Children's home run by North East Lincolnshire Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 1 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire 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

The home is managed and run by the local authority. It provides care for one child who may have a sensory impairment or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made significant progress. They view the home as their own and have developed trusting relationships with the permanent staff team. Staff know the child well and have invested time in building the relationships with the child. The child states that they feel safe at the home, and they can articulate feelings about the care experience and expressing their preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s needs and communication style. Staff support the child in being actively involved in decisions about their care, ensuring their views are heard. Other professionals working with the child have recognised the home’s commitment to involving the child in decision-making processes. One professional said the staff strive to ensure the child’s voice is heard in their own plans. This enables the child to contribute positively to their daily decision-making. When decisions are made that do not align with the child’s wishes, staff provide clear and thoughtful explanations. This approach supports the child to feel respected and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child knows how to make a complaint should they wish to do so. The child is confident in speaking to staff and is aware of the different ways they can share their own views. This has provided the child with the opportunity to feel listened to and supported to express themselves safely. This helps to build trust and reinforces the child’s understanding that their voice matters.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to engage in education and learning. Staff have ensured that education remains a stable and positive aspect of the child’s life. This means the child successfully completed school and achieved qualifications that exceeded initial expectations. The child is supported to develop aspirations and helped to overcome the barriers they may face. Despite challenges, the child continues to believe in their goals and is encouraged by staff to work towards them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to improve their health and develop positive routines. Staff engaged the child in learning about healthy eating from a health education perspective. This means the child is making healthier choices and cooking meals with staff, which promotes independence and self-care. The child continues to enjoy healthy food and is motivated to maintain new habits. This learning will support them as they move towards independent living.

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

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted and reinforced. Staff have a strong understanding of the child’s background, including family and previous care experiences. This informs the staff’s approach to managing behaviour. Plans are sensitive to known triggers and responsive to emerging patterns. Staff are proactive in seeking to understand behaviour and use strategies that are informed by the Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 4 child’s views. These approaches have contributed to a reduction in incidents. The child is involved in developing strategies. This inclusive approach supports emotional development and promotes consistent responses.

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

Risk assessments are reviewed regularly to provide guidance for staff to follow in managing identified risks. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the risks and how to ensure that the child is kept safe. However, there are some inconsistencies between risk assessments and other documents that address risk. This could lead to confusion and undermine the safety of the child. Monitoring and reviewing assessments to ensure alignment will maintain safety and consistency in practice.

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

The child is supported to take appropriate risks as part of developing their independence. The child is now confident to walk to the shop alone, supported by staff to understand how to keep themselves safe. When incidents occur, the child is involved in discussions to help understand what happened and learn from the experience. These conversations are sometimes revisited to reinforce learning. However, current records of these reflections are brief. They do not fully capture the depth of the child’s engagement or the learning achieved.

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

Room searches are completed when necessary and are respectful. When the child is not present, staff ensure they are informed. However, not all recordings of room searches are in line with the home’s policy. In addition, one risk assessment identifies regular room searches as mitigation for a medium-level risk, but this is not being implemented. This inconsistency between plans and practice could increase risk to the child.

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

The fire risk assessment identifies risks within the home. Most have been addressed and are being managed effectively. The manager has considered the impact of some recommendations on the homely environment. The manager has chosen to diverge from some recommendations to maintain a welcoming atmosphere for children. This approach contributes positively to the feel of the home; however, the rationale for these decisions is not documented. This limits transparency and oversight to ensure that safety considerations are clearly understood and consistently applied.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is respected by staff and children. Staff speak overwhelmingly positively about the manager as being visible, approachable and responsive. They feel well supported and confident in the leadership. The manager has developed a trusting relationship with the child. One staff member stated the manager will ‘jump in and support’. The child said the manager is ‘great’ and ‘knows me too well’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses a monthly monitoring tool to review the quality of care provided. The tool is detailed; however, it does not capture all aspects of care and practice effectively. As a result, the monitoring tool is not robust, and some elements have been missed. The shortfalls identified do not present safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 5 However, refining the monitoring process to ensure it covers all areas of practice would support continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Key documents are not being maintained efficiently. Documents that are required to identify and strengthen the care being provided are not always accurate. This is not being identified by the registered manager. This means that the quality of the care being provided cannot be fully reviewed by the regulator to ensure it is meeting the child's needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training log is not effective. The document used to track staff progress is out of date and not reviewed regularly. This means gaps in training have not been identified or addressed in a timely way. Training required to meet the child’s specific needs is not evident for all staff, and some staff are delivering care without the necessary knowledge and skills. While staff are supported to complete relevant qualifications, not all have done so within the expected timescales. This means that not all staff currently hold the qualifications required for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from managers and leaders. However, the opportunity for reflection within supervision is limited. Some supervision records lacked a clear focus on the child and safeguarding matters. This is a missed opportunity for staff to engage in meaningful discussions about the care they provide and to develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The physical environment of the home requires attention. These outstanding repairs detract from the overall homely feel of the environment to ensure the home remains welcoming and safe for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 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 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

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

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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)(h)) 1 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 1 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 1 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 7 The quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2) 1 December

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Recommendations

 For children's homes to be 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 legislations; however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision that 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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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: 2775104 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Municipal Offices Town Hall Square, Grimsby, South Humberside DN31 1HU

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Inspector

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775104 9 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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