Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 1 Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire 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

A local authority runs this home. It provides care and support for one child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023. The registered manager was not available for the inspection. The inspection was led by the interim area manager.

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Information about this children’s home

One child lives at the home and was spoken to during the inspection.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home has made measurable progress. One child who previously lived in the home was well prepared for a move onto adult provision. A supportive, staggered move took place with familiar staff supporting the child to decorate and equip their new home. Staff shared knowledge and collaborated with the team at the new provision to make the move as smooth as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing and supportive, which helps the child in the home to start building trusting relationships. The child can identify staff who they trust and can confide in. Staff encourage the child to share any concerns with professionals who can support them. This has led to a reduction in risk-taking behaviour by the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has sustained considerable damage, and repairs are in the process of being completed. The home does not look very welcoming, but staff redecorate when the repairs are completed and add soft furnishings and photos to make it more homely. Managers have prioritised safety in the short term and ensured that the child’s living areas are personalised and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is on roll at a school but does not attend the school site for education. Limited alternative provision is provided in the week, which is focused on the child’s interests. Staff structure the days the child is not in education with activities and established routines. Fortnightly meetings take place with care and education professionals to plan how to improve the education situation for the child. These changes are being introduced gradually.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see their family and stay connected with them. Staff work closely with the child’s family to agree consistent boundaries, such as internet usage. The child responds well to the structure and routine that this shared communication promotes.

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

Staff understand the risks to the child, which are detailed in the child’s plans. Staff plan care for the child to keep them safe in the home and when out in the community. Staff have adapted the home and garden areas to keep the chid safe in line with a legal order.

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

There have been a number of physical interventions with the child, but these have now reduced, and a less-restrictive approach is being used. Staff work creatively to keep the child safe and use a variety of techniques to avoid the use of physical intervention.

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

Staff understand the missing protocol for the child. When the child has been reported as missing, staff have worked with other professionals to quickly find the child. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 4 missing-from-home protocols have pictures and maps to help staff identify easily where the child may be. This actively reduces the search time required.

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

The distribution of medication is managed in accordance with the home’s procedures. The manager has oversight of this and will challenge appropriately if there are discrepancies. Medication is safely stored and the records are clear. Staff understand the importance for the child to take their medication and the impact of missing it.

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

Professionals who support the child recognise that the child is responding positively to structure and boundaries that the staff are putting in place. There has been a substantial change in the child’s own sense of safety.

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

Managers follow safer recruitment practice. If concerns arise after appointing staff, they follow appropriate processes and share information with other relevant safeguarding partners. Managers challenge partners around their safeguarding practice and not sharing information in order to safeguard children. Temporary staff have been used in recent months and work alongside permanent staff. The manager has not assured themselves that the required checks have been completed for all temporary staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In the current absence of the registered manager, the interim area manager has good oversight of the home and the needs of the child living there. The staff have worked together and feel supported by managers. Morale in the staff team remains high despite staff absences and the registered manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been affected by staff sickness and a need for increased staffing levels. Staff remain solution focused and committed to the child in their care. Managers have worked to use their own trained staff to keep consistency for the child and ensure that their needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are reflective and open to feedback. Recording around physical interventions and oversight of incidents has improved in response to feedback from the independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work closely with other agencies. They meet regularly to review safety, progress and plans for the child. Professionals spoken to during the inspection have identified improved communication from the managers and staff. The manager advocates for the child and shares their wishes and feelings to ensure that plans are needs-led.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have not had the opportunity to meet regularly as a team due to staffing levels, and supervisions and inductions have not all taken place. Staff have not had time to work on their diplomas due to the needs of the shifts. One staff member has not completed their diploma within timescales. Managers were open and transparent about this and recognise the need to ensure that staff have time to do this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 5 Managers are aware of the need to notify the regulator of serious incidents. However, recently, some notifications have been received late, and not all incidents have been reported. Appropriate action has been taken to keep the child safe at the time of the incident, but the regulator was not always made aware of elevated levels of risk. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 6

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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

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b)(c)) 22 May 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should assure themselves that schedule 2 checks have been completed for temporary staff working in the home, to safeguard children and minimises potential risks to them. (The Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place which ensures that the regulator and other relevant professionals are notified of a serious event within 24 hours. When deciding if an event is serious, managers should assess patterns of behaviour that may expose children to an increased level of risk. (The Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards page 63, paragraph 14.11-13)  The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). (The Guide to the Children’s Home

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards page 53, paragraph 10.12) Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 7

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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: 2676828 8

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Children’s home details

Registered Provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA

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Inspector

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2676828 9 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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