Children's Home run by South Tyneside Council in South Tyneside

Unique reference number SC032697 Inspection date 09/02/2012 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/09/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to offer care and accommodation for six children who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Brief description of the service

The home is operated by the local authority.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making inadequate progress.

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Progress

This home was judged as good at the previous inspection in September 2011. This interim inspection judges the home has made inadequate progress because the home has failed to address one or more requirements from the last inspection. The home has therefore not adequately demonstrated they have taken appropriate actions to address previous shortfalls identified in the services provided for children. There were five statutory requirements identified at the last inspection and three are not met. Two previous recommendations are met and there are two new recommendations from this inspection.

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Progress

Outcomes for children are satisfactory. Children continue to have good school and workplace attendance to enable them to achieve their potential. Working relationships between staff and education providers are positive and support children through the sometimes difficult transition into meaningful educational programmes.

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Progress

Children feel they are consulted about their care. Each child has an identified key worker who they can talk to about private feelings and concerns and regular children’s meetings provide a forum for group discussions about the home’s operation. Written residential plans record children’s needs and how these will be met, which shows children are appropriately placed. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff and feel they can trust the adults who care for them. All children are included in the resident group to promote feelings of belonging.

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Progress

The home’s child protection procedure is not fully compliant with the relevant regulations for children's homes, and good practice guidelines, to ensure the home’s practice in relation to keeping children safe is underpinned by a robust, clear written policy. The procedure is not written in a format that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the children, and their parents, to ensure children are fully informed about the measures staff may take to keep them safe from harm.

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Progress

Improvements have been made to the home’s behaviour management policy to include what measures staff can use to manage children’s behaviour. However, the document does not portray a proactive ethos whereby behaviour is managed positively to help children learn socially acceptable behaviour in a good way. For example, the policy focuses on how children are disciplined and how they will be sanctioned for inappropriate behaviours as opposed to how good behaviour will be praised and rewarded.

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Progress

There are shortfalls in how the home safely administers medication to children. Issues raised at the last inspection have not been adequately addressed to ensure the home’s procedures promote children’s health needs. Regulation 33 visits have also not adequately improved to provide for consultation with children and their parents, in private where appropriate, to independently ascertain their views, feelings and wishes.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) prepare and implement a written policy which includes all the elements listed in this regulation (Regulation 16 (1) (b)) 31/03/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) make suitable arrangements for the recording, handling, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home (Regulation 21 (1)) 31/03/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the person carrying out visits by the provider interviews with their consent and in private parents and relatives of the children living at the home. (Regulation 33 (4) (a)) 31/03/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the home provides a clear written safeguarding policy that is suitable and available to children, young people and their families (Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 5: Children's Homes, paragraph 2.67)  ensure the home has a clear written policy which includes supporting positive behaviour. (NMS 3.3).

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011).

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