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

Unique reference number SC040583 Inspector Julie Rimington Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager Gillian Lesley Mitchell Date of last inspection 21/01/2015 2 of 5 Inspection date 26/03/2015

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Previous inspection outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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This inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has demonstrated their creativity and has developed a Citizenship Policy. An evidence file demonstrating the work the young people do in the local community and for national charities is proudly displayed. This helps the young people understand and know their local community and also educates the local community about young people who reside at the home. One young person told me that ‘it makes me feel good’ and ‘it’s good to help other people and it’s usually fun’. Young people’s sense of belonging and wellbeing are developed and they become more self-confident.

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This inspection

Education outcomes remain exceptionally good for the young people. High expectations around school attendance and engaging in school activities are central to the care planning process. Young people who previously have not attended school now have 100% attendance records. Young people who were previously not expected to be entered to do examinations are now completing GSCEs and on target for good grades. Young people benefit from the positive role models they have in the Registered Manager and staff team, who encourage and support learning. Young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem are improved and they start to make aspirational plans for the future.

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This inspection

Contact with families ensures young people grow up and develop with a sense of who they are. The Registered Manager and staff team have made excellent progress in helping the young people engage positively with their families and that they enjoy time with them. For some, this allows relationships to be rebuilt, for others it can mean seeing their family while remaining protected. The Registered Manager’s tenacity in dealing with barriers to the young people’s contact with their families is 3 of 5 exceptional. Thorough risk assessments and management strategies are central to this, as is the excellent working relationships the staff team have with other partnership agencies.

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This inspection

Recent developments also include a recycling policy aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the home and also developing the young people’s understanding of their environment. Consultation with the young people informed the recycling development plan, which includes starting an allotment, growing vegetables, having re-cycling bins for both organic waste and office supplies. This innovative work helps young people to develop knowledge of their environment and provides them with life skills for the future.

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This inspection

The home is maintained and decorated to a very high standard. All appropriate fire checks are completed and monitored ensuring young people stay safe. Young people are encouraged to take part in the maintenance and health and safety schedule. They learn valuable lessons about keeping safe and will be able to utilise these skills in the future.

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This inspection

Safeguarding the young people is central to the work of the Registered Manager and staff team. They are keen to learn about emerging risks to young people and have all completed training on safeguarding young people against exploitation. New staff members have joined the team having undergone a rigorous recruitment processes and have received thorough inductions to ensure they can safeguard the young people. The staff team encourage young people to stay safe. The young people have all completed online training to help them keep themselves safe. Young people said that they are safe and can tell any staff member if they are worried about anything. This embedded safeguarding culture helps young people to grow and develop in a safe and nurturing environment while allowing them to enjoy age appropriate activities. The young people and staff group are currently planning a holiday abroad; young people are involved in completing thorough risks assessments

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This inspection

and plans. This provides the young people with opportunities to learn about the world they live in and develop their knowledge on how to keep themselves safe in different environments.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has robust monitoring schemes in place. She has improved the quality of monitoring reports by evaluating information as opposed to merely describing it. The development plan is informed by this monitoring and kept under review. Recent initiatives to give the staff team more responsibilities still needs time to be embedded in daily routines but is starting to make a difference. Young people benefit from living in a well-managed home. They have confidence in the people looking after them and as a result their resilience is increased. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home is provided by a local authority and is registered to care for up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2015 Full outstanding 03/03/2014 Interim good progress 29/08/2013 Full good 13/11/2012 Interim good progress Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections 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

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The 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 relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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