Children's Home run by North Yorkshire County Council in North Yorkshire

Unique reference number SC034235 Inspector Ann-Marie Born Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager James Andrew Cliffe Date of last inspection 13/01/2015 2 of 5 Inspection date 06/03/2015

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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 sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

No requirements or recommendations were raised at the last full inspection. Nevertheless the home has demonstrated their capacity to improve. The management team are in the process of incorporating the regulator’s newly released evaluation schedule in their monthly auditing processes. This will assist with robustly monitoring positive outcomes for young people.

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This inspection

A period of unrest in the home since the last inspection resulted in an increase in young people’s negative behaviours. These were swiftly addressed by the home and updated risk assessments effectively applied. To further protect young people a pattern of daily room searches was implemented. Young people are safeguarded by these measures. However, although potentially harmful items are removed from young people’s bedrooms the significance of concerns is not sufficiently addressed with them. Young people are not therefore being provided with the opportunity to learn the consequences of those behaviours and take responsibility for their actions.

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This inspection

The numbers of missing episodes remain high in the home. The proactive staff team work effectively with partner agencies, including specialist police officers, to locate young people and return them safely home. The majority of missing episodes are recorded comprehensively and young people are supported to understand why adults are worried and the risks they face when they attend certain addresses. Not all records are of the same high standard and further training to support staff in recording such episodes is not yet provided.

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This inspection

The quality of care in this home remains outstanding. Young people fully benefit from the proactive and tailored interventions provided by the resilient staff team. This has led to an improvement in outcomes for young people. For example, one young person who had previously been resistant to engaging with any form of education is now attending a college placement daily. A teacher said, 'The home has 3 of 5 been incredibly supportive to get her to engage. They certainly keep me well aware and they liaise with me regularly.' Another young person worked together with a member of staff to develop their curriculum vitae and has attended job interviews. This enhances young people's future life chances.

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This inspection

It is a ‘testament to the home' that no young people have left the home since the last inspection. The staff’s commitment to the care of young people and their thorough understanding of young people’s individual vulnerabilities mean that placements are sustained, despite some difficult behaviours presented by young people. There have not been any new admissions. A staff member said, 'We know the children as individuals and really want the best for them and so do everything we can to get it right for them.'

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This inspection

Care plans are outstanding. They are regularly reviewed together with young people. These demonstrate the progress young people make and identify further steps to address presenting behaviours. As a result young people feel involved and cared about increasing their sense of belonging and self-esteem. This allows them to engage with the care provided. A teacher said, 'I am aware that they are looking in to bespoke programmes for (name) to receive more therapeutic support. The home has actively explored every avenue for her.'

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This inspection

Excellent partnership working with relevant agencies safeguard young people and allow them to access support at all stages of their development. A specialist police officer said, 'Resources are directed towards these kids and strategy meetings take place regularly. When I raise issues with the manager he’s coming up with solutions rather than blockages.' 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people, of either gender, who have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2015 Full good 25/09/2013 Interim good progress 15/05/2013 Full outstanding 19/11/2012 Interim good progress

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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 each child is encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour in a way that is appropriate to their age and responsibilities (NMS 3.6)  ensure that all staff are familiar with home’s policies on record keeping, trained to maintain them and to understand the need to be careful, objective and clear when making records. (Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations, Volume 5: Children’s Homes, paragraph 3.28) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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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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