Children's Home run by City of York Council in York

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 1 Registered provider: City of York

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered with Ofsted in April 2024. The service is a multi-building children’s home with two premises, with one overall judgement that covers the registered children’s home and considers the experiences and progress of children in each of the home’s buildings.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by the local authority. The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to six children, between both buildings, who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home. Two children were spoken to during the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 14, 15 and 16 January 2025. Serious and widespread concerns were found in relation to the safety and well-being of children. This visit was to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the steps within the compliance notice that was issued relating to regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

Individual children’s risk assessments outline known individual risks for children and clear strategies staff should follow to manage the identified risks. Plans include how to support children before they reach crisis, and include information such as not to use humour with a particular child because this is likely to be unhelpful. However, there continues to be a lack of risk assessment to consider how risks may change when children are together and outline how this dynamic will be safely managed.

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This monitoring visit

The challenging dynamics have resulted in doors being locked inside the home, one of the doors being locked is to ensure children have spaces they feel safe in. Due to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 2 the lack of clear assessment and planning around the dynamics, the only plan in place to address this, is one child moving out of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments include safety planning, where appropriate, including specifically relating to health needs arising from children using substances. Plans relating to when children use substances are being followed and children receive medical care when this is required.

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This monitoring visit

Conversations with children around pertinent worries take place. Some of these conversations are detailed and appear to support children to understand and manage risks better. Staff shared that they understand the importance of building positive relationships with children and ensuring important conversations take place with the right person, at the right time. Staff know children well and they understand how to support them. Staff are committed to children being able to remain living in the home, until they have identified safe plans for children’s next steps.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have replaced dining room chairs, allowing space for children to eat meals together. However, the inside of some parts of the home continue to lack a homely feel. There were several obscene pictures drawn on the walls in communal areas, and an insult about a member of staff had been written on the door to the room where staff sleep. A child’s door had several rules written directly onto the door, and some of the plaster around doors was coming away. Damage to doors, caused in previous incidents, has been crudely repaired with ill-fitting boards.

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This monitoring visit

One child’s bedroom was unhygienic, with mouldy fruit and dirty plates on the floor. This created an unpleasant smell. This, alongside lots of the child’s belongings on the floor, meant the child lacked their own clean space to spend time in. It was not clear what the expectation was for staff to support children with their rooms and when to intervene.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted was not notified of a serious incident. This prevents the regulator from having a clear understanding of how the provider responds to safeguarding concerns.

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This monitoring visit

One child was able to reflect on the progress they have made, with the support of the in-house clinician. This is facilitated with great thought by the staff. The child feels safe living in the home. Another child felt that some decisions about family members attending the home were unfair but was able to discuss this with staff that were supportive.

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This monitoring visit

Staff shared that they value clinical supervision, which is provided by the in-house clinician. Staff felt they were able to be reflective. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 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 with 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

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that consideration is given to how risks to children may change depending on which children live in the home, and how any negative aspects are managed safely to prevent any negative impact on other children. 21 April 2025

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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 21 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 5 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

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 homes 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

ensure that the premises used for the purpose 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)(c)(ii)) 21 April 2025

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 21 April 2025

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under The Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Offices, Station Rise, York YO1 6GA

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2785671 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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