Children's Home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 1 SC034189 Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority using the ‘No Wrong Door’ model. The home provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties. The home can also care for a further two children in separate accommodation for up to 28 days.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for six children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2023 Full Good 07/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/08/2022 Full Inadequate 04/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of relationships between the staff and children in the home is good. The staff enjoy spending time with the children and getting to know the children’s likes and dislikes. This helps the children to build trusted relationships with the staff, and it supports the staff to provide care that is tailored to the children’s individual needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help the children to make progress from their starting points. They support the children to attend routine and specialist health appointments. The on-site child and adolescent mental health practitioner is available to support the children with their emotional health needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The headteacher of the virtual school spoke positively about the efforts that the staff make to ensure that children living in the home are engaged with education. Where children are not in a formal educational provision, the staff advocate on the children’s behalf and find creative ways to make sure that children learn. One child said that before they lived in the home, they ‘didn’t go to school very often, and is now sitting exams.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals and most parents speak positively about the quality of care that the home provides for the children, the staff’s commitment to the children and the progress that the children make. Professionals describe positive working relationships, which help to support children to make progress. One parent stated that since their child has lived in the home, they are happier and more settled.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s care plans are progressive and help children, their families and professionals to celebrate the progress that children make and set new goals for the children to achieve. One child said that the staff have helped to develop their confidence and that the staff ‘push’ children as they want them to be the best that they can be.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key transition points in children’s lives are managed well by the staff. When children move on from the home, this is done in a planned way, and the staff keep in touch with the children to provide ongoing support. When children move into the home in an emergency, they are provided with a welcome pack that contains essential items and information about the home. In addition, the staff spend time with the child to make them feel welcome and to get to know them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children know how to make a complaint. They are given a copy of the complaints procedure when they move into the home. Complaints leaflets are placed around the home, which allows the children to access the complaints procedure discreetly. The staff spend time with the children to assure themselves that the children know what to do if they wish to make a complaint.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide is easy to understand and lets children know about the home and about their rights and expectations. However, it does not align with the home’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 4 statement of purpose and does not explain to children what actions will be taken if they make a complaint. This prevents children from receiving accurate information about the home and what they can expect once they have made a complaint.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and registered manager provide a safe, warm and clean home environment for the children. There is a display in the hall of some of the activities that the children have taken part in. This helps to celebrate the children’s achievements and support them to feel valued. The children’s bedrooms are personalised, but the en-suite bathrooms look tired and dated. Improvements to the decor of the home and the children’s bathrooms will further support the children’s sense of being valued and will make the home feel more like a family home for children.

p.4

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

Children feel safe in the home. One child said that they feel safe in the home, that they can talk to the staff and that they have never felt unsafe. Another child said that the staff help her when she is worried.

p.4

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

The staff understand the children’s individual needs, risks and vulnerabilities well. The children’s individual plans are easy to understand, reviewed and kept up to date, and they help the staff to take a proactive approach to reducing risk and keeping children safer when there are concerns.

p.4

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

The staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and immediately follow them when they have concerns about a child’s safety and welfare. Feedback from professionals is positive about the safeguarding practices of the staff.

p.4

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

There is a strong multi-agency response to children who go missing from home and children who may be at risk of exploitation. Risks to children are well managed, and the risk of harm is reduced. When children go missing from home, staff promptly follow the child’s individual missing-from-home plan to secure their safe return home. When a child returns home, staff provide the child with a warm welcome and the opportunity to talk about why they went missing from home. Staff also ensure that return home interviews are offered to the child by an independent person.

p.4

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

Conversations that the staff have with the children are aligned with the children’s specific vulnerabilities and support the children to make safer choices. However, some of these records could provide more detail to support the child to understand how they have been helped by staff.

p.4

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

The staff promote positive behaviour in the home through providing the children with structured routines and being clear about expectations. Where there are differences in opinion between the children and staff or where the children are struggling to get on with each other, restorative conversations take place to strengthen relationships in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 5 Although the location risk assessment contains information from some external agencies, it would be enhanced by including information from other relevant agencies. This lack of information precludes the staff from keeping children safe while out in the community.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager and a home’s manager, who are supported by the responsible individual and senior managers in the local authority. The registered manager and home’s manager are ambitious for children and have clear expectations of themselves and their staff. Leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths and areas for development and have a clear plan in place to remedy the shortfalls they have identified.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the needs of the children living in the home and the progress they are making. They have good links with external partners and advocate for the children, so the children have access to services and opportunities that help them to flourish and achieve their potential.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home, and staff morale is good. The staff spoken to describe an aspirational team that works well together. Staff have confidence in the leadership and management team members who are visible in the home and approachable. Staff get the right support to care for the children living in the home through the information shared with them about children moving into the home, supervision sessions, access to a range of training and team meetings. Staff understand the home’s statement of purpose and the ethos and purpose of the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and creating a home environment that is inclusive. One child stated that the home supports the children to ‘get on’ with each other.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although case records are completed by staff, they do not always reflect the time that the children spend in the home. In addition, some case records are not completed in full and lack details of the author and the date and time of entry of the record. The registered manager has a plan to address this with staff through training, but this has not yet been implemented.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager does not always notify the regulator about serious incidents in the home. Although this has had no impact on the safety and welfare of the children living in the home, this shortfall prevents the regulator from being assured that the children in the home are effectively safeguarded. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 6

p.5

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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand how to record documents accurately, and the need for staff to ensure that case records are helpful for children to understand how staff have helped them. 1 July 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.6

Requirement Due date

is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 1 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 7 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)(e))

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person must provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming for children. This includes ensuring that the home is decorated throughout to a good standard and that the children’s en-suite bathrooms are of a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that when completing the location risk assessment, they consult and take into account the views of each relevant person. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that the home produces a children’s guide that aligns with the home’s statement of purpose and informs children of what will happen when they make a complaint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

p.7

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: SC034189 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered Provider: North Yorkshire Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

p.8

Inspector

Shirin Khan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034189 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9