Children's home run by Madiba Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 1 Registered provider: Madiba Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties, and who may also have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. The child was spoken to by inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There has been a decline in the progress made by the child living at the home. This is because of the poor quality of care provided, shortfalls in safeguarding practice, and the ineffective leadership and management of this home. Leaders and managers recognised that staff were not meeting the child’s needs, and decided that the child had to move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child’s day-to-day experiences are poor because there is a lack of structure and routine to the child’s day. The time the child spends unsupervised in the community is limited because of the child’s additional needs, risks and vulnerabilities. This means that the child is reliant on support from staff to leave the home. The child enjoys going out for walks, the cinema and learning to drive at the young driver activity centre. They like to go out for drives with staff in the home’s car, but this has sometimes been restricted by staffing sufficiency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Changes to the staff team has impacted on the continuity of care provided to the child. This also affects the child’s ability to build secure and trusting relationships with staff. The child has been unsettled and staff have not always understood how the child’s past experiences impacts on their life today. Staff have not always responded in a child- centred way, which is demonstrated within staff’s recordings in that they use threatening and blaming language.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child does not have a suitable school placement. The arrangement for the child’s education was home tuition, but unfortunately this ended recently. The child lacks structure to the school day. The child also struggles to settle during the night, which leads to the child sleeping in the daytime.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Furniture and furnishings in the home are limited because the child’s sensory needs and wishes have been considered. However, there is damage to the walls and fixtures in the home that has not been repaired in a timely way. Furthermore, there are food stains on the walls and ceiling that have not been cleaned. Areas in the home would also benefit from repainting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child’s memories are captured in a book. However, staff have not made any entries for several months. Leaders and managers made the decision that the child needed to move from the home, which they did on day two of the inspection. The transition was unplanned, and the child did not know that they would be moving until the day before they moved. Despite recognising the shortfalls prior to the child moving out, leaders and managers failed to take action to improve the quality of care for the child while they continued living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 4

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

Serious shortfalls were identified in the safety and protection of the child. Staff have failed to provide the child with adequate supervision in line with the child’s risk assessment. This has led to multiple serious incidents. On one occasion, the child was left unsupervised and attempted to start a fire in the home. They also accessed a cutlery knife and made threats to harm staff, and locked themself in the home’s car. The child has also left the home without staff’s knowledge. Serious incidents have not always been reported to Ofsted. This prevents the regulator from having full oversight of risks to the child.

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

Risk assessments are of a poor quality. Information is conflicting and confusing, which means that the documents do not provide clear guidance for staff. Staff are not always clear about the action that they need to take to mitigate some of the risks to the child.

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

Staff decision-making has been poor. This has led to the child going missing from the home and being put at risk of harm. While waiting for the police to attend after a serious incident, staff allowed the child to leave the home unsupervised, knowing that they had money with them.

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

Furthermore, while spending agreed time in the community, the child travelled out of county by train. To allow the child to have unsupervised time in the community, there are safeguards in place, such as a tracking app on the child’s phone. However, on one occasion there was a delay in locating the child’s whereabouts because staff did not have access to the app and the manager was on annual leave.

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

There have been incidents where the child has displayed unsafe behaviour while travelling in the car. Staffing sufficiency has sometimes had an impact on staff being able to manage this risk safely. Staff said that car use is restricted, but incident records show that the child has been out in the car without the correct level of staff supervision.

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

There has been an increase in incidents where staff have intervened physically. When the child has been held, records show that this has been necessary at the time. However, the use of physical intervention has not always been effective, and the police have been called to manage the child’s behaviour. On one occasion, the child was arrested and detained overnight in police custody due to the staff failing to de-escalate the situation and calm the child. Records show that staff make threats to call the police as a behaviour management strategy. One record showed that staff pretended to call the police to manage an incident.

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

Furthermore, on one occasion staff used a physical hold, and the child banged their head on a door, suffering a bump and a graze. The manager failed to investigate this fully and did not speak to all staff involved in the incident. Records show that the child has not always been provided with the opportunity to talk about incidents when they have been held. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 5 Consequences to behaviour are not always used appropriately. Restrictions on family time has been used as a behaviour management strategy, and financial reparation has been punitive and excessive at times.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that they have effective oversight of the quality of care provided to the child, and they have not ensured the child’s safety. When poor staff practice has been identified, leaders and managers have not addressed this with the staff involved. This means that poor practice has continued and gone unchallenged.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Allegations and concerns about staff are not always fully investigated. Concerns about one staff potentially presenting as a risk to children was not fully explored with safeguarding professionals as part of an internal investigation. Leaders and managers failed to complete an assessment of the risk, and the member of staff continued working in the home. The child has since made a serious allegation which is currently under police investigation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been multiple occasions where staff have fallen asleep when they should have been caring for the child. Records have been falsified during periods when staff are known to have been sleeping. This has not been identified, or addressed by leaders and managers. Managers do not follow the formal disciplinary procedures to address shortfalls in staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The systems in place to review the quality of care are ineffective. Leaders and managers have failed to address the decline in progress the child has experienced, nor have they addressed the increase in risks and incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive a range of training. However, staff have not received training or guidance about the needs of the child. Most of the staff team including team leaders are unqualified. Furthermore, some staff are outside of the regulatory timeframe to complete the relevant residential qualification. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 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

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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)) 31 August 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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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 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 7 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)) 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(vi)(vii)(b)) 31 August 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 promotes their welfare.

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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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)(c)(d)(e)(h)) 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 8 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 home’s 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; and

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that staff— 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 9 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(i)(f)) 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 10 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(c)) 31 August 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)) 31 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 11 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: 2677465 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: One City West, Gelderd Road, Leeds LS12 6NJ

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Inspectors

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Ladean Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2677465 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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