Children's home run by Kattz (YH) Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 1 Registered provider: Kattz (YH) 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 operated by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection and one child was spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Inspection date: 11 February 2025

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: 2770577 2

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was carried out due to concerns Ofsted received about the home.

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. Three children have moved in, and three children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. One child spoke with the inspector.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has been registered since February 2024. She was not present during this inspection. The manager resigned from her role in February 2025, but is yet to de-register with Ofsted. The home is currently managed by a suitably skilled and qualified interim manager who is the home’s former responsible individual.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have a process of assessing children before they move into the home and children have positive transitions into the home. However, leaders and managers have not assured themselves that they can meet the children’s needs before they moved into the home. This has contributed to staff struggling to manage children’s behaviour and children having to move.

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Findings from the inspection

Children engage in activities they enjoy, such as shopping and attending the gym. Staff encourage children to persevere with their education. Children are helped to access education with support tailored to their needs. This has resulted in an increase in attendance for one child who had a significant period out of education before moving to the home. Staff promote and support children to develop age- appropriate independence skills.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been no allegations made by children against staff since the previous inspection. One complaint was made by a child and this was investigated and responded to effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision and group supervision and attend team meetings. Staff complete the organisation’s mandatory training.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have built positive relationships with some staff. However, some relationships between staff and children are strained. During the inspection, a child was showing the inspector damage to the home from incidents. Staff supporting the child responded by saying ‘Yes, but who caused that damage?’ This could be seen by a child as blaming and shaming. Furthermore, some incident reports contained language that was punitive. In one report, a staff member called a child a bully during an incident in response to the behaviour the child was displaying towards them. This contributed to the incident escalating and a serious assault on a staff member occurring. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 3 There have been incidents of children going missing from the home. When children go missing, staff are quick to respond. Partnership work with the police is effective and staff actively ensure that the children return home as soon as possible.

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Findings from the inspection

However, on some occasions children have not received independent return home interviews. This means that opportunities may be missed to understand why children go missing and to reduce these incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been significant damage caused to the home during incidents, which appears to be cleaned up quickly by staff as the home was generally clean and tidy. However, repairs to the damage have not been carried out, in particular to a kitchen fire door and a window. This could compromise the safety of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers completed and submitted a quality of care review report to Ofsted. However, the report does not contain any feedback from children about the care they receive. This makes it difficult to assess what impact children have on the development of the home and quality of care.

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Findings from the inspection

Feedback from professionals was mixed. One social worker said: ‘The management team have been good.’ However, they were concerned with the staff team’s ability to meet their child’s complex needs. Another professional said that a child was safeguarded effectively while at the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 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 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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that maintenance of the home is appropriately monitored, and any issues are addressed without delay. 24 March 2025

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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, ensure leaders and managers appropriately assess the home’s ability to meet the children’s needs before placing children in the home to reduce the risk of children having negative experiences of moving on from the home. 24 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 6 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff do not use punitive and blaming language when interacting with children or when reporting and recording. 24 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should be considered when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that they undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. In particular, the registered person should ensure that they obtain and evaluate feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home,

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Recommendations

its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. The review should provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Station Road, Letchworth SG6 3BQ

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Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2770577 8 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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