Children's home run by Leeds City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 1 Registered provider: Leeds 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

The home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home. One child was being cared for by agency workers away from the home. This child was spoken with over the phone.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 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 is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 2

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improvement to be good

The experiences and progress of children are mixed. One child experienced an unsettled period while living at the home. Although staff developed positive relationships with the child, this alone was not enough to ensure the child had positive experiences or made any meaningful progress. This is because staff do not yet have the necessary skills to provide consistent care to a young, traumatised child.

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improvement to be good

Children are not well supported when moving on from the home. Placements have ended abruptly, leaving staff with little time to prepare children for their move on. This lack of support means that children are not sufficiently prepared for adult life or equipped with the skills and confidence needed to live independently. Effective preparation would help them feel supported and better able to manage future challenges, reducing the risk of instability or poor outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Where education has been a barrier for some children, the manager takes appropriate action to help them overcome these challenges. With challenge from the manager and support from the staff, one child’s school attendance improved.

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improvement to be good

Children have been taken on holiday by staff, and for one child, this was their first ever holiday. Children have also had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities both inside and outside the home, either together or individually with staff. Additionally, children have enjoyed playing and socialising in the community with their peers.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from regular one-to-one sessions with staff, which provide focused space for them to express their thoughts, feelings and worries. These sessions help staff build trusting relationships and offer personalised support.

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improvement to be good

The home is nicely decorated and furnished, with the furniture appearing new. One child’s bedroom was personalised with their own belongings, while the other room is being decorated. The garden is spacious and provides children with opportunities to explore and play.

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improvement to be good

There is inconsistent practice in how staff manage one child’s risks while travelling in the car. This has resulted in a staff member being assaulted and the police being called to manage the child’s behaviour. Unclear boundaries can undermine children’s sense of safety and trust. Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 3 Physical intervention records contain stigmatising language. One record documented an allegation from a child that had not been identified or explored by the manager. This allegation was therefore not discussed with the child or referred to the local authority designated officer. Because the manager failed to identify the allegation, it was also not shared with the regulator. Furthermore, another physical intervention record does not specify the type of hold used. Both records clearly outline the de- escalation strategies attempted, all of which were unsuccessful.

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improvement to be good

Staff who were spoken with demonstrated awareness of children’s risks and explained that risk assessments are updated as required. Presenting risks are then discussed by staff in team meetings. One staff member spoke compassionately about one child and noted that offering a cuddle when the child became angry and sad was often an effective strategy.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff follow the relevant plans to ensure they are located as quickly and safely as possible. Staff understand their responsibilities when children go missing from the home.

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good

The manager is registered to manage two small homes and divides her time between both homes based on need. Due to concerns around the child living in this setting, the manager has been spending most of her time at this home.

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good

Leaders and managers have not fully considered children’s past experiences and trauma when planning and delivering care. Consequently, one child was moved from the home to an unregulated placement and was informed by the social work team that their next placement was not yet known.

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good

Records of supervision sessions do not reflect staff practice. Furthermore, the records do not show meaningful reflection on children’s experiences in the home. Some staff who deliver supervision sessions lack the skills and experience to do so. This limits their ability to respond appropriately and provide effective support during these sessions.

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good

Team meetings are held fortnightly and include reflective discussions to review incidents and plan strategies to support children. The therapeutic team visits monthly, but given the complexity of the needs of children who have lived in the home, more frequent therapeutic support would better equip staff and improve the quality of care provided.

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good

Management oversight is ineffective as leaders have not identified shortfalls and gaps in staff practice. As a result, weaknesses continue without appropriate challenge or action, and staff do not receive the support or guidance needed to improve their skills. The lack of scrutiny limits the home’s capacity to ensure consistent, quality Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 4 care for children and prevents leaders and managers from addressing emerging issues in a timely manner. Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 5

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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 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

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;

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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)(b)(iv)(v)(vi)) 21 December

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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; 21 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 6 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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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;

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 21 December

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 21 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff who deliver supervision sessions to staff have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience and that discussions are reflective of staff practice and children’s experiences. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place for notifying relevant people, within an appropriate time frame, of any serious incidents. This system should also outline the actions to be taken if such events occur at weekends or on public holidays. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2857691 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Merrion House, Merion Centre, Leeds LS2 8LX

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2857691 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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