Children's home run by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775749 1 Registered provider: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a local authority. It was registered in March 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties, or learning disabilities. There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2775749 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have moved into this home in a planned and positive way. Staff understand how children’s past experiences have an impact on their ability to build secure and trusting relationships with adults. They help children to feel safe and secure by providing them with consistent boundaries and nurturing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education from their starting points. Staff understand the barriers to children’s education when children are struggling with their emotional and mental health. They advocate for children to ensure that they are receiving the right support in school. This has led to improved attendance for some children. One child’s education plan is not up to date because it has not been kept under review by the child’s placing authority, and the manager has not escalated this shortfall.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Structure and positive routines are promoted, which has led to one child becoming increasingly settled at night and experiencing improved sleep. Children who need support with their emotional and mental health are accessing therapy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with the people who are important in their lives. Staff talk to children about their feelings when they experience difficulties in their relationships. This is helping children to resolve conflict between themselves, when they have sometimes found group living difficult.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted with regularly about their wishes and feelings about the home and their care. Staff advocate for the children. They help children to express their voice and share their opinions about the care they receive. Children’s individual personalities are reflected in how their bedrooms are decorated and personalised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a range of activities specific to their individual hobbies and interests such as art and crafts, flower arranging and gaming. Children are encouraged to take part in activities that provide them with new experiences such as attending special events, day trips and holidays to places of interest. However, children’s experiences and memories from the time they first moved into the home are not always fully captured in their records.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour plans identify all known risks to individual children, including the additional restrictions as identified in the legal order for one child. Records are detailed and kept under review by the manager. Staff are clear about the steps to follow to reduce some of those risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775749 3 Staff respond to serious incidents in line with the children’s individual plans. When children are upset and show unwanted and risky behaviours, staff have shown resilience and have remained consistent in their approach. This provides the children with predictable care, which makes them feel increasingly secure and has led to a reduction in the frequency of incidents.

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

When staff have needed to hold children, records show that intervention was necessary and proportionate to protect the child. However, the child has not always been provided with the opportunity to talk about being held and a debrief with staff has not always been timely.

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

Allegations are taken seriously, they are investigated and reported to safeguarding professionals. Staff are clear about their responsibilities to children who go missing. Staff respond proactively, including searching for children and reporting them as missing with the police.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. The manager provides positive role modelling and support to the team. The positive home environment helps morale to remain high, and staff are committed to wanting the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a strong oversight of the home. She is clear about the progress that children are making and where additional support is needed from staff. There are effective systems in place to review and monitor the risks to the children, the progress children are making and staff development. Where gaps in staff performance have been identified, the manager has taken action to address the shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is reflective. Staff said that they feel supported by the manager. Team meetings happen regularly and provide staff with the opportunity to discuss the children’s plans and to take part in activities that are designed to enhance staff knowledge about safeguarding children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a multi-agency approach to risk management and care planning for the children. The manager has built strong relationships with professionals involved with the children. One professional said, ‘Despite the challenges, the manager and staff have not given up. They have shown stickability and this has helped the child to make progress.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are up to date with their core training, and they have completed additional training to ensure that they can meet the needs of the children living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Incidents considered to be serious have been reported to Ofsted, but this has not always happened in a timely way. This means that the regulator does not have up-to-date information about the risks relating to children living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775749 4

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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

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 14 October 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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(b)(c)(e)) 14 October 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records (regulation 36) are kept up to date and stored securely while children remain in the home. This relates specifically to one child’s education and healthcare plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2775749 5  The registered person should ensure that staff keep, and encourage children to keep, appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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: 2775749 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham S60 1AE

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775749 7 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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