Children's home run by Care Hubz

Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 1 Registered provider: Care Hubz LTD

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private organisation owns and operates this home. The home’s statement of purpose highlights that the staff are trained to apply a specific model of care.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home were registered with Ofsted in July 2023 to provide care for one child.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

No children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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 requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who was living in the home at the time of the last inspection has recently moved out.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Following on from the last inspection, the manager has overseen a drive to better coordinate and plan the child’s care. This improved the consistency of care that the child experienced. In doing so, the child is better placed to heed the messages that the staff are trying to convey. Collectively, these efforts paved the way for the child to enjoy a planned return to their family.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The organisation has made improvements to its referral processes. Senior leaders play an active role to support the manager’s decision-making. This has enabled a collaborative approach to assessing a child’s needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work hard to develop trusting relationships with the child’s family members. This enables contentious issues relating to the child’s care being discussed productively. Positively, the child sees their family and the staff working together, despite not always agreeing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An innovative approach to the child’s access to education has enabled progress in this area of their life. The organisation used its resources to good effect to ensure that the child and their tutor had access to a stimulating learning environment. This gave the child better structure to their day, which helped to enhance their learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s diet improved significantly through the staff taking a more conscientious approach to meal planning. This also improved the child’s awareness around what constitutes a healthy diet. In doing so, the child was able to make healthier decisions around their food choices.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff do not consistently capture significant conversations in the child’s written records. Additionally, the language used in the child’s written records is not relatable or helpful to the child. Consequently, the child’s written records do not reflect some of the positive care that the child has experienced.

p.3

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

The staff have proactive working relationships with practitioners from the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS). This enabled the staff to address concerns effectively and quickly around the administration of the child’s prescribed medication. Additionally, the collaboration with CAMHS supported a move from the home to the child’s primary carer. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 4 The staff are keen to keep professional links with the child when the child moves on from their care. This promotes the value of meaningful and supportive relationships. This helped the child to adjust when returning to their family’s care.

p.3

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

Although the staff actively search for the child when their whereabouts are unknown, there is often an over-reliance on the police to help. This increases the risk of undermining effective working relationships with the police. However, this had no impact on the child as between the staff, the police and the child’s family, the child was returned safely home.

p.4

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

The manager’s oversight of significant incidents involving the child is not consistently visible. Additionally, the manager’s oversight does not consistently promote progressive care planning, for example planning incremental healthy risk-taking for the child. Furthermore, the manager does not cascade information to the staff team following safeguarding meetings with the child’s local authority. Cumulatively, this resulted in certain aspects of the child’s care being overlooked and becoming stagnant.

p.4

good

Senior leaders have learned of practices across the organisation that may increase the risk of a closed culture. The organisation has taken steps to address these issues. However, at the time of the inspection, this work was ongoing and unresolved. Ofsted is keeping abreast of developments concerning these issues.

p.4

good

The independent visitor’s written reports lack analysis and evaluation of the issues that are reported on. Additionally, leaders and managers do not consistently reflect and respond to the independent visitor’s recommendations. Cumulatively, this does not support the manager to progress the child’s care or other issues associated with the operation of the home.

p.4

good

Following on from the last inspection, team meetings have become more productive. One member of staff said that team meetings are now ‘meaningful’. Most care practices are discussed, with actions agreed to better support the child. This resulted in certain aspects of the child’s support, such as their diet, improving.

p.4

good

The organisation provides good support for staff to learn and develop. There is a good range of face-to-face training. Additionally, the staff are actively supported to progress through their respective diploma awards. The investment in training and development makes staff feel valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

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)(f)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, in consultation with the social worker, the manager must seek to develop the child’s skills through healthy risk- taking, which will progress the child’s care plan. 1 July 2024

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively encourage the children to read their records and add further information to them. The information that children read should be meaningful and relatable to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person they appoint has the skills and understanding necessary to relate to the children in the home’s care, assess all relevant information and form an impartial judgement about the quality of the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8) Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 6

p.5

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: 2738686 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thorpe House, 61 Richardshaw Lane, Leeds LS28 7EL

p.7

Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2738686 8 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8