Children's Home run by Young Foundations Limited in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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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 company. It provides care for up to five children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since February 2024. The new manager has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good 29/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 3

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improvement to be good

This home requires improvement to be good. Since the last inspection, some children have had more positive experiences, while others have been hindered due to a lack of care planning and poor safeguarding practice from staff.

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improvement to be good

Not all children make progress with their learning. Although some children engage with learning opportunities, when a child chooses not to take part, staff struggle to actively encourage the child back into learning. In addition, planning for children’s future learning, skills and employment is not actively secured for their next steps. This leaves children uncertain about what they will be doing in the future.

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improvement to be good

Children are not prepared well to develop skills for life. Managers accept that children’s independence skills have not been actively promoted by staff. This is reflected in children’s care planning, as there is little thought given to how staff could help children to develop the emotional and practical skills needed for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health and well-being are not always promoted by staff. For example, on occasions, staff allow children to vape in the home. This is not good practice, nor does it ensure that boundaries are implemented and adhered to.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved out of the home in a planned way since the last inspection. Staff supported the child and made efforts to ensure that they had a positive experience to end their time living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer children opportunities to engage in activities in the home and community. Records of the children’s experiences are held for them and photos of children are displayed in the home. Children are encouraged to engage in hobbies and this supports them to develop socially within their community.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed or reviewed effectively to address and highlight how a child’s changing needs and vulnerabilities will be met. Therefore, staff do not always have the knowledge or necessary guidance to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Serious incidents relating to children are not always notified to Ofsted. In addition, this prevents scrutiny of risks to children and how staff are responding to help and protect them.

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improvement to be good

Complaints made against leaders are not referred to the local authority designated officer to consider. Leaders have investigated these complaints internally, but have not Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 4 completed a notification in line with regulation. This does not provide assurances that the provider is working collaboratively with all agencies with a safeguarding role for children.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are used in the home to support children to learn about their behaviours. The manager oversees the measures staff have put in place. However, the manager does not routinely review the use to assess if the measure has been effective.

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improvement to be good

The home has procedures in place for when children go missing from the home. Staff make efforts to location children and follow children’s safety plans. It is unclear from children’s records if they are provided with an opportunity to speak with an independent person following their return to the home. This prevents staff from learning about incidents of going missing from care to help identify how best to reduce these risks.

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

Managers’ oversight of children’s information has not been effective to identify improvements needed in the home. However, managers accept the shortfalls raised during the inspection.

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

Leaders and managers’ monitoring systems are not effective to ensure that there is oversight of children’s records and their quality of care. In addition, managers do not read children’s risk assessments thoroughly to assure themselves that they understand children’s needs or to provide guidance to staff.

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

Children’s confidential information is not stored securely. Boxes of children’s records were seen in an unlocked outbuilding. This means children’s personal information has been accessible to anyone entering this area.

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

Children’s essential records are not held on children’s files, such as pathway plans. The managers have not sought to challenge the placing authorities about the lack of plans, despite the age of children they care for and the importance of these plans for children’s future care arrangements.

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

Most staff have completed their mandatory training and are inducted to complete a qualification to work with children in a residential setting. However, five staff have not achieved their qualification within the required timescale as set out in regulation. This means that the leaders cannot be assured that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to care for children.

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

Managers ensure that staff receive support through supervision and team meetings. Supervision meetings take place regularly for staff. New employees are provided with an induction plan and supported to access mandatory training. Team meetings are held regularly and focus on children and staff learning. This helps staff feel prepared for working in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 5

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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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)) 5 September 2024

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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)(a)(c)) 5 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 6 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(c)(i)(ii)) 5 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(e)) 5 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 7 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all children’s records are locked in a secure location. 5 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 5 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 8 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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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: 2629902 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alexander House, Highfield Park, Llandrynog, Denbighshire, Wales LL16 4LU

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Inspector

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2629902 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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