Children's Home run by A Significant Other Limited in Durham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is settled and the new manager has now been in post for ten months and has been able to establish herself. The home offers a broadly therapeutic approach and keeps a number of animals on the small holding attached to the house so that care of the animals by the young people can act as a therapeutic intervention.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team offer a nurturing approach to the young people and this strategy has enabled some of the young people to make good progress. However not all of the young people have made such good progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Of the four young people looked after during the period since the last inspection one has made very good progress and one has not made a great deal of progress. Two other young people have made progress in some aspects of their lives but not in all areas.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person who has clearly blossomed at the home has found full time employment on a local farm, has taken an agriculture qualification at college and is about to move to independence. This is a real success story and the success has been recognised by the placing authority with an award at a recent award ceremony. Two other young people have made progress in terms of making better relationships and of growing in confidence and resilience. They have made some progress in their education but this has been limited. One other young person who had initially made good progress at the home has now partly disengaged from the home and staff, preferring to live at a different home. He has increased his risky drug taking behaviour and this is becoming more dangerous. Staff now need to work with this young person to plan his ongoing care and accommodation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall, staff need to make a greater effort to establish better daily routines to ensure young people are up and engaging in appropriate education on a more regular basis and that they are encouraged to engage in community activities that would take them out of the house more often. These young people have been allowed too much choice as to when and how they engage and this has not been particularly helpful for them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have supported the young people to develop better contact with their families and this has been a noticeable strength of the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does monitor care well and uses a system of measuring progress that identifies where good progress has been made and where progress has not been made. This works well in that enables priorities to be identified in care planning. Key working does take place and does address these issues.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Several of the young people have made complaints and these have been dealt with well by the staff and manager.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most of the children at this home are kept safe. One young person has engaged in some risk taking behaviour. This has mostly happened during periods of home leave when this young person has gone missing on four occasions and has taken illegal drugs. No other young people have gone missing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have only carried out one restraint and this was used appropriately. The staff do not rely on sanctions and have a series of incentives in place to promote positive behaviour. These work some of the time.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manger has established good contacts with other services and professionals although sometimes the actions needed have been slow to arrive. The manager has escalated concerns about missing from home return interviews not being carried out and these have now been completed. A number of support services have been arranged for several of the young people but they have refused to engage completely in some of these.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is well kept and is free of any health and safety issues. Risk assessments around the animals are good and appropriate.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection a number of requirements were made. The manager has addressed these issues. The children’s guide has been updated, safeguarding notifications have been made appropriately, supervisions are carried as required and the manager is engaging appropriately with other agencies and professionals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three requirements have been made at this inspection. More work is required to establish better routines for the young people, young people need more support and encouragement to attend full time education and more work is required to support young people to attend more social and community based activities.

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD)

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/01/2015 Interim Sustained Effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

27/01/2014 Interim Satisfactory 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 (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

6. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to having a more robust approach to helping young people establish appropriate routines and behaviour, the registered person must ensure that staff –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)(vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 27/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

8. In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to supporting young people to attend full time education and/or training, the registered person must ensure that staff –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans. 27/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

9. In order to meet the enjoyment and achievement standard, with particular reference to supporting young people to participate more in community based activities, the registered person must ensure that staff help each child to –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(ii) participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child's interests and preferences. 27/03/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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