Children's home run by Madiba Limited

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and who may have a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since September 2024; however, there is an interim manager in post. Recruitment processes are in place to find a suitable manager for the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 November 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: On 3 April 2024, after the completion of a fitness interview of the former manager, Ofsted issued a notice of proposal to refuse the former manager’s application to become the registered manager of the home. No further action was taken as the provider dismissed the former manager.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2023 Full Good 25/01/2023 Full Good

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improvement to be good

The poor leadership of the former manager has resulted in the child’s overall progress and experience being hindered. This is due to the former manager allowing the child to form an unhealthy attachment to her. The child is currently experiencing a difficult time, feeling a sense of loss and instability. The staff are working tirelessly to support the child in ensuring that they feel listened to, loved, and cared for during these difficult times.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have implemented new ways of working with the child and have embedded a nurturing and playful approach. Staff now play board games, cards, and many more games with the child. This is allowing the child to develop trust in the adults around them. Furthermore, staff discuss with the child what healthy and positive relationships are.

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improvement to be good

The child is making progress with their education and has sat their exams, which is a big achievement for them. Furthermore, leaders and managers advocate on the child’s behalf by escalating concerns about the current education plans.

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improvement to be good

The child has therapy on a weekly basis. During these sessions, they speak about any concerns and worries that they may have. These sessions are child led and, occasionally, they are held in an environment away from the home. This is because the change of venue puts the child’s mindset at ease.

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improvement to be good

Communication between leaders and the manager, school and parents is effective. This cohesive approach is strengthened by the input from specialist services, such as mental health professionals. This enables staff to provide care to support the child’s mental health needs.

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improvement to be good

The child’s views are considered and, when appropriate, their requests are actioned. In one instance, this resulted in the child painting a mural in their bedroom. To further support the child to share their views, wishes and feelings, they are aware of how to make a complaint.

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improvement to be good

Allegations from the child are taken seriously by leaders and manager. They work in consultation with the child’s social worker and designated officer and the police. Following these allegations, necessary action has been taken to ensure that the child is safeguarded against contact with the previous manager.

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improvement to be good

Staff are up to date with mandatory training, such as safeguarding, positive behaviour support, and first aid. Nevertheless, staff do not have specific training, such as ligature training. This exposes the child to the risk of harm or misadventure. There have been two missing incidents since the last inspection. Staff followed the child’s protocol to make sure that the child was found as quickly and safely as possible. Furthermore, new strategies have been put in place to reduce the likelihood of the child going missing again.

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improvement to be good

Since the previous manager left, there has been an increase in safeguarding incidents from the child. Leaders and managers are quick to respond by implementing new strategies for staff to follow. This means that some of the child’s harmful behaviours have been isolated incidents. Staff are aware of the child’s risk plans, and all staff said that the team work consistently to ensure that the child is kept as safe as they can be.

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improvement to be good

There has been a high number of occasions when staff have needed to physically hold the child. Staff’s recording of these incidents provides a clear rationale for why the child was held. All documents have oversight from leaders and managers. Following a physical intervention, the staff involved and the child can speak to someone who is independent. This allows for all involved to learn from the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home was run by the former manager between October 2023 and February 2024. Several concerns were raised about the leadership and management of the home during this time. This included staff feeling bullied and threatened by the manager. Furthermore, staff shared that the manager controlled the child living in the home, which overstepped professional boundaries and caused the child to be reliant on the manager. Leaders and managers have taken appropriate action to ensure that all relevant agencies were informed about the manager’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been an interim manager at the home since February 2024. Staff now say that they feel supported and listened to, and that the working environment is not hostile. Staff are encouraged to use the whistle-blowing policy. One staff member said, ‘The atmosphere in the home has gone from 0 to 100 since the new interim manager has been working in the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have worked hard to make sure that staff have good leadership in the home to help them in their roles. Changes have been made to ensure that there is now a more transparent way of working. Leaders and managers take appropriate action to address practice issues that are not in the child’s best interest. On some occasions, this has led to staff being dismissed. As a result, there is now a nurturing culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers know the strengths of the service and have identified areas that they will focus on, such as rebuilding staff confidence in decision-making while caring for the child. This has been addressed in a sensitive and empowering manner, with support from the therapist. Consequently, staff now have the courage to make appropriate decisions about the child’s care. Team meetings are held frequently. They identify which areas the child is making progress in, as well as areas that they need support with. Any actions from the team meetings are allocated to staff. The discussions are reflective and provide a detailed account of what is happening in the home. This allows staff to be kept up to date, drives efficiency, and contributes to consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff supervisions are also used to reflect on practice and are held frequently. This is a time for staff to talk about any concerns that they may have. Staff discuss their learning objectives, and have targets set to ensure their continued development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home needs two full-time staff members. To cover these hours, staff from the provider’s other homes work at the home with the core staff team. These relief staff know the child well, which ensures that the child receives care from staff who they know.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is no up-to-date copy of a legal safeguarding document. Another of the child’s statutory documents is not available for staff to read. This means that leaders, managers, and staff are working with out-of-date information.

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)) 2 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 2 August 2024

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Information about this inspection

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: One City West, Gelderd Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS12 6NJ

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector 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. 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

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Inspector

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 .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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

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