Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 1 SC035543

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Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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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 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home. The inspectors spoke with one child.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved on from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 2

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Findings from the inspection

Due to an escalation in safeguarding notifications, an assurance inspection was carried out to understand how staff are responding to increased risks for the children and the effectiveness of leaders and managers in managing these risks.

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Summary of findings

Staff work with children in relation to risk-taking behaviours. Managers attend multi- agency meetings to develop consistent responses to children. Staff understand and implement plans to help children to stay safe. The manager works with external professionals, inviting them into the home to work in a preventative way with children. This is further supported through staff having conversations with children about important topics that are relevant to their needs.

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Summary of findings

Managers support children’s moves into the home with sensitivity and care. Managers are aware of the individual needs of children and gather relevant information to inform the decision-making about whether staff can meet the needs of the children. Following an escalation in risks for one child, the manager worked with the placing local authority to try to offer stability for the child. While the support was not sustainable in the long term, the manager did extend the notice period to try and support a positive move on from the home for the child. However, an alternative home was not found, resulting in immediate notice being given to ensure the safety of all children.

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Summary of findings

Staff are consistent when managing incidents in the home. Staff are calm and consistent in their approach to children, using physical interventions as a last resort. Physical interventions are only used to ensure the safety of children and staff. However, the recording of some physical interventions is not clear and, at times, lacks detail. This makes it difficult for the manager to assess whether the use of the measure is safe and proportionate.

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Summary of findings

Staff feel supported with supervision sessions taking place as well as team meetings. New staff are being recruited to help improve the consistency of care for children. While managers have covered shifts to reduce the need to use agency staff who are unfamiliar to the children, this reduces the management oversight in the home.

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Summary of findings

Children spend time with staff and seek them out for help and support. However, the office door is routinely locked, and during the inspection one child was regularly seen at the office door waiting to speak with staff. Previous damage that has occurred during incidents has been repaired, but some areas of the home continue to look worn and in need of redecoration. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 3 Some requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection have not been considered and are therefore restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/05/2026 Full Good 29/04/2025 Full Good 03/06/2024 Full Good 06/06/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 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 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated 1 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 1 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 6 the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(c)(d)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated 1 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children living there. This means that the home should be a homely, domestic environment where doors are only locked when necessary and the physical environment is maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and wellbeing. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and wellbeing such as vaping. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the

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Recommendations

manager, receive supervision from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, allowing them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 7 children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Riding of Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: East Riding Of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA

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Inspectors

Ali Owens, Social Care Inspector (lead) Mel Turner, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC035543 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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