Children's Home run by Newcastle City Council in Newcastle upon Tyne

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children and young people make progress in all areas of their development and they enjoy their short breaks. Staff share the common goal of helping young people to learn new skills and to become as independent as possible. This is in line with the home’s Statement of Purpose. Staff use patience, affection and sensitivity to achieve this and to ensure the home meets its aims and objectives.  Parents are happy and confident that their children are well cared for and kept safe. They speak highly of the staff and are especially pleased with the positive relationships that exist between them.  Staff help children and young people to be safe. There have been no incidents where a child or young person has been missing from the home since the last inspection. In addition, staff receive training in safeguarding techniques and this training is kept up to date.  Staff manage the individual behaviour of children and young people in a

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The children's home provision is good because:

positive manner. Some, have individualised behaviour management plans in place. Staff uses de-escalation techniques, encouragement and support as opposed to sanctions and restraint to help youngsters modify their behaviour. As a direct consequence of this, restraint and sanctions are seldom used in the home.  The management team and staff have been in post for several years. They are all experienced, highly competent and suitably qualified professionals. Staff have all had fire awareness training and this training is kept up to date. Children and young people are reminded of the fire safety procedures at the time of their visit. However, staff do not routinely carry out fire drills to ensure everybody knows and understands the procedures.  Staff meetings are held every fortnight and the care needs of individual young people are discussed. Individual supervision and appraisal of staff does not take place regularly.

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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

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the home the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. In particular, this relates to increasing the frequency and number of fire drills and practices undertaken at the home and that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire (Regulation 25 (2) 08/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c) 08/08/2015

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by Newcastle City Council and provides short break services for up to 6 children and young people aged 10 – 18. The home is fully adapted to provide care and accommodation to children with disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

15/01/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Good

Staff provide a stimulating and supportive environment where children and young people can be happy and learn new things. They know the young people well. They ensure that there are age appropriate activities available for them when they arrive and that they are greeted eagerly at the door. One young person’s social worker said; ‘Due to some of the complexities of the children’s disabilities it can be difficult to meet all of their different needs. However, my experience has shown that staff always promote positive outcomes for children. They encourage their independence and socialisation in the community.’ Staff listen to what the children say and take an interest in what they do at home or in school. The manager always ensures that shift patterns support this and that there is always sufficient staff on duty to meet the diverse needs of all the children and young people.

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Good

Staff fully understand the need to respect young people’s individual differences both cultural and personal. Care plans are clear and detailed. They record what children need help with and set goals for them to achieve. One member of staff said; ‘We set a target for one young person to use a plate. It took 18 months but we managed it. It’s so rewarding to see them achieve things even small things like using a plate.’

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Good

Regular handover meetings help to ensure that all staff have a common understanding of each young person’s needs. This is underpinned with staff having regular contact with parents and carers. One parent said; ‘I receive a telephone call the day before my son’s admission to check if there have been any changes in medication or his behaviour. It’s a great comfort to know they take the trouble to do this.’

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Good

Staff plan the weekend and overnight stays to enable children and young people to gain the maximum benefit from their time in the home. Where possible, friendships are fostered by scheduling visits of friends to coincide. Good communication with schools and parents supports and facilitates this process. The parent of one young person said; ‘My child feels safe and always does lots of activities. Staff try to arrange stays when children who get along with each other are there together.’ Children and young people have access to a wide range of activities in the home and in the community. Examples of this includes, board games and computer games, visits to museums, cultural visits to the local Chinese arch and shopping trips.

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Good

Children and young people make good progress from their starting points. Each one has individual targets and goals to work toward that have been agreed with the children themselves, their families and, where appropriate, teaching staff. Examples of individual goals include, learning to use the bathroom independently to improve personal hygiene, holding a spoon independently and learning daily living skills. The parent of one young person said; ‘Staff are committed to working on areas my son finds difficult like going into the community and interacting with his peers.’ Staff monitor the progress of all young people through goal setting and regular reviews. This helps to ensure progress is fully recorded and new targets set.

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Good

Children and young people receive excellent health care from a trained and competent staff team. Managers ensure that, during the initial referral meeting the health care needs of each young person are clearly highlighted. Where staff do not have the skills necessary to look after a particular young person training is arranged swiftly to remedy this. Arrangements for the receipt, administration and storage of medication are good. The parent of one young person said; ‘I always receive a call just before my daughter is due to stay. They ask me about any changes there might have been since her last visit, things like medication and behaviour. I’m confident they will look after her well.’

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Good

Children and young people have a say in what happens in the home. Regular meetings take place where their opinions are sought in relation to what activities they’d like to do and what food they’d like to try. Some young people are able to articulate clearly what they want and to question the things they disagree with. For others, who do not have verbal communication they are supported by primary workers to make their needs known and to make choices. One young person’s social worker said; ‘A young person’s meeting is held each night so that the group that are in can decide what they are going to do that day or evening. If somebody doesn’t want to do what the consensus advises they have the opportunity to do something else.’ There have been no complaints made since the last full inspection. Regular dialogue takes place between staff, children and their parents that helps to address any concerns quickly. Parents and children spoken to as part

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Good

of this inspection said they felt supported and listened to.

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Good

Staff have clearly identified those children and young people who are at risk of attempting to leave their care or go missing. They have put measures in place to ensure that this cannot happen and that children and young people are kept safe. Good staffing levels, in addition to clear risk assessments has, ensured that no children and young people have gone missing in recent years. The parent of one young person said; ‘The staff are fantastic. I feel I can leave my son for a short break and not worry at all. The home is a blessing to our family.’

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Good

Each child and young person has a behaviour support plan and clear risk assessment in place. They contain clear guidance for all staff to follow about the potential triggers for a young person’s behaviour as well as any de-escalation techniques and handling strategies they can use to deal consistently with any negative or challenging behaviour. The home works closely with teaching staff and parents in promoting a uniform approach to managing individual behaviour . A social worker for one young person said; ‘Due to the complexities of the needs of the children their behaviours can be unpredictable. Staff ensure children stay safe, they work together with parents, carers and professionals to ensure appropriate plans are in place to deal with any eventuality.’ A parent of another young person said; ‘They have a behaviour support plan for my daughter and it helps staff work in a consistent manner in dealing with her specific issues.’

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Good

The highly personalised and coordinated approach to behaviour management means that the home has used very few physical interventions with young people. Incidents of restraint or holding are rarely, if ever, used. However, when they are the incidents are clearly and accurately recorded. The written records of these incidents are monitored both by the home’s manager and the independent visitor. No errors have been identified as a result of this process.

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Good

Staff are experienced, competent and fully trained to look after children and young people with diverse, complex needs. They know and understand the individual behaviours ofeach young person and are able to assess the risks they might place themselves in. This allows staff to keep them safe while allowing them to experience everyday childhood activities. Staff are fully trained in safeguarding and apply this knowledge to their daily work. There have been no incidents of bullying since the last inspection. Staff working practices are underpinned by clear policies and procedures. A recent review of the policies and procedures relating to bullying, e-safety and cyber bullying helps to ensure that children and young people are protected. A parent of one young person said; ‘My child has never gone missing, never been restrained and never been bullied. I’m absolutely certain staff know how to keep him safe.’

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Good

The home follows safe working practices in relation to the safe recruitment of staff, which helps to ensure children and young people are not at risk of exploitation or abuse. A parent of one young person said; ‘Many of the staff have been working at the home since before my son started going there roughly ten years ago. They provide a safe caring environment for all the children.’

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Good

The home is well maintained and all relevant health and safety checks are in place. All equipment is regularly maintained and where necessary serviced or replaced. Staff are trained in fire safety and explain to the young people every time they visit what they should do if the fire alarm sounds. However, staff have not carried out a fire drill for a significant period of time. Children and young people may not therefore fully understand what to do in an emergency situation or how to evacuate the building in the event of a fire.

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Good

The Registered Manager has been in post since June 2010 and he has the appropriate qualifications to manage the home. He also has lengthy experience of working with children and young people who have complex, diverse and challenging needs. The management team and staff are fully committed and focussed on improving the quality of care provided in the home and in improving the life chances of the children and young people they look after. The home has a development plan in place and they fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home. One staff member said; ‘The staff and the home want all the youngsters to improve and to do as much as they can for themselves. We also want the home to do better. One of the things I think we can improve is how we evidence the good work that is done with each young person.’

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Good

The children and young people benefit from a stable, competent, enthusiastic and qualified staff team. All care staff have a minimum of a level 3 qualification with others having more advanced qualifications, such as level 4 qualifications. The home has good plans in place to ensure continuity of care in the event of staff sickness or absence. This includes the absence of the manager. Ongoing training is good. The focus is on providing staff with the skills and competencies to work with the complex and diverse needs of the children and young people. This includes training in specific health techniques associated with feeding. For example, gastrostomies and diabetes. Not all staff receive regular practice related supervision and their performance is not evaluated annually. The manager is not therefore able to identify ongoing support needs or identify weaknesses in practice. Staff meetings are used positively to discuss the individual needs of children and

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Good

young people and to share new ideas about how best to help them improve and develop further.

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Good

Independent monitoring visits occur each month and provide a rigorous scrutiny of the home’s records and practices. Reports are both clear and concise. The reviewing officers speak with staff, children and young people and, where appropriate their families. The reports are helpful in assisting the home to comply with it Statement of Purpose and to continue making progress. In addition, the internal monitoring of the home is sound. The manager seeks speaks frequently with parents, children and young people, teaching staff and health care professionals about the quality of the home and the service it delivers. He uses this information to help inform and construct the annual development plan. This helps to ensure that the staff team can identify areas for continued improvement. One member of staff said; ‘We strive to improve all the time. We all just want to do a better job for the young people.’

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Good

Relationships between the home and local schools are very good. The home’s manager visits the schools regularly to discuss the individual care needs of young people and to share good practice. An example of this being, staff from the home using school expertise and resources to develop their own practice particularly in relation to communication techniques and strategies.

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Good

taff ensure that comprehensive care plans are in place prior to children and young people staying at the home. The manager and staff remain flexible in arranging visits to ensure the care needs of existing service users are not disrupted and that new service users feel well supported. Similarly good planning takes place when young people are preparing to move on to new placements. Parents and young people are involved in regular discussions about next steps and, where appropriate, visiting adult care providers. The independent reviewing officer for one young person said; ‘The home has been instrumental in progressing a transition plan for one of my young people.’

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Good

Shift patterns are well planned and sufficient to meet the needs of the children and young people staying at the home. Pre-planning ensures that staff identifies the individual needs of the children and young people and organise staffing, a good mix of children who get on with each other and activities to meet these needs. Staff ensures consistency of care at short notice by working extra hours and by being flexible on their shift patterns when required. A parent of one young person said; ‘The service provided and staff team are second to none. The staff are committed to delivering a good service.’

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Good

Parents, and where appropriate children and young people, are fully involved in review and planning meetings. The independent reviewing officer for one young person said; ‘Staff from the home attend all care team meetings and share all relevant information. Staff keep me informed of any changes in the young person’s life they fully support young people to attend and advocate on their behalf regularly.’

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Good

The home’s Statement of Purpose is clear, well written and accurately describes the child-focussed service provided by the home. Managers and staff have a clear and shared understanding of the homes ethos and objectives. They describe it as a place where children and young people can relax and enjoy themselves as well as learn new things and make friendships.

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Good

The home is nicely decorated and all areas are bright, clean and welcoming. Bedrooms are suitably furnished. Specialist equipment such as, modified beds, hoists and baths are provided for those children and young people that require them. There are photographs and pictures around the building that show staff and young people enjoying activities together. A parent of one young person said; ‘This is a very friendly, homely environment for children.’

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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

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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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