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

Unique reference number SC032701 Inspector Vicky Johnson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council Registered person address South Tyneside Council, Town Hall Westoe Road SOUTH SHIELDS Tyne and Wear NE33 2RL Responsible individual Jill McGregor Registered manager Darren George Bird Date of last inspection 28/02/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 18/11/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care adequate Keeping children and young people safe adequate Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

Risk-taking behaviour among the young people in the home presents a challenge for the staff to manage. Some young people are making good progress by learning life skills and becoming more self-reliant. Others regularly go missing, are involved in substance misuse, opt out of education and neglect their health needs. These risk- taking behaviours reflect their difficulties in taking responsibility for their lives. These young people also struggle to behave appropriately while in the home. Their relationships with staff are often difficult and challenging. The level of conflict is evident in the damage to property around the home. Records indicate that sometimes the home is unsettled, with staff needing to address behaviour on a daily basis.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has an established staff team, led by an experienced Manager with a detailed knowledge of the needs of the young people living there. Records indicate some young people have positive, constructive relationships with staff, sharing their feelings regularly and seeking them out to do so. Young people have a degree of confidence in the staff’s ability to keep them safe and to advocate on their behalf where necessary. Comments from some young people however suggest staff are not fully engaged with them and the relationship is felt to be remote. At times, practice does not show a good level of sensitivity to the young person’s needs. 3 of 11 The home does not have a formal admission process. Individual risk factors for each young person are not formally assessed to determine the potential impact of their behaviour upon those currently living there. The views of the Registered Manager and staff do not significantly influence the evaluation of referrals and acceptance of

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Overall effectiveness

admissions. Moreover, staff do not compile their own risk assessments prior to admission. This shortcoming increases risk to young people and lessens the likelihood of good outcomes. Their experience of living in the home is also less likely to be positive.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager is committed to improving practice and taking the necessary action to drive change. There are however, some failings hindering the home’s ability to improve. These shortcomings have resulted in several requirements and recommendations. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to nine children who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is provided by the local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2014 Interim good progress 02/10/2013 Full good 15/11/2012 Interim good progress 03/07/2012 Full good

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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) maintain in respect of each child who is accommodated in the children’s home a record in permanent form which includes the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3, in particular the placement information record, up to date care plan (Regulation 28(1)(Schedule 3)) 02/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children, specifically that each child has a detailed risk assessment which is tailored to the individual child, focused on clear measurable outcomes (Regulation 11(1)(a)) 02/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

11 ensure that the children’s home is conducted so as 02/01/2015 5 of 11 (2001) to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there, specifically that records are maintained of significant incidents relating to the safety and wellbeing of children living in the home. (Regulation 11(1)(a))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) after consultation with the fire and rescue authority, take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, specifically that the home’s risk assessment is updated to reflect the risks associated with the possibility of young people smoking in the home (Regulation 32(1)(a)) 02/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

9 (2001) ensure that having regard to the size of the children’s home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children accommodated there, carry on or manage the home (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence, and skill specifically evaluating referrals and accepting admissions (Regulation 9 (1)) 02/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) provide a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph (4)(c) (visits by registered provider) to HMCI, specifically within a reasonable timescale (Regulation 33 (5)(a)) 02/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure without delay that Ofsted is notified of any significant incident affecting a child’s welfare and the recording of notifications (Regulation 30 (1)) 02/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that a written record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of the investigation (Regulation 24(5)) 02/01/2015

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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 that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. In particular, develop a plan to decorate and improve the entrance to the building and repair the damage to the walls in the communal areas of the home. (NMS 10.3) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

The outcomes for young people living in the home are varied. Some young people are developing responsibility in line with their life stage but others still lack the necessary practical, emotional and social skills. These young people go missing, are involved in substance misuse and place their health at risk.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

The majority of the young people living in the home smoke. Additionally, some young people do not sufficiently understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle or engage with the services on offer to help them. Placing sexual health at risk and continuing drug use threaten their overall welfare and safety. These behaviours represent a lack of self-care and positive regard for their wellbeing.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Some young people are keen to develop their potential in education and have a focus on a particular career path. Their attendance is consistent and they are enjoying learning and achieving. Other young people require the intervention of staff to help them to maintain their motivation to attain their goals for their future. For other young people attendance at education is inconsistent and some have opted out completely. This lack of daily structure and accomplishment does not prepare them well for adult life. It creates social isolation and hinders their ability to establish good routines and discipline in preparation for employment.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Some young people are working on their independence skills, learning to meet their own needs and relishing the freedom this affords them. They are proud of their abilities to cook, clean and manage their finances for themselves. Other young people need careful monitoring and supervision in the home due to their behaviour. These young people struggle to regulate their feelings. They engage in conflict, display aggression, and cause damage to the home. Such behaviour has a significant impact upon the quality of life of all the young people living in the home. It creates divisions within the household, jeopardises trust and hinders effective relationship building.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are helped to remain in contact with those who they feel are important to them. In some instances, the frequency and quality of this contact has improved since living in the home. Some young people make these contact arrangements themselves which allows for flexibility, choice and promotes responsibility. For others, relationships are more complex and the support and intervention of staff is necessary. This helps them to make sound progress and to build upon and maintain these relationships, providing a sense of security and reassurance.

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Quality of care adequate

7 of 11 Some young people have good relationships with staff and their support has helped to develop their life skills. One young person wrote, ‘It has prepared me well to live on my own and look after myself’. Another young person wrote that they had, ‘independence, freedom’ and felt ‘safe’. One social worker commented the young person had an, ‘open line of communication with staff’ within the home. They also referred to the apparent ‘bond’ between a young person and their key worker. Records also indicate that young people engage with the staff in activities. Staff use key worker sessions to offer guidance about their risk-taking behaviour, as well as to provide praise for their achievements.

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Quality of care adequate

Comments from the young people and within the submitted survey results suggest there is room for improvement in the staff’s practice. For example, one young person wrote about an incident of staff talking negatively about the young people in the home. Another young person, when asked about what could improve, wrote, ‘good menus, staff be more engaging’. During the inspection, young people commented that staff were sometimes unavailable due to spending time in the office. One young person wrote, ‘I would like to spend more time with my keyworker.’ Such comments show a mixed response from the young people with regard to the staff’s ability to provide them with sufficient attention. The inspection also found incidences within the records where the staff’s practice lacked sensitivity when addressing the young people’s personal care needs.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff seek the views of the young people about the running of the home. For example, they contributed their ideas for the recent review of the children’s guide. Young people actively take part in the selection process to recruit new staff. This empowers them as their views with regard to who is suitable to work with them are seen to matter. They are also actively involved in the progress of their care plan. Staff ask their opinions about what they would like to achieve in the future and incorporate these things into their plans. The young people also record these views independently. Staff gather this information on a three monthly basis to inform the young person’s review. These plans are detailed, individualised and comprehensive, although the content does not include measurable outcomes and is not always evaluated. Additionally, social workers do provide information in the form of plans for the young people, but these plans are not always up to date or signed by

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Quality of care adequate

professionals. It therefore difficult for the home to be sure they are providing care to the young person as outlined by the placing authority. This is particularly relevant when the home is managing a high level of risk-taking behaviours among the young people.

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Quality of care adequate

The staff’s working relationship with social care professionals and parents are good. They intervene where necessary to engage and problem solve with families on behalf of the young person. One social worker said the staff’s intervention with the birth family had helped the young person ‘build those links’. They attend regular care team meetings and liaise directly with teaching staff when problems arise for the young person in education. Records reflect liaison with various services to address the young people’s overall health needs, such as sexual health agencies, substance 8 of 11 misuse and mental health services. The young people however do not always take up the offer of this support, or act on the advice the staff provide.

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Quality of care adequate

The home recently refurbished the young people’s bathrooms. Although lacking in personalisation, these rooms are clean and fitted with modern fixtures and fittings. Other areas of the home are decorated to a modern standard. Some of these areas however are sparsely furnished and show evidence of damage. While staff have tried to make repairs and replace items quickly following episodes of conflict, the damage remains visible. The entrance to the home in particular is dated, unattractive and requires attention. This conveys a mixed message to the young people about the value the home places on the quality of care it provides for them. It also means young people are less likely to develop a sense of ownership or invest emotionally in the premises as their home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people can come to live at the home at short notice or have their admission completed in a planned way. Whatever the circumstances, these young people are vulnerable and have complex needs and behaviours. The home does not complete their own risk assessments to inform decision making as to whether prospective admissions are appropriate. Consequently, staff sometimes find it difficult to manage the risks associated with the complex and challenging group dynamics that emerge within the home. This occurred recently when within a short timescale the home admitted a number of young people who displayed risk-taking and challenging behaviours. The impact was significant, with some young people deciding to stay out of the home in order to avoid the conflict and disruption. This increases the risk of harm to young people, while making their experience of living in the home negative and unsatisfactory. It also significantly reduces the likelihood of them achieving good

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

outcomes and forming constructive relationships with one another and with staff.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Since the last inspection, there has been a high incidence of young people going missing from the home. When particular risks to the young person are high, staff refer their situation to a risk management group. Staff also communicate promptly with other agencies and update them regularly. One social worker commented upon receiving daily updates of the previous day’s events in the form of a young person’s summary. The home regularly attends meetings and staff are active participants in care planning and risk management for the young person. One social worker commenting on the home’s involvement in the decision making process said, ‘They are very much part of the care team meeting’. This participation promotes good communication between agencies and ensures regular risk analysis to respond to the young person’s individual vulnerabilities.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Since the previous inspection, there were no recorded incidents of the use of sanctions or restraints. Staff try to encourage positive behaviour via the use of financial incentives and praise. They use their key worker sessions to explain to 9 of 11 young people the dangers of their risk-taking behaviours. Written records however indicate a high level of risk-taking, disruptive and aggressive behaviour combined with incidences of damage to the home. These records lack the necessary detail of the staff’s actions and attempts to address these behaviours through specific behaviour management techniques. Additionally, the home’s risk assessments and care plans do not contain measurable outcomes to determine whether behaviours are current, or if risks are reducing. It is therefore difficult to judge the effectiveness of the staff’s steps to de-escalate situations. It is also unclear whether the behaviour

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

and risk management strategies employed are successful.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Arrangements for fire safety in the home require improvement. Staff complete fire drills regularly, along with weekly checks of alarms and fire doors. All staff have completed up to date fire safety training. Records show that staff discuss the fire procedures with young people in their meetings. The health and safety risk assessment for the building is comprehensive, detailing the measures to control the risk of fire. The majority of young people who currently live in the home smoke and some do so in their bedrooms. One of the control measures stated to address this issue is for staff to encourage young people to hand in lighters and matches, especially at bedtime. The young people do not always do this. Staff have also needed to address young people’s drug taking in the home and burning items in their rooms. The home’s current smoking policy is not consistent with the health and safety risk assessment for the building. The policy states that those young people

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

over the age of sixteen years old who live in the bedsit accommodation are permitted to smoke. This poses significant risk with regard to fire safety, and it is unclear whether young people are permitted to smoke in the home or what action staff should take to address the risk.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has been registered since July 2010; they are therefore suitably experienced and qualified for the role. At the previous inspection, there were no statutory requirements or recommendations made.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the young people currently living in the home. Feedback from social care professionals and records suggest the Registered Manager shows initiative in meeting the young people’s needs, attending meetings, and visiting families. They are committed to improving practice and are abreast of regulatory change. They have implemented improvements to recording practice, making processes more streamlined and less time consuming for staff. The home’s development plan is detailed and is linked to the current national minimum standards for good practice. Young people refer to the Registered Manager’s capacity to address their problems and concerns. Managerial oversight of young people’s meetings ensures that matters that are important to young people are considered. 10 of 11 Staff receive regular supervision and report they are offered a range of good training

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Leadership and management adequate

opportunities to develop their practice. When difficulties arise between the young people and staff members, staff report that management intervene positively to resolve conflict and restore relationships. In times of crises, the Registered Manager arranges for additional staff cover to support the existing staff team. Such arrangements acknowledge the difficulties arising from the complex behaviours of the young people in the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

There are shortcomings in practice in number of areas. While young people know they can make a complaint, the records show a lack of clarity for young people about outcomes. Visits from the independent visitor to the home happen regularly but there is a delay in these reports being sent to Ofsted. This reduces the regulator’s ability to provide suitable scrutiny to the home’s capacity to keep young people safe. Additionally, there is also a significant shortfall in the reporting of serious incidents to Ofsted. Records reflect a high number of incidences where the police were called to home. These incidences included drug misuse, aggressive and violent behaviour and damage to property. Some of the records of these incidents also lack sufficient detail. The lack of timely notifications and unclear recordings reflect a lack of sufficient attention to safeguarding the welfare and safety of the young people living

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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