Children's Home run by Durham County Council 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 improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are four children and young people resident in the home currently. Since the previous inspection three young people have left the home and three other children and young people have been admitted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The three young people who left have had mixed experiences. One young person successfully moved on to supported lodgings which was their choice. This move was well planned and the young person was ready for the move. Another young person had moved away in order to attend the college of their choice. Staff had supported this young person to obtain college lodgings and provided regular ongoing support and assistance. This young person has now discharged themselves from the looked after system as they felt able to live independently. The third young person was discharged from the home after an incident where he brought illegal drugs back to the home and shared them with a younger resident. The planning for this young person, who was wanting to leave anyway, had been slow and ineffective. Some of the reason for this was the poor response by the placing social worker to the young person’s requests, but the young person had

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

also made planning very difficult with his poor co-operation. In any event this is a unsatisfactory outcome for this young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The three new arrivals are all children and young people who are struggling with their situations. None of them really want to be at the home and they all have major decisions pending about where they will live in the future, so they remain unsettled. The fourth young person who has been living at the home also has a major court decision pending and is also understandably anxious and unsettled.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The current group of children and young people are therefore difficult to care for. They have been involved in some risky behaviour and significant risks remain. However, the staff team are working very hard to address and minimise these risks. Two of the children and young people are attending school well and making some progress, however the other two are not. Staff are working hard with schools and the education department to improve this situation. The children and young people are engaging with various external support workers who have been accessed by staff, and this is very positive considering the circumstances.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are working hard to ensure the children and young people’s views and wishes are listened to and acted upon. This is particularly difficult at the moment as these are very different to the views of placing social workers, who are engaged in care proceedings and in making other significant decisions about their futures. The registered manager is leading this effort well and has involved external advocates appropriately. The issues are particularly around current levels of family contact. The registered manager has escalated some of these concerns to higher managers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are making significant efforts to keep the children and young people safe. A number of the children and young people have gone missing and this is concerning because there are some concerns about the possibility of child sexual exploitation and drug taking. Staff have assessed these risks and are working well with the police and other agencies to reduce them. The registered manager is also using extra staff on some shifts to increase supervision levels, which is positive. Staff continue to have good relationships with the children and young people and have maintained firm clear boundaries and expectations. They have had to use physical interventions on a few occasions and have used a few sanctions but they mostly work through discussion and negotiation. Care planning is stronger and key working has improved. These were areas that were required to improve from the last inspection and staff have done this satisfactorily. Recording is also maintained

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no complaints made since the last inspection. A few low level incidents have happened and have been notified appropriately. Two bullying incidents have been recorded, one very low level and one more serious. Staff have handled these well and they were resolved satisfactorily. One child protection incident was recorded and this led to the discharge of one of the older young people. Although this was a poor outcome for the young person concerned it was an appropriate decision by the registered manager in order to protect others.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff are working very effectively to contain a highly very challenging group of children and young people. They recognise the difficulties and are responding well. They have made some developments to the service but progress has not been as fast as wanted because of the challenging circumstances. One particular timely development has been the joint project with a PhD student from Durham university entitled ‘a sense of place’. This work is aimed at engaging young people and supporting them to feel more positive about their situations and circumstances.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall staff are making significantly effective efforts to care for a group of children and young people who all find themselves in particularly difficult circumstances and they are making progress with this. One visiting worker from the youth offending service who knew all the young people described the staff as ‘doing a brilliant job’. No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a local authority 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

10/02/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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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

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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