Children's home run by St Cuthbert’s Care in Newcastle upon Tyne

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 has been through a period of transition. A new manager was appointed in June 2015 and subsequently became registered in February 2016. There have been a number of other key staff changes as well. There has been an acting deputy manager in post since June 2015 to cover for long term sick leave. Some senior staff have left and the organisation has taken care and time to replace them. This process is still ongoing. Consequently the management task has been difficult, with some tensions between staff having to be managed. The organisation has seconded two other managers from their other children’s homes to assist the registered manager.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This situation has had some impact on the care of the children and young people and development and progress has been variable. The registered manager has worked hard to maintain standards of care and has now started to make improvements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Only one young person has left the home during this period. Four young people have remained living at the home and no new children or young people have been admitted. The organisation took the decision to restrict admissions while the staffing situation was being dealt with.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person who left the home was pregnant and moved to a foster placement where she would be able stay after having her baby. This move, although not originally planned for, has been successful and has proved to be positive for mother and baby.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The four young people who live in the home have all made some progress but this has been limited at times. Two of the young people continue to attend school and college well with full attendance. Both have achieved well but one was a little below their predicted GCSE grades. Another young person is now attending school more regularly but still does not attend full time. The other young person has reduced attendance recently after a difficult family situation has impacted on them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Outside of school, young people have made some progress. One young person in particular has excelled, having taken part in a national sports event and having being awarded a significant county-wide award for achievement in their community. Other young people have made some progress towards independence but require more support to deal with current issues in their lives and with learning more independence skills. A requirement has been made for staff to provide more personalised care work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are supported and encouraged to maintain and improve contact with their families where possible. They are also encouraged to take part in a variety of activities during their leisure time. A number of young people have had holidays and trips away and are encouraged to maintain outside interests. Some of the young people enjoy watching football and have been able to attend Premiership matches to watch their favourite teams.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is a safe place for the young people. Since the last inspection, there has only been one recorded episode of a young person going missing and this was only a late return home. This is excellent. The new registered manager has worked hard to develop a culture of respect and responsibility in the home. Staff have only used two physical interventions and are starting to use a more restorative approach as opposed to relying on sanctions. This is a good development which is starting to have some impact on behaviour and relationships. The registered manager is working hard to further improve relationships between staff and young people as he sees this as the key to engaging young people better. There have been some incidents of bullying between the young people but staff have dealt with these well and have resolved the issues. Young people who spoke to the inspector confirmed that they were not concerned about bullying now and confirmed that they felt safe

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the young people have made allegations against staff. The allegations were not of the most serious kind but have been thoroughly investigated and appropriately resolved. One investigation is still ongoing. This does demonstrate that the young people feel confident to complain, if necessary, and that staff both listen to them and act on their views and feelings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has ensured that previous requirements set have all been met and has been able to start making some of the developments he is keen to introduce. These include better systems for monitoring and better planning and evaluation of young people’s progress. He has been clearly helped by the support he has received from the other seconded managers. The registered manager has shown that he can work well with other agencies and he has escalated concerns around education appropriately. While the home has sustained effectiveness through a difficult period there are clear indications that further improvements will be achieved in the near future.

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a charitable organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to six children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD) or with learning disabilities (LD)

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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 The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard with particular reference to providing key work and preparation for independence work the registered person must ensure that staff-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background. 11/05/2016

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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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