Children's home run by Durham County Council in County Durham

Unique reference number SC034741 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Durham County Council Registered person address County Hall DURHAM DH1 5UL

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Responsible individual Karen Monica Robb Registered manager POST VACANT / George Lisgo Date of last inspection 25/11/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 27/03/2015

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

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

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This inspection

Outcomes for young people are good. All young people have progressed since the last inspection and from their starting point. This shows the home has a positive impact on young people’s lives.

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This inspection

Young people are safe and feel safe. Relationships with staff are positive and based on mutual respect. A young person said, ‘The staff are great, the best. You can talk to them and they are a laugh.’ Young people are healthy and access the services they need. This ensures they meet their developmental milestones.

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This inspection

The home has progressed by meeting the requirements and recommendation raised at the last inspection. This demonstrates a commitment to improve and develop services for young people.

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This inspection

Young people have progressed in their education. They are supported to attend school and staff work in partnership with teachers and education providers to facilitate bespoke programmes that meet young people’s individual needs. This enables young people to reach their potential. A young person said, ‘Staff help me at school, they have helped me go back to school.’

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This inspection

All staff have received training in equality and diversity. This learning has underpinned improved practice to help young people understand their background and heritage. The home’s written placement plans now fully reflect young people’s cultural needs and how these will be met. This provides good, holistic care.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has carried out an audit on all staff files to ensure all safety checks have been undertaken, which ensures young people are cared for by high quality staff. The staff team are committed to their role and the young people accommodated. Staff feel supported and valued. This provides a stable environment 3 of 5 for young people. A staff member said, ‘This is a good home. The team work well together and you can talk to the manager.’

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This inspection

Leadership and management outcomes are improved. The statement of purpose has been reviewed and updated and a copy has been submitted to Ofsted. The statement is informative and sets out what the home intends to do for young people. Monitoring is good and includes good consultation with young people, their parents and social workers. This gives them a voice in how the home is operated. A new, improved development plan clearly sets out how the home intends to improve and develop. Objectives are detailed and based on evidence gained from robust monitoring outcomes. This shows the Registered Manager is focused on giving young people a good, effective service.

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This inspection

There are no new requirements or recommendations arising from this inspection. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home provides accommodation for five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is provided by a local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/11/2014 Full adequate 31/03/2014 Interim good progress 16/12/2013 Full good 04/03/2013 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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