Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 1 Registered provider: Leicester City Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by Leicester City Council. It offers care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a good standard of care. Staff work hard to form relationships with children who, over time, value their support. Children who are new to the home quickly feel able to approach staff and ask for help. Staff are nurturing and patient in their approach.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress while living here. They can enjoy activities and celebrate milestones, such as birthdays. All success is acknowledged. For one child, this was about their excellent school report. Staff use a positive and nurturing response to develop self- worth and self-esteem in children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are struggling to go to school, a blended approach to learning is used. For some children, this has meant tutoring for core skills and helping to undertake practical tasks at home. At the same time, staff are encouraging a return to more formal education.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Working with families is a strength of the staff team. Families value the support and flexibility so children can have meaningful time with their relatives. When the plan is for children to return home, the team establishes effective relationships and, where required, offers practical advice and support to families.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good lines of communication between the staff team and other professionals and families. The manager works in close collaboration with external professional agencies. They keep professionals continually updated regarding the children and their needs. The manager and the team have strongly advocated for the children and families to ensure that their wishes are heard and acted on when required.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s meetings take place to allow children to share their wishes and feelings. Children are given time to prepare for their meeting. Children discuss activities they want to try and the meals they want to eat. Rules and boundaries for the home are talked about.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. There are activities for children to engage with. Staff clearly take pride in the home for children and help them to maintain a lovely environment for them to live in. However, the kitchen is restricted at certain times, which detracts from an ordinary home environment and discourages the promotion of independent living skills.

p.2

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

Children have individualised risk assessments. These assessments are completed in detail and capture the specific needs and vulnerabilities of each child. They are Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 3 continually reviewed and updated by managers. Staff are proactive in reading any updates, so they are equipped with the best knowledge regarding each child.

p.2

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

The manager ensures that all relevant safeguarding agencies are notified when it is appropriate to do so. Notifications to other agencies reflect good safeguarding practice. There is a detailed chronology of action that has been taken. The manager ensures that the child remains at the centre of safeguarding practice in the home.

p.3

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

Safeguarding incidents, including the use of physical intervention, have steadily reduced over time. When they do happen, children are seeking support earlier or they respond quicker to staff intervention. The overall impact is that the home environment is calmer and a place where the children feel safer.

p.3

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

One child has a significant history of going missing. This is reducing. The child is at risk of exploitation when missing. The manager and staff are taking all appropriate action to try to keep the child safe. However, guidance is not always clear for what action staff must take when the child goes missing.

p.3

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

Families can make complaints about the care of their children. Managers have ensured that they work with families who complain and find a resolution. When staff are implicated in poor practice, the provider takes steps to make sure that the staff member learns from their actions or is supported to develop their practice.

p.3

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

Systems for monitoring health and safety are in place. However, managers’ audits have not always been robust enough and some records are not fully completed.

p.3

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

There is a clear medication process in place. Staff receive detailed training and are observed administering medication before they can take the lead in this process. There have been a low number of medication errors. When these have been identified, the action taken by the leadership team to improve staff competence has been effective.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team, although still developing, is effective in caring for children with complex needs. The registered manager and senior staff provide good leadership. Staff report feeling well managed and supported, and there is a positive and energetic approach. Together, the workforce is aspirational for all children. There is excellent team morale and a sense of shared ownership. This ensures continued improvement across the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff want to help children and families. For one family, this meant providing short-term accommodation with little notice. To mitigate increased anxiety for other children, staff take time to inform them of any planned changes.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide most staff with regular supervision. This process allows for their competence and knowledge of children to be reviewed. In addition, staff are provided with guidance and support that contribute to their professional development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 4 However, staff who work in a waking night capacity have not had regular supervision with a manager. This is a missed opportunity for managers to monitor their competence and offer support and guidance to fulfil their specific role.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is keen to continually promote staff development. Staff begin their training as part of an induction programme. They continue to enhance their skills and knowledge with additional and child-specific training when required. Therefore, children receive individualised care and support to meet their complex needs. However, one staff member has not yet had all the required training to meet the needs of the current children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a safer recruitment process, which is usually robust. This helps to ensure that only those adults who have been assessed as safe to work with children are employed in the home. However, on one occasion, checks did not identify the explanation of gaps in a staff member’s employment history.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers’ monitoring and review systems are not yet robust. Several children’s records were found to be inaccurate or incomplete, despite having been reviewed by a manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

p.5

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vi)(ix))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that children’s access to the kitchen is not restricted, unless considered necessary for their safety. 8 August 2025

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

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.

p.6

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)(c)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that managers give staff supervision and training to be able to meet the needs of all children and ensure that managers’ monitoring systems are fully effective in identifying errors in records.

p.6

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: 2795056 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Leicester City Council, City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FZ

p.7

Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2795056 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8