Children's Home run by Stockton on Tees Borough Council in Stockton-on-Tees

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

The young people are settled and doing well. The majority have good school attendance with one young person improving from 31 per cent to 91 per cent over the period of his placement. The outcome of this is improved self-esteem and opportunity to achieve academically. One young person is excluded but the education co-ordinator and deputy manager have worked together to ensure the young person has at least 25 hours of education per week until a new placement is found. The staff team show a high level of commitment to education and the facilities for young people to complete homework and study are high. This allows young people to recognise the importance of education and gives them the opportunity to study. Despite the short term assessment nature of the placements relationships between staff and young people are good. Interactions are characterised by a sense of warmth and humour. Staff are aware of individual needs to a high level allowing

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

relationships to develop quickly. One young person who has travelled from overseas has been supported by staff to learn English and he is helping them to learn his language. This helps young people feel comfortable and supported in the home. He was able to tell me, ‘The staff are good’. Another young person agreed saying, ‘I would give them eight out of ten’. A social worker said, ‘They are spot on’ and ‘they go the extra mile’. The team communicate well with other professionals and parents. This ensures consistency of information sharing and supports young people to feel safe. A strength of the home is the ability to build relationships between parents and young people. This is evident by the improvements in levels of contact from the starting points of placements and in the planning for young people. A parent said ‘They do a grand job, they have a lot of patience I am 100 per cent happy’. Young people live in a setting that is safe. The home is furnished to a high standard with

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

lots of photos and there are plans in place to re-furbish the kitchen. The atmosphere is warm and homely. This allows young people to develop a sense of belonging and self-worth. Although incidents of missing are frequent at the home this is rarely overnight and usually takes the form of returning late. This indicates that young people feel able and safe to return. Staff ensure young people are seen by an appropriate person to ensure their safety and wellbeing following any incident of being missing. This ensures they have an opportunity to talk about any matter that maybe of concern promoting their safety and wellbeing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leadership and management remains good. The registered manager has addressed the recommendations of the last inspection in relation to oversight of the supervision of all staff and young people’s records. A system of an additional supervision with the deputy manager details discussions about each member of staff and determines actions to be carried out. This ensures the manager is aware of the day to day aspects of practice and can monitor and plan developments effectively. The placement plans for young people are now clear and focussed with the first page being completed by young people in terms of their likes/dislikes and aspirations. This promotes partnerships with staff and improves a sense of self for young people enabling them to participate in decision making. The handover sheets have also been amended so that each young person has their own sheet maintaining their confidentiality. This enables them to contribute to daily records

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

without impinging on the confidentiality of others. The registered manager and deputy manager who have been in place for two years have recently been given the roles permanently. This will strengthen the progress made since the last inspection. An incident that had been notified to the Local Authority and parents has not been notified to Ofsted within the 24 hour timescale. This was not usual practice for the home. However this means the regulator could not determine whether or not appropriate action had been taken.

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline: The home is provided by the Local Authority and provides accommodation for up to 6 young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties. The homes particular remit is to provide short to medium term care, often to young people who are admitted in an emergency.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified within 24 hours, to the appropriate people (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 63 paragraph 14.13)

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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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