Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Unique reference number SC035181 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Interim 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 Stephen Robinson Date of last inspection 02/12/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 10/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection None since the last inspection.

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people are progressing well as a direct result of attending for short-breaks at this children’s home. All young people have progressed from their starting point, with outcomes ranging from good to very good. Young people are appropriately placed and their needs are met. They receive high quality care that is individualised. As a result, young people are flourishing.

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This inspection

Relationships with staff are caring and nurturing. Staff are skilled at quickly engaging children, which gains their trust. A young person said, 'It's okay here, the staff are very good.' Young people are consulted and listened to. This engages them in their care and empowers them to take an active part in making important decisions about their lives and future plans.

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This inspection

Educational outcomes are good. There are a number of examples where young people have attended the home for a short-break with a specific aim to get them back into school. This has proved very effective. Staff work very closely with schools to enable a smooth transition back into education. Where young people struggle to attend school they are provided with a wide range of creative options to entice them back into the classroom. These include vocational style educational programmes, planned phased school returns, and shared learning between the home and school. A staff member said, 'Education is very important, we work hard to get young people back into school.'

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This inspection

Where young people have specific or complex needs they have access to the services they need. A range of child and healthcare professionals are involved in young people’s care planning to ensure they receive the best possible care. Staff have links to a comprehensive network of external support agencies, which young people can access quickly. This joint working gives young people optimal care and support. 3 of 5 Young people are safe, and where there are known risks there is a range of risk reducing strategies in place. Staff receive regular child protection training and know what to do if they are worried about a young person’s welfare. This ensures young people’s safety is taken seriously. Staff are vigilant in responding to instances where young people go missing that include: actively looking for young people; checking with family and friends to locate young people; and working with police to ensure a

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This inspection

safe return. This promotes young people's welfare. A young person said, 'It’s safe here.'

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This inspection

There have been three restraints since the last inspection, which were carried out for the right reasons and as a last resort. The recording of restraints is improved and meets a previous requirement. Entries now include a full description of how young people are restrained and why. This provides good information to allow for the robust monitoring of practice around the use of restraints.

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This inspection

Leadership and management are strong, which provides young people with a stable environment. The staff team are committed to their role and improving young people’s lives. A staff member said, 'We have the best team, they work hard and put the young people first.' Monitoring in the home is good and has improved since the last inspection by meeting a requirement to fully consult with young people and their parents.

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This inspection

A previous requirement to provide HMCI with an updated Statement of Purpose is met. The Statement of Purpose clearly describes what the home sets out to do for young people. This provides social workers and parents with an informative pen- picture of how the home operates.

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This inspection

There are no new requirements or recommendations arising from this inspection. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for six young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a local authority. The particular remit of the home is to provide time-limited short break care with the objective of returning young people to their families on a permanent basis.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/12/2014 Full good 11/03/2014 Interim good progress 14/11/2013 Full good 24/01/2013 Interim good progress Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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