Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Unique reference number SC449096 Inspector Jacqueline Malcolm Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Durham County Council Registered person address County Hall DURHAM DH1 5UL

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Responsible individual Karen Monica Robb Registered manager Paul Austin Rudd Date of last inspection 30/01/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 26/11/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

Overall, young people make good progress in this home despite some of their challenges. This is because of the excellent level of individualised care and support they receive from the staff team. Extremely genuine and positive relationships between staff and young people help young people to thrive and work through some of their emotional difficulties and risks in a safe and nurturing environment. It has been these robust relationships that have supported some young people through challenging times.

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Overall effectiveness

All young people are engaged in education and show very good potential to achieve. They benefit from prompt access to a range of primary and specialist health care services which for some young people has been at very short notice.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people confirm that they like living at this home and feel safe. They like the staff and recognise that staff value and care about them and want to keep them safe. One young person said, ‘It’s a nice home. The staff are nice. If I need something they are there. They listen to us’ and another young person said, ‘I can’t fault anything about the house.' Relatives and professionals are highly positive about the way young people are cared for and the progress they make. A parent said, ‘The home is very young person friendly and feels like a family home. The staff are very young person centred and always keep me up to date with what is happening. I 3 of 11 would give 10/10 for everything!!!’

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager is aspirational for all young people to reach their potential and his high standards are adopted by the staff team. He understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses and takes prompt action to ensure that young people’s safety and welfare is actively promoted and is sustained.

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Overall effectiveness

Requirements relate to the homes Statement of Purpose and Regulation 34 reports. This does not impact on the safety and welfare of young people. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and who require to be looked after initially for a short period of time. The provider is a local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2014 Interim good progress 10/09/2013 Full good 31/10/2012 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

4 (2001) provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI; this specifically refers to providing updated information in relation to staffing, external complaints and clarity about how the use of door alarms for individual young people will be reviewed (Regulation 4(2) and Schedule 12,13 and 21 20/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the Regulation 34 report provides for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities; this specifically relates to consultation with parents (Regulation 34 (3)) 20/02/2015 5 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from a stable home life. Although the risk taking behaviours of some young people present challenges to the group, they have all made good progress from their starting points. Young people have developed firm attachments with the adults who care for them. They feel in a sufficiently comfortable space to make sense of their histories and experiences in a safe and nurturing environment. The unconditional positive regard that young people receive from the staff team improves their self-esteem and confidence over time. A parent said, ‘My child has formed caring relationships with staff.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s emotional well-being is enhanced by the frequent contact they have with their family. This strengthens and maintains their relationships and reinforces young people’s strong sense of belonging. Young people’s relationship with friends and other significant people help them to build on their external social networks.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have developed a good understanding of their health needs, which helps them to make informed choices about their health. For example, the negative impact of smoking and substance misuse on their health outcomes. They are supported to attend routine and specialist health appointments and older young people show competence by managing their own health appointments. Good risk management ensures that young people’s mental health needs are actively safeguarded and protect them from significant harm, which for some has been monitored through periods of assessment in hospital.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s prompt access to the child and adolescent mental health team provides a very good overview of their emotional progress and safety. Young people appreciate the importance of healthy, balanced and varied meals. Some young people take an active interest in gym activities, which keeps them fit and healthy and improves their overall fitness and sense of well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s educational outcomes have improved in relation to their individual needs. This includes those young people whose education had been affected by their emotional and mental health needs. All young people have good learning potential to achieve their goals which is demonstrated in their improved attainment levels in some subjects. The high motivation and tenacity that some young people show to achieve their educational objectives improves their life chances. Young people who were failing in school have improved their grades and won awards for their improved behaviour. Some young people are working with universities, educating social work students on issues relating to looked after children and young people. Young people in college show positive drive and initiative to get there, such as sourcing their own college placements and taking two buses to get to college independently. This is commendable because it shows that young people have a steely determination to

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have sufficient opportunities to partake in activities that they enjoy and integrate them into the wider community. For example, visits to the skateboarding park, cinema, places of interest, holidays and shopping with peers and staff. Other young people have benefitted from support to attend special events, such as their school prom. Impressively, the home financed the event to ensure this was a memorable occasion, such as hiring a chauffeur driven limousine. This has been invaluable in raising the young people’s positive sense of worth and value. Some young people’s activities, such as volunteering in the local charity shop show the positive contribution they make in the community.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress to learn independence skills that will benefit them when they leave the home. For example, they are involved in budgeting, shopping, cooking, cleaning and developing their social skills. This helps young people to grow into self-sufficient young adults in the future.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from the excellent care and support delivered by the staff team. This is irrespective of the young person’s complex challenges and difficulties. The young people’s high standard of individualised care is driven by a motivated and resilient staff team who are very familiar with their needs and risks. This is a staff team that do not give up on the young people in their care and they go the extra mile to ensure the success of placements. The Registered Manager and the staff team take full ownership of the young people in their care and take their duty of care seriously. They ensure that their high aspirational attitudes towards young people is realised by the young people themselves so that they can reach their full potential.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people know that staff care about their welfare and want the best for them and their positive relationships promote mutual respect and understanding. This empowers staff to reinforce appropriate routines and boundaries and individual behaviour management plans. For some young people, their behaviours have been highly challenging and risky but the protective measures safeguard them from significant harm and are they are monitored. A parent said, ‘X is well looked after and the staff are wonderful both to my child and myself when needed. They impose reasonable boundaries and sanctions which was something I was unable to do. My child respects these.’ A social worker explained that the young person placed by them would not receive better care to meet their complex and risky behaviour anywhere else. They said, ‘I think x receives excellent care here.’ Several compliments received by the home from parents and professionals confirm their

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Quality of care outstanding

satisfaction with the appropriateness of placements and the standards of care.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people’s placement plans are highly individualised and comprehensive documents that detail how their diverse needs will be realistically met. This includes 7 of 11 young people’s needs arising from their personal identity. Young people are involved in their placement planning and their contributions to their statutory reviews influence the delivery of their care. Young people’s wishes and feelings are valued and they are regularly canvassed through a range of effective mechanisms. This includes young people’s meetings, key work sessions and speaking with the independent visitor. Young people are good at talking openly together about a range of issues, such as feeling safe at the home, bullying, relationships, purchasing items for the home and activities. As a result of these consultations, young people understand that their views influence how they are cared for and how their home is run. This values young people and promotes their confidence and self-esteem

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Quality of care outstanding

because they feel involved in their plans.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people’s complaints are taken seriously. They are promptly looked into and acted on, which respects young people’s views and ensures that concerns raised by them are suitably resolved in consultation with them.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff place a high value on young people’s education and will go the extra mile to ensure that young people have access to good educational opportunities in the most suitable provision. Staff work effectively and creatively with education providers and the looked after children education service. This ensures that young people’s presenting behaviours and risks do not disadvantage them from continuing their education in the school of their choice. Young people have home based facilities, such as a computer to complete their homework and the interest shown by staff in their studies recognises their hard work. A parent said, ‘They have given x lots of support with her exams - i.e. helping set study timetables.’ The excellent support afforded to young people significantly enhances their engagement in their education and improves their outcomes.

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Quality of care outstanding

Exceptionally effective partnerships with internal and external professionals, such as social workers, education leads, the police and health services ensure that young people receive the physical, emotional and psychological support they need to thrive and keep safe. Where there have been issues with partner agencies who do not fully co-operate with working together practices, these are assertively addressed at a senior management level.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people live in a well located home that is assessed as a safe place for them to live. Their home is a warm, welcoming and comfortably furnished environment that provides young people with sufficient communal and private space. Photos around the home of the young people show that they are important to the life of the home and they are valued. Repairs to the home are promptly addressed, which encourages young people take pride in their environment. Young people’s very good access to public transport enables them to independently travel to school, college, shops and leisure facilities. 8 of 11

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in a home that has a robust and proactive safeguarding culture. Staff have a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse which is well informed by their training and detailed knowledge of the young people. Staff have responded to concerns in relation to child sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse, which has significantly reduced risk specifically in relation to child sexual exploitation concerns. Strong multi-agency practices coupled with well integrated care planning and good risk management monitors and protects young people’s vulnerabilities and has contributed to minimising some of their high risk taking behaviours. Young people who have been involved in serious safeguarding incidents have received good levels of support by staff, the police and social workers and when it has reached the legal threshold, the courts. This has been invaluable and gives young people a clear message that their allegations are believed and in one instance

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Keeping children and young people safe good

led to a perpetrator receiving a custodial sentence. A parent said, ‘They have supported x through a very challenging time and for this I am very grateful’.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people confirm that they feel safe, but some young people say that the behaviours of some young people have on occasions threatened their sense of well- being in the home. However, they do feel confident about talking to staff to raise their concerns. A young person said about the staff, ‘I trust them.’ Staff are very responsive to conflict situations and the potential for bullying behaviour to develop. The restorative approach adopted by the team helps young people to resolve their issues through face to face discussions. This means that young people can live harmoniously together and move on from their difficulties.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Missing from care incidents are infrequent, but when young people have engaged in this activity, their safe and well return is supported by the home’s missing from care protocols and individual protective strategies. Staff work effectively with the police and search for young people in likely places and encourage them to return home with them. This shows young people that staff care about them and do not want them to come to any harm. Return home interviews undertaken by social workers provide young people with opportunities to speak to an adult independent of the home about their reasons for absenting themselves.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people benefit from staff support and advice that helps them to learn to behave in socially acceptable ways. Positive behaviour management strategies are effective in helping young people to change their challenging behaviours. Some young people have learned to self-regulate and reflect on the impact that some of their behaviours may have on other people. Positive incentives overwhelmingly outweigh the imposition of sanctions, which demonstrate that the personalised strategies do have an impact. Staff are trained in behaviour management, which includes forms of physical intervention. Positively, restraint is used as a last resort and when it is necessary to protect young people from risk to themselves and others. Good management oversight satisfies the manager that the measures used are safe, appropriate and necessary to keep young people safe. The home has exceptionally 9 of 11 good relationships with the police who know the young people personally and visit

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Keeping children and young people safe good

the home socially and under certain circumstances, more serious matters. Their meaningful contributions and enhanced and positive visibility promotes the positive face of the police and as far as possible diverts young people from entering the criminal justice system.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Although young people are protected by the home's good staff recruitment practices, no new staff have been appointed to the home since the last inspection. This provides much needed consistency and stability for young people. Visitors to the home are checked before being invited into the home. This protects young people from unsuitable people who may wish to cause them harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home is a physically safe environment for young people to live. Checks on fire equipment, including fire drills ensure that young people know how to evacuate the premises on the sound of the fire alarm. Electrical and gas appliances are maintained to ensure that the equipment remains safe to use. These safety measures keep everyone safe.

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Leadership and management good

The home is effectively managed. This ensures that young people’s safety and welfare is promoted and they get the best opportunities to improve their future outcomes. The manager has been registered with Ofsted at this home since April 2013. He has the Registered Manager’s award and is currently studying to gain a social work degree. He has a significant number of years' experience of working with young people in different residential settings, both as a carer and a Registered Manager. The Registered Manager takes his responsibility to the young people seriously and demonstrates a confident and enabling leadership style that has an obvious child-centred focus. The qualified, experienced and motivated staff team supports the Registered Manager. The staff team’s enthusiasm and tenacity to deliver the best outcomes for young people permeates through their care practices and is supported by the home’s development plan.

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Leadership and management good

The home has an informative Statement of Purpose about the services that young people can expect to receive at the home, but the copy is out of date with respect to the current staffing arrangements and the children’s commissioner for England. The door alarms installed and activated on young people’s doors is explained in the Statement of Purpose as being used for safeguarding purposes. This promotes transparency. However, the use of this monitoring device has the potential to become institutional practice. This is because it has not been reviewed for individual young person to ensure they remain appropriate and relevant to their care plans.

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Leadership and management good

External monitoring is conducted by an external visitor and elected member, which demonstrates good corporate parent interest. Young people and parents are consulted during Regulation 33 visits. The Regulation 34 monitoring review 10 of 11 conducted by the Registered Manager reports on consultation with young people. However, the Regulation 34 review does not show how consultation with parents is integrated into improving services to the young people.

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Leadership and management good

There is no evidence that the shortfalls identified impact negatively on young people's good outcomes.

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Leadership and management good

Young people’s care needs are met by a sufficiently resourced and consistent staff team. This promotes a safe and stable environment for young people. Staff training opportunities delivered through mandatory and bespoke training enable staff to update their knowledge and gain formal qualifications in health and mental health. This ensures that the staff team has a well-informed understanding of young people’s individual needs and can continue to meet them. Staff feel well supported through formal supervision which helps them to skilfully carry out their role and responsibilities. Regular team meetings and informative daily handovers keeps staff up to date with young people’s progress.

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Leadership and management good

Significant events relating to the protection of the young people are appropriately notified to Ofsted. This enables the regulator to fulfil its regulatory duties and monitor the action taken by the home to address safeguarding issues.

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Leadership and management good

Parents and professionals refer in complimentary terms about their positive relationship with the home and they confirm good levels of communication. A social worker said, 'I can’t say enough about the home. Staff are very welcoming; I get weekly reports and risk assessments.’ Young people’s records are safely stored and provide a good account of their plans, risks and progress. This provides young people with a valuable account of their life at the home.

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Leadership and management good

There were no requirements or recommendations raised at the last inspection. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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