Children's Home run by Darlington Borough Council in Darlington

Unique reference number SC037861 Inspector Steve Pearson Type of inspection Interim 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 Jennifer Cooke Registered manager Sally Margaret Britton Date of last inspection 09/12/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 04/03/2015

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

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

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This inspection

At the previous inspection Ofsted made five requirements and one recommendation. Most of the shortfalls have now been addressed. As a result young people are now receiving more support to meet their emotional and educational needs. Additionally, Ofsted is able to monitor the home better because the staff now inform the regulator of all significant events, as required by legislation. Monitoring of the quality of care is now better.

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This inspection

The overall effectiveness of the home has been maintained since the previous inspection. The group of young people remains settled. They behave well, they do not engage in risk-taking behaviour, they rarely go missing and they make good progress. Where behaviour was of significant concern prior to admission to the home, this has reduced over time.

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This inspection

Young people's progress in education since the previous inspection is variable but mostly positive. The Registered Manager and staff invest a lot of energy and resources to help young people attend and achieve well in education. Despite some setbacks they do not give in and are proactive in seeking solutions.

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This inspection

Young people have benefitted from improved emotional health. Sometimes this has been due to external support from professionals, and sometimes it is because they are maturing and feeling increasingly secure.

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This inspection

The arrangements for ongoing improvement of the service are not fully developed. The Registered Manager and staff consult young people to seek their views about the running of the home. House meetings are held once a month and suggestions and opinions are recorded. In line with legislation, an independent person visits the children's home once a month to evaluate care provision. The visitor assesses the documentation and talks to young people, parents and staff. They make 3 of 6 recommendations where necessary. The capacity for improvement is hindered because the Registered Manager does not receive the visitor's report quickly enough, typically waiting three to six weeks.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager also monitors all aspects of care provision and sends Ofsted a summary report every three months. The reports cover most of the necessary issues but are still not sufficiently robust. This is because they do not mention what young people, parents or placing social workers say about the quality of care. This shortfall was identified at the previous inspection but has not been addressed satisfactorily.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager and staff have sought information from various external agencies to review whether the location of the home remains suitable and safe. The evaluation is incomplete because the judgement as to whether the home is in a safe location is unclear. There is also a lack of clarity about whether any actions to address concerns are necessary. 4 of 6

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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

09/12/2014 Full adequate 08/01/2014 Interim good progress 06/06/2013 Full good 31/01/2013 Interim good progress

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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 the system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 provides for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities. In particular this means record the views of children, parents and placing authorities in the monitoring reports (Regulation 34(3)) 21/05/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the children's home at least once in each calendar year. In particular this means, having evaluated the information, come to a decision as to whether the location of the home is appropriate and suitable; and take any further actions that may be necessary (Regulation 31(1A)(b)) 21/05/2015 5 of 6 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Reg. Requirement Due date

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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