Children's Home run by North East Autism Society in Sunderland

Unique reference number SC446957 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person North East Autism Society Registered person address Units 15 & 16 Lumley Court Drum Industrial Estate; Birtley CHESTER LE STREET County Durham DH2 1AN Responsible individual Brian Stoker Registered manager Deborah Fleetham Date of last inspection 12/12/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 11/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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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 happy, relaxed and comfortable in their home. They enjoy very positive relationships with staff that are based on trust and respect. Young people have formed positive bonds and attachments, which provides them with emotionally security.

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This inspection

Outcomes for young people range from very good to outstanding. All young people have significantly progressed from their starting point and since the last inspection. All young people are in education, with 100% attendance. Very good joint-working with schools support young people to achieve their maximum potential. Young people enjoy a varied curriculum that includes additional school activities where they can spend fun time with peers. This helps young people to overcome socialisation difficulties that are sometimes associated with autism.

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This inspection

Leisure activities in the home are a strength. A new daily planner system is proving extremely effective. Bespoke activities are arranged, in advance, for each young person so staff can plan ahead to ensure daily routines are maintained. This significantly reduces stress for young people with autism. Story-boards support young people so they know exactly what is going to happen, and when. This is very good childcare practice. Young people have experienced some activities for the first time since moving into the home, which is a major accomplishment. These include swimming; going to the cinema; using public transport and shopping trips.

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This inspection

Young people are healthy and access the specialist healthcare services they need. The Registered Manager is very knowledgeable about autism and has used her skills and experience to actively improve young people’s lives. Some young people are medication free for the first time in their lives as a direct result of work undertaken by the home; other young people have been reassessed and had a change in diagnosis following very close assessment and monitoring by staff; and young 3 of 5 people have significantly progressed in self-help and self-care skills. This level of care and support is exemplary.

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This inspection

The home excels in supporting young people make the transition into adulthood. Young people and their families are fully included in the planning of young people moving to new placement, which can be a traumatic time. All new placements are vetted by the Registered Manager to ensure new providers can meet the young people's needs and introductory visits are very well supported. Staff from the home work with new staff teams to share their practice and management techniques so that young people's care is not unduly disrupted. This provides very good continuity and reduces young people's stress levels.

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This inspection

Staff are very skilled and fully committed to their role in caring for young people. Interventions are creative, dynamic and resourceful. Individual written residential plans clearly set out young people’s needs and how these will be met. As a result, the day to day support of young people is underpinned by detailed behaviour management strategies that provide a high level of care and consistency. This approach is successfully enabling young people to flourish.

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This inspection

Leadership and management is strong. Leaders and senior staff know their roles and responsibilities, which provides an organised and efficient management structure. Recruitment procedures are sound and new starters are very well supported. Staff morale is high and all staff are enthusiastic about working at the home. This creates a positive ethos that is reflected in the home’s considerable performance and the difference made to young people’s lives.

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This inspection

The home has improved by meeting a previous requirement to update the Statement of Purpose. The document is informative and sets out what the home intends to do for young people. Other improvements since the last inspection include all young people now having a television in their bedroom; alterations to some of the internal fixtures and fittings, including a new carpet; investment in staff training and development, and the home attaining the Investors in Children Award.

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This inspection

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

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home provides care and accommodation for children with a learning disability and autism. The home is operated by a private provider.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2014 Full good 27/03/2014 Interim good progress 13/12/2013 Full good 04/10/2012 Full adequate 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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