Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033370 1 SC033370 Registered provider: Leeds City 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 run by a local authority. It offers care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manger was registered with Ofsted in April 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC033370 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/08/2022 Full Good 15/06/2021 Full Good 30/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033370 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is homely and nicely decorated. There are photos of the children enjoying themselves on display. The children have all personalised their bedrooms which are decorated to their choice and tastes. All this gives the children a sense of belonging. Three of the four children were spoken with during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend quality time with the children inside and outside of the home. Children go on many activities with staff, and one child has recently been abroad on holiday for the first time. The staff provide a nurturing environment for the children to live in. One professional said, ‘The staff provide stability in the children’s lives.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have individualised care plans that clearly identify their needs and how staff should respond to them. The stable staff team work well together and provide consistent care. This helps the children to become more resilient when they are faced with challenges in life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to the children and advocate on their behalf during meetings. This has resulted in children who were previously not accessing education to have a provision in place that meets their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are supported by a therapeutic team to help them understand children’s emotional well-being. Staff use strategies learnt from the therapeutic team to help the children when they are struggling with their emotions. To strengthen this wrap around care, the children can have one-to-one sessions with the therapy team when needed. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in associated behaviours such as self-harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children with basic independence skills such as, doing their laundry and cooking meals. However, there is nothing in place to prepare the children to help them to gain the skills that they need to live independently, paying bills, the cost of living, and how to maintain a property. This does not provide the children with the knowledge and skills to prepare them sufficiently for adulthood.

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

The staff respond appropriately to any safeguarding incidents or concerns. The manager ensures that any incidents are reported to Ofsted when necessary, and that there is a multi-agency approach to addressing any safeguarding issues. This means that all professionals working with the children are up-to date with current risks and the strategies in place to manage them.

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

Children have individual risk assessments that clearly identify the risks for each child. They are regularly updated and provide clear guidance to staff on what actions to take to keep children safe. The document provides an overview of the risks, and if they have Inspection report for children’s home: SC033370 4 changed over a three-month period. This helps to track whether risks are increasing or reducing in frequency and severity.

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

Missing from home incidents receive a combined response from agencies. Staff follow the children’s missing protocols to ensure they are returned home as quickly as possible. When the children return staff speak to them, and an independent person checks on their welfare. This reinforces to the children that staff care about them.

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

Staff know the children well. Staff often avoid escalation in children’s behaviours through distraction and by using the positive relationships that they have with the children. As a result, there has been no physical interventions since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff speak of the manager in high regard and respect her approach to leading the home. One member of staff said, ‘There is a better atmosphere in the home now, and the team now work better together.’ The manager leads by example and ensures that a nurturing culture is embedded in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are reflective of staff practice. Any areas of concerns are discussed, and strategies to support the children are explored. Furthermore, the manager takes into consideration staff well-being, and puts adjustments in place when needed. This supports staff to fulfil their roles effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive any training they need to perform their roles, and to meet the children’s everchanging needs. Training goes beyond the core learning, so that it gives staff specific knowledge to help them provide effective care to children with complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are staffing vacancies in the home. However, there is a stable team of core staff who, along with some casual staff, cover any gaps in the rota. This ensures that consistency of care is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. If there are any concerns in the home, the manager takes necessary action to ensure that any issues do not worsen. There is a development plan in place to support the home to develop and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals spoken to all said that the manager, and staff, are dedicated to their roles and are good advocates for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033370 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 care planning standard is that children-

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are supported with their independence to help them develop the skills they need to move into adulthood and live independently managing their own finances and property. 16 September 2024

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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: SC033370 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Natalie Clark, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033370 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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