Children's Home run by Darlington Borough Council in Darlington

Unique reference number SC037861 Inspector Stella Henderson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Darlington Borough Council Registered person address Town Hall Feethams DARLINGTON County Durham DL1 5QT Responsible individual Murray Rose Registered manager Sally Margaret Britton Date of last inspection 08/01/2014 2 of 8 Inspection date 09/12/2014

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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 good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make adequate, and in some cases good progress from their starting points on admission to the home. They benefit from good quality care, support and guidance and they feel protected at the home. Care planning is highly individualised in some cases but does not always result in good outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people live and grow up in a nurturing environment. They are safe and supported with clear safeguarding strategies and boundaries. Staff work hard to keep young people safe which has reduced risk taking behaviours.

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Overall effectiveness

Leadership and management of the home is adequate with a number of shortfalls being identified; none of these shortfalls posed an immediate risk of harm to young people. Requirements and a recommendation are set to support the provider to improve practice in these areas and comply with regulations.

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Overall effectiveness

The provider took immediate steps to address the shortfalls identified at this inspection. 3 of 8

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three children of either sex. It is registered to care for young people whose main needs arise from emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/01/2014 Interim good progress 06/06/2013 Full good 31/01/2013 Interim good progress 25/07/2012 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) ensure that children make use of educational facilities appropriate to their age, aptitude, needs, interests and potential (Regulation 18)(1)(a) 09/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure each child has access to such medical, dental, nursing, psychological and psychiatric advice treatment and other services as he may require (Regulation 20)(2)(b) 09/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if, in relation to a children's home, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table 31/12/2014 4 of 8 (Regulation 30)(1)

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain a system for monitoring the matters set in Schedule 6 at least once in every 3 months and improving the quality of care provided in the children's home. The system referred to in paragraph (1) shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities (Regulation 34)(1)(a)(b)(3) 28/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the registered person shall give notice in writing to HMCI as soon as it is practicable to do so if a person ceases to carry on or manage the home (Regulation 38)(b) 31/12/2014

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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

 improve the content of the independent visitor's report. This is with specific reference to more accurately reflecting events at the home. (NMS 21) 5 of 8

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Outcomes for young people are variable. Some young people have highly individualised care planning arrangements which are tailored to their specific circumstances. However these arrangements are not fully effective in meeting young people's educational and health needs, despite the best efforts of staff. This impacts on their ability to enjoy optimum health outcomes and make the most of their aptitudes, skills and abilities. Progress for these young people is perceptible but slow.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Other young people are making good progress. Young people say they are 'happy' living at the home and feel 'looked after.’ They feel that their lives have improved at the home. One young person commented that their behaviour at school was better, another said they felt more positive about things in general. School attendance and achievement has improved, along with behaviour, health and emotional well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people who have recently arrived at the home are already making changes in their lives. For example, those who have not been in employment, education or training have secured college places. They are beginning to make positive attachments and choices, including reducing risk taking behaviours. Parents say they can see a difference in their children's behaviour and feel their children are 'more settled.'

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Some young people successfully engage with the child and adolescent mental health services. This helps to improve their emotional health. This is supplemented by staff interventions that bolster young people's sense of self- worth and resilience. This includes the promotion of meaningful, nurturing relationships, praise for achievements and emotionally-available adults.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Parents, family members and friends are welcome to visit the home. Parents said they are made to feel very welcome and that staff are very friendly. This also helps to convey to young people that their families are valued and held in positive regard.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

All young people are expected to take some responsibility for looking after themselves and the home. The type of tasks they undertake depends on their age and ability, increasing as they get older or more competent. This helps to develop young people’s skills so that they can make the transition to independence gradually and safely.

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Quality of care good

6 of 8 Staff hold very positive views about young people as individuals and want them to do well. They are committed to helping young people to lead happy and fulfilling lives, regardless of the challenges they and their circumstances may present.

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Quality of care good

The manager and staff work in partnership with young people, parents and other professionals to secure positive outcomes for young people. They work hard to challenge barriers to young people's progress, including the limitations that young people unknowingly impose on themselves through poor decision-making.

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Quality of care good

Staff provide young people with a consistently good standard of care in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. They are skilled at developing positive relationships with young people who say they like staff, can talk to them and feel listened to.

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Quality of care good

Young people influence all aspects of the care provided. They attend and contribute to care planning and review meetings where their views and wishes are taken into account and influence the decisions made. What young people have to say makes a difference to how they are cared for, sometimes exceptionally so. As a result care planning is highly individualised.

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Quality of care good

Life is fairly ordinary for young people, and they like it that way. They get on well with each other and share common interests, such as going to the theatre. Young people also enjoy their own individual activities which reflect their own diverse personalities and preferences.

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Quality of care good

The home is situated in an area with good access to local amenities and services. It is comfortably furnished and the manager conducts regular health and safety checks. This provides a physically safe environment for young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people feel that this is a safe place to live and their parents are reassured that their children are safe here. Young people’s social workers expressed a clear confidence in the home’s ability to keep young people safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people trust staff enough to talk about their experiences and concerns. They listen to what staff have to say and take on board their advice. As a result of this and close partnership working, young people's risk factors have reduced from high to medium.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Work with young people is clearly having an impact on their understanding of risk. Only one 'missing from home' incident has been recorded which again is a reduction in frequency. Staff are engaged in very effective partnership working with the local police on these matters. They frequently visit the home which provides young people with visible reassurance. 7 of 8 The atmosphere at the home is nurturing and relaxed. Staff strive to cultivate a calm atmosphere and this promotes good behaviour. Reward systems are proving effective and a ‘restorative justice' approach successfully assists young people to accept responsibility for their actions. Physical intervention is rarely used as a behaviour management strategy.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected by a range of other measures. Recruitment processes are thorough. Employees are suitably checked prior to commencing work in the home. Staff demonstrate familiarity with the signs of abuse and child protection procedures. Risk is effectively calculated and kept under close review and all health and safety requirements are met.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has been in post for just over a year. She has a relevant degree and suitable management qualifications. Although the home is well managed in many respects, a number of shortfalls are identified. These do not impact negatively on young people as they relate primarily to procedural and recording issues but reflect a failure to keep abreast of legislative changes.

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Leadership and management adequate

The manager consults with other professionals, young people and their parents about the quality of care provided for young people. However, their views are not captured in the manager's quarterly monitoring report. In addition the monitoring schedule is not compliant with the changes in regulation. This means the home is not being fully held to account.

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Leadership and management adequate

The independent visitor's report conforms to the regulations and is effective in demonstrating that processes have been followed. However, the report does give an accurate reflection of the home's performance. This means the provider and Ofsted may not be aware of emerging concerns. The regulator has not been informed about a change to the Responsible Individual and Ofsted were not alerted to a notifiable incident.

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Leadership and management adequate

Young people benefit from the positive aspects of leadership and management. There is a strong sense of team purpose. Staff are experienced and have a wide repertoire of skills. They report that they are well-supported in their work. The provider demonstrates a commitment to professional development through regular supervision, team meetings and training opportunities.

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Leadership and management adequate

A recommendation made at the last inspection to improve recording on sanctions, has been met. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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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