Children's Home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611210 1 Registered provider: Leeds City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home that offers care and support for up to four children aged between 11 and 17 years.

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Information about this children’s home

There is one child living in the home and one child has recently moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager, who has submitted an application, is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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: 2611210 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/11/2022 Full Good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2611210 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have positive relationships with the children who live in the home. Children talk to staff about their views, wishes and feelings. When necessary, staff advocate strongly on the children’s behalf. This shows the children that staff take what they say seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is aware of the struggles some children face with their education. She advocate’s well on the children’s behalf to ensure that children get the support that they need. This has resulted in one child securing a place at a school, and another child is sitting their exams and applying for college.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager takes the right action and ensures that relevant referrals are made when children are struggling to cope. Furthermore, staff have group sessions with a therapeutic social worker. This helps staff to grow in confidence about their own practice and develops the staff’s skills so they can support children effectively when they need it the most.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to an independent advocate who visits the children in the home. During these sessions the children speak to the advocate about any worries or concerns they have. The advocate follows this up with the manager and the child’s social worker, and ensure that the children’s voices are heard. The children know how to make a complaint and share their views on daily basis with the staff and management team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home is being supported by staff with their independence skills such as, budgeting, cleaning and cooking. These are all important skills for the child to learn as they move on in their adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live in the home are supported to lead healthy lifestyles through eating a balanced diet. However, despite a requirement being made at the last inspection, one child has still not been to the dentist in over a year. This requirement has been restated.

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

Children’s risk assessments provide the staff with clear actions to follow to reduce the children’s risk of harm. Relevant referrals are made to provide children with a wider network of support for specific risks such as self-harm. This reinforces a safety message to the children that the adults around them care.

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

The manager values effective multi-agency working. This means that all professionals working with children who live in the home are aware of current risks and are all working towards the same plans.

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

Staff speak to the children about their behaviour that may present risks to them. This helps children to become aware of any consequences linked to some of their actions Inspection report for children’s home: 2611210 4 they present, that may cause them harm. Consequently, children become increasingly safer as there is a reduction in risk-taking behaviours in the home.

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

When children are physically held by staff to keep people safe, the staff ensure detailed records are maintained. Staff and the child talk about the incident after its occurred, which helps all involved to learn what worked and what could have been done differently. This helps improve staff practice, which in turn improves children’s experiences.

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

Missing-form-home incidents have reduced in frequency since the last inspection. Staff are aware of the children’s protocols and the staff follow the strategies in place to help locate the missing child as quickly and as safely as possible. The child is offered a return home interview following a missing episode. This gives the child the opportunity to discuss any concerns or worries that they may be experiencing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked hard to support the staff, and this has helped the staff to develop in their roles. The commitment from the manager has helped staff practice in the home to move forward. Appropriate changes have been made to ensure that the home drives efficiency upwards. The manager takes appropriate action and will challenge any practice issues that she feels are not in the best interest of the children. This approach is beginning to embed a nurturing and learning culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive the training and development opportunities that they need to provide better care for the children. This is done through face-to-face and online training. Furthermore, some staff are up to date with the provider’s mandatory training program, and those who need training, are booked on to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are united in their view that since the new manager started working in the home there have been positive changes. Professionals all echoed that there is more structure in the home, and that they have seen progress made in the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home does not have a full complement of staff. Staff cover these hours through overtime between themselves, which helps children receive consistent care. The manager is aware that staff retention, at times can be a concern for the running of the home. Currently, there is an ongoing recruitment drive service wide. This means that there is always staff ready to start should vacancies arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are not consistently carried out in line with the provider’s policies and procedures. For example, six staff did not receive a supervision session in March and two did not receive one in April 2024. The manager has identified this, and has additional support in place to ensure that staff supervision sessions are carried out in a timely manner. Furthermore, the quality of some supervision sessions are poor. Staff are not consistently provided with an opportunity to discuss the children, reflect on their practice and understand how they are performing in their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611210 5

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)) 25 July 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that supervision sessions are carried out in the timeframe as set out in the provider’s policies and procedures. Furthermore, these sessions are to provide the staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice, gain an understanding of their current performance, and to discuss the children and their needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611210 6 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: 2611210 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Merrion House, Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8LX

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611210 8 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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