Specialist help is sourced to support children’s individual needs, such as for substance misuse and mental health services. Children are helped to access sexual health advice and appointments, ensuring they are safe and well informed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who find school difficult are supported to learn and achieve. Staff understand the barriers to education and help children to overcome these. Staff work well with other professionals, such as teachers and social workers, to support children at school. As a result, some children who have been out of education have returned to school. Other children are being supported to undertake their GCSE exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is undergoing renovation. Completed rooms have a homely feel and are finished to a high standard. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and well maintained, helping children to feel valued and important. However, some of the windows within children’s bedrooms are damaged and not functioning as they should do.

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

Staff know the risks children can be exposed to. Safety plans are made in collaboration with other professionals, such as teachers, child sexual exploitation social workers and the police. Assessments of risk are well balanced between keeping children safe and allowing them to take age-appropriate risks. This ensures an effective approach to safeguarding.

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

Staff respond well to children who go missing from the home and are at risk of being exploited. Regular network meetings are held to share pertinent information and to Inspection report for children’s home: SC039001 4 assess risk. Children receive support from mental health professionals who specialise in this field. Children learn about the presenting dangers and how to keep themselves safe. As a result, children with complex needs enjoy more independence and grow in confidence.

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

Children feel able to make a formal complaint. Staff listen to children and take their concerns seriously. Managers undertake thorough investigations. Complaints are resolved effectively within appropriate time frames. Children are kept updated and receive a final response. Consequently, children feel heard and valued.

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

Staff use physical restraint as a last resort to keep children and others safe. The least restrictive measure and force are used. Each incident is reviewed by the manager, and reflections inform staff practice. While children are spoken to following a restraint, they are not always given an opportunity to voice how the incident has impacted them. This is an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is dedicated and committed. She is proactive in making improvements to the service and in raising standards of care. She sets high expectations for staff and appropriately challenges poor practice if she feels this is required. Staff feel well supported in their role and value her leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained. Staff receive training in relation to children’s specific needs, such as child sexual exploitation and county lines. Regular group supervisions and development days provide further opportunity to upskill staff and promote team bonding. As a result, staff feel well equipped in caring for children and work cohesively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s oversight of the care provided to children is good. She knows what is happening in the home daily. The manager reviews staff recording and all incidents. Shortfalls in practice are quickly identified and appropriately addressed with staff to aid their development. Management audits are regularly undertaken, and outstanding actions are promptly actioned. This ensures that standards of care improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers are ambitious. The manager has a good understanding about staff’s strengths and weaknesses. However, the plan for the development of the home lacks clarity about the continuing professional development of staff. This would strengthen the plan further. Inspection report for children’s home: SC039001 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. The home must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that a child who has been restrained is given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC039001 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Leicester City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FZ

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Inspectors

Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Caroline Coop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC039001 7 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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