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Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 1 SC454484

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Registered provider: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough 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 run by a local authority. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection three children were living at the home and one child was spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: SC454484 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/06/2024 Full Good 11/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/07/2022 Full Inadequate 02/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised by staff. Children are supported to engage in medical appointments. When children are nervous, staff work with them to reassure them and help them to develop the confidence to attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to understand and learn about their own identities. Detailed work is carried out with children regarding gender and sexuality. This has allowed children to develop self-awareness, understanding and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have introduced activity journals, memory boards and a newsletter. These support the children to understand their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have access to education. Staff recognise the importance for children to have a permanent education provision. Staff have used the knowledge and guidance of relevant external agencies to enable children to access the correct education provisions. Staff carry out work with the children to encourage them to attend education and share the importance of education for the children’s futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are learning independence skills. Their achievements are celebrated with certificates and progress folders. When children struggle to understand the expectations of them, the staff adapt their approach and motivate the children in this process successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have very positive relationships with staff. Children wanted to provide staff with training on the understanding of menstrual cycles and have created training packs that they have delivered to staff in staff meetings. The children are also encouraged to arrange art exhibitions, which their family members and professionals are invited to attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views and wishes are captured in daily recordings. Staff make a list of these views and wishes to help inform staff discussions at team meetings. However, the children do not have their own meetings, and they are not receiving feedback or an explanation about whether staff can or cannot meet their requests.

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improvement to be good

There have been a high number of missing-from-home incidents for children. Recording by staff is poor, making it difficult to understand the actions taken to find the child and help them to return home safely. The staff’s recording does not show the care and support offered to the children on their return home to ensure their safety and well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 4 Significant incident notifications are not always completed by the provider and shared with Ofsted in a timely manner. Children do not receive supportive conversations following incidents. The staff do not gain the children’s thoughts and feelings to enable them to implement and adapt plans and their approaches when working with the children.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. When they do, the manager keeps them updated regarding the progress of the complaint. The children receive formal feedback of the outcome. However, when children are included in the complaint, work is not completed with the child to support them to understand the concerns that have arisen. The children are not involved in developing support plans to reduce these concerns. Additional restrictions are implemented by the staff, with the children not understanding the reasoning for this.

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improvement to be good

The manager has moved away from using consequences in response to children’s behaviours and is using a more restorative approach. This was implemented following the manager’s review of a consequence that was deemed unfair. As a result, a decision was made to reimburse the children. Work was completed with staff to reflect on this decision-making, and children are now supported with incentives.

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good

The manager has had a challenging start to their role, with many competing demands and challenges. They have highlighted areas for development in the home and, together with leaders, have plans to address these areas. This includes the introduction of champion roles for the staff team, where these areas can be a focus. However, these have not yet effected any change and are still in the early stages of implementation.

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good

Staff have carried out the organisation’s mandatory training. There are clear training plans for new starters. The fire safety training is not suitable and has not been carried out by a number of staff. Leaders and managers have not ensured the required level of training to maintain the children and staff’s safety.

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good

Staff speak positively about the children and working in the home. They have identified changes to improve the home that are being introduced by managers and leaders.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly and have detailed agendas. The minutes are clear, which supports the staff, including those who were unable to attend, to understand the discussions. Staff supervision sessions are detailed, reflective and supportive of both the work and personal lives of the staff team. They are used to identify strengths and future areas of focus for the staff. Development plans are used with staff to encourage improvements in practice. This remains a significant focus for leaders and managers. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 5 The manager’s knowledge and understanding of the needs of the children is strong. Children receive their child-friendly care plans each month when they are updated. These are shared by the manager with the children in a way they request, either paper or via emails. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 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 registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all incidents are recorded with clear details of actions taken by staff to ensure the safety of children. 1 December

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Requirement Due date

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

protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should check on the well-being of children when they return from being missing from home. 1 December

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— 1 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 7 engage with them; and

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should respond to the wishes of children, informing them of the actions taken or reasons they cannot be met. Staff should also ensure that children are spoken to and their views obtained following significant incidents.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention. (Regulation 25 (1)(c)) 1 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure they have a system in place so that all serious events are notified to Ofsted within 24 hours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 8 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: SC454484 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Westgate Plaza One, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2RD

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Inspector

Rachel Moore, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454484 10 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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