Children's home run by Middlesbrough Borough Council

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people make progress, growing in self-esteem and confidence, to empower them to make improvements to their physical and emotional well- being.  Staff provide young people with consistent and nurturing care within a safe and homely environment.  Risk assessments give a clear understanding of the risks and of how to manage or minimise them.  Staff provide young people with outreach support as part of their independent living plan.  The manager encourages a reflective practice approach throughout the staff team.  Staff receive good management support, with ongoing relevant training and development.  Good partnership working with a number of relevant agencies provides young people with a consistent and shared approach to their care.  A development plan outlines the proposals for the forthcoming year, to make further improvements.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard 01/07/2016 (2) In order to meet the care planning standard with particular reference to ensuring that an application is made to vary the category of registration, and the statement of purpose is amended, the registered person must ensure -

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Requirement Due date

(a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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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 oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home’s staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), teachers, clinicians and other health professionals etc. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23). In particular, specifically consult with staff and young people to inform the management review of service improvements. Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and

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Recommendations

management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 64, paragraph 15.2). In particular, ensure a system is in place to identify areas of strength and weakness. Progress of the young people should be measured and evidenced and should include qualitative and quantitative data.

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

05/02/2015 Interim Declined effectiveness

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Good

Carefully planned introductions take place, with the manager working closely with professionals, and developing relationships with family members. This ensures that prior to admission the manager and staff have a good understanding of the young person’s needs and any risk factors.

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Good

Young people make progress in respect of their emotional well-being, which increases their confidence. When talking about the care provided by the staff, the resident young person said, ‘I have no complaints.’ Her interactions with staff demonstrate that she is building trusting relationships. A social care professional commented that within a short time a young person, ‘settled and is engaging well with staff.’

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Good

There are currently no formal young people’s meetings taking place, as there is only one resident in placement and she sufficiently verbalises her wishes and feelings. Staff ensure that records are maintained to evidence her views and their responses. This provides a good record of the ways in which young people’s views are taken seriously. Young people use key-work sessions and informal time to talk to staff about their dilemmas and concerns. This assists them in developing appropriate means of managing their feelings while making good decisions. There are improvements in the young peoples’ physical and emotional health as a result of their learning self-protection skills.

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Good

The resident young person does not currently attend an educational resource. Staff have ongoing discussions with the pathways leaving care team and the virtual education head and are supporting her in enrolling on a nationally recognised level 2 course. An education plan is in place, alongside her independence living plan to provide educational opportunities. Photographs taken during educational trips and activities contribute to the young person’s scrapbook, which provides memories for her life story book.

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Good

One young person has progressed since the last inspection to live in semi- independent accommodation. Staff have successfully provided a four-week outreach support plan following his move. He continues to engage with his education provision and maintains telephone contact with staff highlighting his good relationships.

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Good

Reflective practice helps staff to understand how a young person’s past experience has an impact on their presenting behaviours. Young people have access to specialist services such as the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), representatives from which attend regular meetings with staff. This ensures that staff have the knowledge, skills and strategies to support young people effectively, in order that they can manage their emotional well-being. In addition, staff are attending a level 2 counselling course to enhance their skills.

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Good

The staff team is committed to providing person-centred care, which is evident in the care planning documents. Staff provide a nurturing and supportive environment with a more child-focused approach. The manager and senior staff team want to build on this to provide ‘therapeutic interventions and direct work’ with the young people.

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Good

The home’s recent redecoration programme has created a homely and comfortable environment for young people. Young people assisted with the colour scheme and choice of new furniture, taking pride in their home. The bedrooms are personalised by the young people. After one young person was involved in the redecoration programme, he abstained from causing any damage to the property although this had previously been a regular occurrence. Professionals visiting the home remark on how the redecoration has created a ‘different ambience’, with the home now feeling calm and tranquil. Staff enjoy coming to work and there is, ‘a more positive feel about the place’. Further extensive renovation work is due to start later this year and will provide further improvements within the home as well as outside.

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Good

Staff are committed to ensuring that they safeguard young people through reading and understanding the care planning and risk assessment documents. The manager ensures that comprehensive risk assessments are on file with a review process in place and that staff are involved in feeding back information.

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Good

Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding practices, the risks that young people present and ways in which they can manage and minimise them. This has resulted in a reduction of missing-from-care episodes and risk-taking behaviours, such as self-harm.

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Good

Gaps in knowledge are managed through staff attending relevant training. This includes mental health, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation training. Such specialist training has made staff more alert and aware of individual behaviours and vulnerabilities and has led to staff having improved confidence to seek advice and support. One staff member spoke enthusiastically about the self-harm and suicide training she had recently attended.

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Good

The management team recognises that an important factor is for staff to get to know the young people as ‘developing the relationship is the baseline’, particularly when monitoring changes in emotions and behaviour. Staff use positive incentives and consistent boundaries, and behaviour management plans are in place, which improve negative behaviours. Staff’s effective use of de-escalation and distraction techniques avoids the need for any physical restraint. A significant change has been the ethos of the home, which encourages staff to be reflective in their practice, rather than reactive. A staff member said, ‘Support is available from a multi-agency network, which provides a solid theoretical base.’

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Good

A senior staff member said, ‘We empower young people to keep themselves safe. It is controlled risk taking because the reality is that they will soon be out on their own.’ A young person’s missing-from-care episodes have improved as a result. Missing-from-care interviews by an independent agency employed by the local authority take place within 72 hours.

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Good

The manager has developed effective partnership working with other professionals and agencies, which, together with monthly visits undertaken by an independent visitor, provides further safeguarding for the young people.

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Good

The manager is appropriately qualified to fulfil her role as registered manager, with her taking up this position in July 2014. She receives the support of a deputy manager, and they work well together. There is also a new responsible individual in post.

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Good

The manager has identified a gap in resources in the area, and wants to offer placements to young people who have mental health difficulties. The staff have received appropriate training, and there are established links with child and adolescent mental health workers to support these placements.

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Good

Care plans are designed to be used as working documents by staff and are regularly reviewed. The deputy manager is piloting a monthly progress report that encapsulates information from a number of different sources, to ensure that progress is recorded. Currently, staff do not share these reports with the young people, which is a missed opportunity for them to become more transparent.

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Good

There are good working relationships with outside agencies that provide positive comments about the home and staff, and these networks are increasing. Staff are developing consultation documents to capture feedback from young people, staff and professionals. This will help to improve the communication with those directly involved.

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Good

Members of the closely-knit, stable team support each other and speak of, ‘wanting to be a completely different home’. Staff feel more supported by management, and regular supervision and team meetings take place. The manager cascades information from the senior management meetings, so that staff feel more involved.

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Good

The management team has become forward thinking, and with new ideas outlined in the development plan. The staff team feels positive about the future and want to make ongoing developments within the home, to improve the service even further. One member reported, ‘We have a solid footing now and a good foundation to build on’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm, or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 that 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. 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

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Information about this inspection

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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