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

Good

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff have helped the quality of care to improve significantly since the previous inspection. Staff turnover has reduced and the staff morale has improved. The manager and the management team have provided the necessary leadership and support for the staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The staff team are creative and their practice shows they place the needs of each child as paramount. The physical environment is clean and well-maintained. Young people gain confidence over time and their behaviour improves as they settle in. Effective plans are in place to help young people make the move into adulthood.  Young people make good progress in school and further education. The children’s home and schools communicate with other well. Staff listen to young people and support them effectively in their day to day preferences.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the 28/06/2015 individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. Regulation 32(3)(d), schedule 2 para 4.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, if a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, verify so far as reasonably practicable the reason why the employment or position ended.

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Requirement Due date

If a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. Regulation 16(4) 28/06/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 ensure the home is a homely, domestic environment. In particular, this relates to engaging with staff to consider arrangements that would facilitate staff, children and young eating the same foods at mealtimes. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and operated by a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to nine young people with learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

p.4

good

Young people benefit from warm caring relationships with the team of staff. Overall levels of skill and knowledge have yet to reach optimum levels as the provider has employed a number of new staff. All relevant staff are working towards becoming qualified in caring for children.

p.5

good

The staff listen to young people and support them effectively in their day-to-day preferences. Clear arrangements are in place to support young people to raise concerns and make a formal complaint if necessary. Support in this area requires improvement because training in communicating with young people needs to be expanded so that their knowledge is sufficient to they can develop better communication skills.

p.5

good

Young people make good progress in school and further education. The children's home and schools communicate with each other via a daily communication book. Educational needs are recorded in each young person’s placement plan.

p.5

good

Young people also are enabled to become involved in a wide range of leisure activities. Young people gain social benefits and recreational benefits. For example, one member of staff said, ‘One of the young people can now order and pay for their meal in a fast food restaurant and wait for the change. A few months ago they didn’t have the confidence to do this.’

p.5

good

The team of staff are effective in helping young people prepare for independence. Clear transition plans are in place for those aged 18 or 19 who will be moving on soon. The staff have involved each young person and their parents or carers to good effect.

p.5

good

The manager and staff are proactive in seeking creative ways to meet children’s needs. For example, they have made improvements to the structure of the home to help young people be clear of the identity of staff approaching their room. This helps them feel less anxious.

p.5

good

One area of practice feels institutional. Instead of eating the same meals as children, the staff supply and cook their own food. A recommendation has been raised at this inspection. Judgement grade

p.5

good

Young people enjoy living at the home. They get on well with each other and with the staff; they are safe and they are making good progress in a wide variety of areas.

p.6

good

In pre-inspection surveys, all parents and carers strongly agreed that their child was safe. Of the eight members of staff who sent in a survey, all felt confident in dealing with potential safeguarding and child protection concerns. There are very clear procedures displayed in the home to explain the steps staff must take if a child protection concern arises.

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good

Effective assessment arrangements are in place to ensure that concerns about a young person are highlighted and evaluated before any new young people is admitted to the home. The manager uses their authority appropriately to decide if young people will be admitted to the home or not.

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good

The home has an effective risk assessment system. This helps to identify hazards that young people may face and how these risks are to be reduced. Young people rarely go missing because of good staffing levels and supervision arrangements.

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good

Sound recruitment arrangements are in place which help to ensure that staff employed to work with children are suitable. A clear audit system is in place to ensure the necessary checks on potential new staff are carried out. Recruitment procedures are not fully robust because the reason an applicant gives for leaving previous employment with children or vulnerable adults is not being verified.

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good

Young people are generally settled in their behaviour. Their behaviour improves over time because they come to feel more relaxed and settled. For example, one member of staff said, ‘Initially one of the young people wouldn’t tolerate staff being near them. Now they welcome them into their room.’ Another member of staff said, ‘One young person used to attack staff. Now their behaviour has settled down and they no longer do this.’

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good

The premises are safe. Professional technicians regularly service the electrical equipment, gas appliances and equipment for preventing, detecting and extinguishing fires. The staff conduct regular fire drills to ensure young people have a good understanding of evacuation procedures.

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requires improvement

The previous Registered Manager left nearly six months ago and the new manager is not yet registered . A new manager started as soon as the Registered Manager left. Ofsted is now processing the application.

p.7

requires improvement

The team of staff feel well-supported by the manager and their management team. Staff receive regular formal and observed supervision and annual appraisals.

p.7

requires improvement

Staff feel the training programme is effective in helping them to meet the needs of children. Training in communicating must improve. This is particularly in relation to the use of communication systems such as PECS and Makaton. Comment received in a survey response said, ‘Staff are not trained as well as I think they should be in alternative communication and PECS is not used to the degree it is in school. However, some staff have a good rapport with my child and are able to recognise their non-verbal cues.’

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requires improvement

Staffing arrangements have improved since the previous inspection. There is much less reliance on the use of temporary agency staff. The home has now filled all the permanent vacancies in the staff team. Sickness absence levels are low and turnover has reduced significantly.

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requires improvement

The home has a Statement of Purpose and a children's guide and they contain all the necessary information. The Statement of Purpose is comprehensive and sets out all the necessary information about the home’s function and how it operates. The registered provider does not publish it on their website. The children's guide is written in a child-friendly style and informs children about how the home operates, how to raise concerns and how to seek support.

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requires improvement

In accordance with legislation, an independent person monitors the quality of care on a regular basis and makes recommendations where necessary. The manager also monitors the provision of care on an ongoing basis. They have a clear development plan in place and they are effective in addressing concerns and shortfalls.

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requires improvement

The manager is effective in making child-centred decisions about who may come to live at the home. Consequently the range of needs of current young people is compatible with each other and the group of young people is stable.

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requires improvement

Care plans are up-to-date and set out children’s needs clearly. This supports the staff to know how to care for young people on a day-to-day basis.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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