Children's Home run by Madiba Limited in Kirklees

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 1 Registered provider: Madiba Limited

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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 three children who may have learning disabilities or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 A lack of progressive care planning in the home has contributed to the need for the local authority to seek successive deprivation of liberty orders for a child for an excessive period of time.  Important information has not been shared with external agencies. This has denied these agencies the opportunity to evaluate events and respond accordingly.  Significant assaults from a child on staff have not been managed effectively by leaders and managers. This has prevented the child from having opportunities to access appropriate services and support. Consequently, the risk associated with these incidents in the home and in the community has significantly increased.  The organisation has not maintained a homely environment for the children.

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was brought forward due to specific concerns received by Ofsted through safeguarding notifications. Successive incidents involving the children have seen an escalation in risk. Ofsted had credible concerns that the children and others were likely to suffer harm in the absence of effective intervention from staff and other agencies.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a lack of progressive and creative care planning for both children. Despite these concerns being raised by Ofsted at the previous inspection, leaders and managers have failed to resolve or progress issues that are worrying the children. This has resulted in the children becoming increasingly agitated and anxious.

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Findings from the inspection

The children have been told by their respective social workers that the local authority intends to move the children to alternative homes. There have been no timescales set for the children to work with, and neither has there been good enough or effective challenge from the provider to the children’s local authority to raise this as a significant issue. Consequently, in addition to existing unmet needs, this uncertainty is a contributing factor in the escalation of significant incidents that the children have been involved in.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not shared significant information to partner agencies effectively. For one child, this has denied partner agencies, such as the police, youth offending team and mental health services, the opportunity to properly evaluate events and put in place supportive interventions. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 3 Leaders and managers have failed to maintain a homely environment for the children to live in. Several areas of the home have been neglected and left in a state of disrepair. This is likely to add to the children’s sense of dejection around their current circumstances.

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Findings from the inspection

Positively, the staff remain committed to the children and passionate about their roles. However, they have been let down through a lack of joined-up working between leaders and managers and the children’s local authority. This has resulted in the staff being expected to manage too much risk, and this has left children and staff at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Following the inspection, compliance notices under regulations 12 and 14 were issued. These notices will be reviewed in line with Ofsted’s enforcement policy.

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Findings from the inspection

This was a focused assurance inspection, so the requirements from the previous inspection have not been reviewed and therefore have been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/09/2023 Full Good 04/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2021 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and 8 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 6 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(e)(i)) 8 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 8 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that the staff are consistent with applying the children’s wishes and feelings when these have been acted on as a team. Additionally, the manager must act on relevant research and developments that are pertinent to the children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 8 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and 8 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 8 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 9

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2608949 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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