Children's Home run by Stockton on Tees Borough Council in Stockton-on-Tees

Unique reference number SC035222 Inspection date 07/03/2014 Inspector Steve Pearson Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 20/08/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Brief description of the service

The children's home is provided by a local authority and is registered to care for up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.3

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.

p.3

Progress

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

p.3

Progress

At the previous inspection Ofsted judged that the overall effectiveness of the home was good and made one requirement and two recommendations. Most of the shortfalls have now been addressed. As a result there is full accountability for any necessary restrictions on young people's access to a telephone. These arrangements are included in their residential placement plan and are signed by the placing social worker.

p.3

Progress

Leaving care arrangements have also improved. Young people's needs are now assessed in much greater detail. Leaving care plans are comprehensive and enable the staff to provide young people with the level of skills and knowledge appropriate for their stage of development.

p.3

Progress

The physical condition of the home has also improved. In particular, the young people's bathroom and toilet have been completely refurbished. The sanitary ware has been replaced and young people have a new shower.

p.3

Progress

The staff have regular one-to-one supervision from their line manager. The supervisor and member of staff are not adding their signatures to the record of issues covered in each session. There is therefore less accountability for what has been discussed and agreed.

p.3

Progress

Young people make good progress as a result of the care they receive. The Registered Manager and staff are successful in providing young people with long term, stable and consistent care. Over time, they settle well, they develop trust in those caring for them, they become more resilient and they make good progress in achieving their potential.

p.4

Progress

Young people also make good progress in education. School attendance is very high and they are achieving well also. When young people have been admitted to the home, they have been enabled to continue to attend their previous school to ensure continuity. If they have had to start at a new school, the staff have supported them to leave their old school in a positive way. They have then supported them to start the new school and help them adjust to their different teachers and environment.

p.4

Progress

Young people make good progress in their health. The Registered Manager and staff are effective in promoting healthy lifestyles for example, no young people smoke or misuse substances. If necessary, young people receive support from an agency that supports emotional health. And a nurse for looked after children visits regularly to provide support and advice about all health issues.

p.4

Progress

Young people make good progress in their behaviour. It was clear from evidence at the inspection how young people's behaviour had improved since coming to live at the home. While there may be episodes of challenging behaviour from time to time, there are relatively few occasions which require the involvement of the police.

p.4

Progress

The Registered Manager and staff are effective at enabling young people to gain knowledge and skills that will be helpful when they are older and living independently. Those young people who are older and have moved into independent accommodation are doing well. The staff support them after they have left the home. They maintain links with them and the young people regularly return to see the staff and have a meal with them from time to time.

p.4

Progress

Young people have a significant say in the running of the home. They have regular house meetings where their views are recorded and any actions are then carried out. The close relationships between the staff and young people also helps to ensure their views about the home and their own care are well known and acted upon. This helps young people feel valued and significant.

p.4

Progress

The home has a good capacity for continuous improvement. In accordance with legislation, once a month an external person visits the home to evaluate the quality of care. They seek the views of young people, parents and relatives, the staff and the young people's social workers. They evaluate all the necessary issues and make recommendations where necessary. They then submit their report in a timely manner to the Registered Manager and to Ofsted. The Registered Manager also monitors the quality of care on an ongoing basis. This includes a regular formal assessment of the home's performance and submission of the assessment report to Ofsted. These reports show they monitor effectively and take action to address any identified shortfalls.

p.4

Recommendations

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

p.5

Recommendations

 ensure that at the end of each supervision session the supervisor and member of staff sign the record of issues that have been discussed. (NMS 19.5)

p.5

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.

p.6

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.

p.6