Children's home run by Leicester City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2713112 1 Registered provider: Leicester 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 owned and operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for one child with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 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: 2713112 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/08/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2713112 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has continued to live in this home since the last inspection. The inspector spent time speaking with the young person and observing daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person enjoys lots of fun activities. They have been to the seaside which they enjoyed. Staff ensure that photos are taken to ensure the young person has a lasting memory of these experiences. When the young person has shown an interest in music, managers have brought to the home a music therapist to encourage and support this interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When there are any changes to the young persons expected daily routines, staff use effective measures to reduce anxieties. During this inspection an activity was cancelled and staff used strategies successfully to help the young person regulate their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that education remains a priority for the young person. They have made significant progress in both math’s and English subjects. Their use of speech has improved, and this young person is learning to instigate conversations with others. All educational success is celebrated, and the young person receives certificates of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is on a journey to eventually move from this home to an adult provision. Managers are strong advocates to ensure this move is the right provision and that the young person’s progress is sustained. Leading up to this move, staff are building on academic work and encouraging the development of independent living skills. For example, when the young person is learning about using money, this is practised when out shopping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are confident practitioners. They use several different ways of seeking the young person’s views, wishes and feelings. Often, this is talking with them, at other times staff have used a pictorial model of talking about the young person’s worries and dreams. Staff are adept at capturing the young people’s views through key work sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person lives in a home that is bespoke to their needs. They have access to several areas of the home, including a sensory room, large communal area, and an outside space. However, when minor damage needs repairing, this has not been rectified in a timely manner.

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

Staff have strong and trusting bonds with the young person. They have helped them to develop strategies to reduce their own anxieties. The young person is now more likely to speak to staff and tell them how they are feeling. This means that staff can then take Inspection report for children’s home: 2713112 4 proactive measures to help the young person self-regulate. This has meant there has been a low number of incidents.

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

When the young person has any incidents in the home, staff are responsive and ensure that they are safe. Staff and the young person receive a debrief discussion. When needed, extra time is taken with the young person to provide this in a format and way they can understand. This allows the young person to explore their behaviour and help them understand its impact.

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

Safeguarding the young person, both within and outside of the home, requires a high level of planning. Risk assessments are clear and guide staff to what they must do to lower the risks to the young person. Risk assessments are reviewed to accurately reflect the current levels of risk. This means that, when possible, the young person can experience new challenges and develop new skills while remaining safe.

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

Managers have ensured that there is a robust scheme of checks and balances for the health and safety of the building. They ensure that the environment of the home, and its location, is risk assessed to remain safe for the young person, staff and visitors.

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

There is a clear medication process in place for staff to follow. Staff receive detailed training before administering medication and before they can take the lead in this process. Managers have several levels of checks and audits that ensure there are no medication administration errors.

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

The staff are observant and vigilant. They produce detailed records of what the young person has participated in, how they are feeling and any significant events during the day. However, some records written by staff are not a full reflection of an activity and miss key information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is responsible for two of the providers children’s homes. They are ably supported by a strong and effective assistant manager. Together they lead a team of staff who collectively are ambitious for the young person to make the best progress they can. The home is adequately staffed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have well-established working relationships with a wide range of professionals and the young person’s family. Professionals are overwhelmingly positive and are of the shared opinion that the young person is making good progress in several areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the importance of the young person maintaining relationships with significant people. They are supported to speak to and see those important people. This reinforces the young person’s sense of identity and belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is keen to continually promote staff development. Staff begin their training as part of a thorough induction programme. They then continue to enhance their skills Inspection report for children’s home: 2713112 5 and knowledge with additional and child specific training when required. The child therefore receives individualised care and support to meet their complex care and health needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team provide staff with regular supervision. This process allows for staff competence and knowledge of the young person to be reviewed. In addition, staff are provided with guidance and support that contributes to their professional development on a structured basis. However, managers have not ensured that records of all supervision sessions are accurate or reflect a full account of discussions held.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The vision of the provider is clearly and continually conveyed to staff. Team meetings are held on a regular basis and staff find these beneficial. Staff can share their views openly and feel their views are supported and respected. Staff feel supported by managers and enjoy working here. There is an ethos of teamwork and supporting each other to meet the needs of the young person. Inspection report for children’s home: 2713112 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather then ‘institutional ‘impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the homes policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2713112 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Leicester City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2713112 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.

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Inspector

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