Children's Home run by Darlington Borough Council in Darlington

Outstanding

The children‟s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 The quality of relationships is exceptional. Young people are highly valued and respected. The overall ethos, to provide a caring, safe, nurturing environment, is enhanced significantly by the positive, trusting bonds that young people have with staff.  Young people receive consistently high quality, individualised care that meets their needs. They unquestionably progress and achieve as a direct result of living at this children‟s home.  Residential care planning is a strength. Child-friendly written plans fully engage young people. Key worker sessions are creative, inspiring and extremely effective.  Young people live a full and happy life and their day-to-day experiences are extremely positive. Activities are varied and stimulating. Young people‟s health needs are robustly addressed and met.  There is a very strong emphasis placed on young people‟s wishes, potential and aspirations. Consultation is genuine and meaningful. Young people‟s

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

views are important and are taken into account.  Young people are effectively prepared for moving into adulthood. Bespoke contact arrangements are exceptionally well supported. Young people are fully included within their local community.  Young people are safe. The registered manager and staff are vigilant in ensuring that young people‟s safety and welfare has the utmost priority. Comprehensive behaviour management strategies are highly effective.  Leadership and management are very good. The registered manager is pivotal to young people experiencing outstanding outcomes. She is fully committed to each young person and has an excellent knowledge of their needs. The staff team is dedicated, highly motivated and provides consistently high levels of individual care and support.  Very good professional relationships ensure that young people have every opportunity to thrive and flourish. Monitoring is meticulous and thorough.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

Action plans to improve the home link to young people‟s ongoing progress and their outstanding outcomes.

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Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home provides care and accommodation for three children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. A local authority operates the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

7 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

12 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people have developed exceptional relationships with staff that are based on trust and mutual respect. This enables young people to make long-lasting, meaningful bonds with their carers. As these bonds grow stronger, young people start to feel cared about and very much wanted. Their confidence and self-esteem improve significantly, along with their emotional security. This gives young people a sense of belonging and unmistakably improves their feelings of confidence and self-worth.

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Outstanding

A young person said, „I like all the staff, they are kind and you can talk to them. They are like family and they care about you. You can have a laugh, and they always make sure you are OK.‟ A social worker said, „Young people like the staff. Evidence is provided by the trust and respect that is shown to staff members. The home still has contact with young people who were accommodated in the past, who have praised the efforts of many of the staff‟.

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Outstanding

Individualised care is a major strength. Young people‟s needs, wishes and positive outcomes are of paramount importance. Staff are consistently complimentary about young people and focus on their strengths and potential. This consistent, positive approach inspires young people to believe in themselves. A social worker said, „The home has a very strong and consistent ethos of improving outcomes for the young people placed there. This derives mainly, in my view, from the leadership of the home‟s manager and the commitment of the staff.‟

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Outstanding

The home‟s residential care plans are comprehensive and are written in a variety of child-friendly formats that are attractive and understandable to young people. This approach fully engages and includes young people in important decisions in their lives. The plans convey a very positive message to young people. They are highly personalised and inspiring. A young person said, „I know about my file. My key worker has shown me it and I can look at it anytime I want. The staff tell me what‟s going on and I can ask about anything.‟

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Outstanding

Young people choose their own file colours and designs, and staff use pictures and computer art that each young person can relate to. As well as clearly identifying young people‟s needs and how these are met, there are additional sections that personalise each young person‟s experience of living at the home. For example, each young person has a „pride book‟ that they are given when they come to live at the home. Every staff member writes a personal welcome message and this goes into the book along with photographs of the staff and the home. The young people use their pride book to record ongoing memorable events and achievements, and when they leave they take their books with them. This promotes a positive identity and gives young people a lifelong record of their childhood.

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Outstanding

Regular consultation shows young people that their views are important. Staff take their roles as key workers very seriously. They provide young people with a constant in their lives and staff take great care to ensure that young people receive the care and one-to-one attention they need. Key worker sessions occur regularly and focus on young people‟s needs and events in their lives. This meaningful dialogue enhances young people‟s personalised support. A young person said, „I cannot fault the staff. They are all good, especially my key worker. She listens to me, asks what I want and how I feel. If I have a problem or I am upset, my key worker talks to me, and helps me to understand things.‟

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Outstanding

Young people respond positively to consistency, structure, and appropriate boundaries. This way of working gives young people a personalised routine that creates feelings of stability. When asked „what are the best things about the home‟ a therapeutic social worker said, „For me it‟s the leadership: a clear child-friendly approach, warmth, openness, good levels of support to children and staff, good relationships, and consistency and boundaries.‟

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Outstanding

A wide range of stimulating activities enhance all aspects of young people‟s lives. They gain a wealth of different experiences and gain in confidence in their own abilities. Young people choose how they would like to spend their leisure time and staff fully support their wishes and aspirations. Young people have individual hobbies and enjoy spending time together in joint outings. This develops individual strengths and aspirations and improves their social skills.

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Outstanding

A young person said, „Activities are one of the best things. I go skateboarding and swimming and to the cinema and lots more.‟ Another said, „I have been shopping for my school prom with my key worker. I have a new dress and new shoes and bag and next week my key worker is taking me to buy some jewellery. I can‟t wait.‟

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Outstanding

Young people‟s physical, emotional and psychological health needs are exceptionally well met. They have access to the healthcare services they need and have the added benefit of direct support from the local authority social worker therapeutic team. As a result, young people are meeting their development milestones. The registered manager and staff have addressed previous healthcare concerns by thoroughly reviewing young people‟s healthcare backgrounds and histories. This high level of scrutiny has recently resulted in a young person receiving missed childhood immunisations, which are vital to their ongoing good health and welfare.

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Outstanding

Young people have excellent educational outcomes. They are in full-time education and are achieving their full potential. For one young person, a consistent morning routine has increased their previously haphazard school attendance to 100%. Maintaining this for over a year is significant progress from the young person‟s starting point. Staff work fully in partnership with education providers and teachers, and this has a significant positive impact on young people‟s ongoing education and their successes.

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Outstanding

A teacher said, „There has been a definite impact on [name] being at the home. She has security and consistency, and this has really helped. The home is very good. I have seen a massive change since [name] has been there. Staff have been brilliant. They do what a good parent would and treat her like a daughter. [Name] is very proud to invite staff to school events, and she has never criticised any of the staff or the home. They are very professional and have helped [name] in so many ways. I can‟t say enough about them, they are brilliant, fantastic.‟ An example of exceptional partnership working was supporting a young person to do her end of school examinations. To support the young person, staff and teachers arranged for the young person to sit her exams in the home, where she feels more relaxed and comfortable. A teacher involved said, „This has worked really well for [name]. She has made very good progress and is taking five GCSEs.

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Outstanding

This is down to good team working with the home. I have worked with the registered manager for a number of years. She is very accommodating and the staff are very good. We work really well together.‟ Outcomes for young people moving into the home and those leaving are exceptional. Meticulously planned transitions focus on young people‟s needs, wishes and capabilities. The registered manager is actively involved in ensuring that young people experience as little stress as possible. A young person said, „I knew I was coming here, and I came for a visit, then for tea, then an overnight stay to make sure I liked it. Staff took me to buy new bedding and I chose the colours to have my room painted. I felt very welcome, and I‟m very happy to be here.‟ A community support worker commented, „I worked with [name) before she moved into the home. We did a transition from me to the staff team as it was felt they could meet all of [name‟s] needs. It was a

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Outstanding

really good transition, and very good joined-up working.‟

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Outstanding

Robust pre-admission assessments explore all aspects of young people‟s needs in line with the home‟s statement of purpose and staffing adequacy. This significantly increases the likelihood that new young people will have a successful placement. Careful consideration is given to the young people living at the home and the impact that a new admission may cause. This matching process minimises disruption to young people who are settled in the home. Young people leaving the home to move into independence are extremely well prepared and supported. Transition planning starts early in placement and is based on young people‟s assessed needs. The registered manager checks and vets all accommodation to ensure its suitability, and staff help with practical tasks such as furnishing and decorating. Regular support continues once young people leave, usually in staff‟s own time. This is testament to the bonds that staff have with young people and their caring

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Outstanding

attitude. Equally, young people maintain ties with the home, some for many years after they leave. A young person who left the home four years ago rang the home during this inspection and asked to speak to the inspector. She said, „This is a great home and I will be forever grateful to the staff. They are my family. I have a partner now and a baby, and I have just started work as a support worker in a children‟s home. I couldn‟t have done any of this without the staff, they are very special.‟

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Good

Young people are safe. Staff act as good parents and go over and above to ensure that both known and potential risks are minimised. Examples include robust supervision and always knowing, and checking, that young people are where they are supposed to be. Friends are very welcome in the home and staff have contact telephone numbers for young people‟s friends and parents, regularly checking if young people are visiting for extended periods. This shows young people that staff care about them and will do what they can to keep them safe. A young person said, „I feel safe in the home and I feel safe outside the home.‟

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Good

There have been no missing young people and there are no risks of child sexual exploitation. Young people and staff have a very positive relationship with the local police that helps young people see police officers as positive role models and someone to go to if they feel vulnerable or frightened. A local police officer said, „This is a very positive home, and very good. There have been no callouts, but we pop in for social calls to see the young people and staff. Interactions are always positive and the home is relaxed. It‟s very good.‟ Young people know how to complain and know about advocacy. Both young people said they can „talk to staff about anything‟ and that they would „tell their key worker or the manager if they were unhappy.‟ This openness encourages young people to feel comfortable talking about any concerns or worries they may have. Behaviour management is first class and actively contributes to young people‟s

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Good

progress and overall development. Staff‟s knowledge and understanding of childhood trauma and why young people sometimes exhibit distressed behaviours is excellent. Every aspect of behaviour management is positive, which nurtures and guides young people towards understanding social boundaries and expectations. A therapeutic social worker said, „I believe that the core principles held by the manager and staff are focused around understanding the children both in terms of their needs and with regard to how behaviour is explained by their background experiences. It is a credit to staff at the home, particularly the manager, that difficult behaviour is not met with blaming and criticism but support and consistent boundaries.‟ Young people, staff and visitors are kept safe by good risk management. Individual young people‟s risk assessments are personalised and reduce known risks. Regular reviews and evaluations ensure that risk management strategies are current and

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Good

relevant. The home‟s generic and health and safety risk assessments are also of a high quality.

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leaders and managers

Leadership and management are strong. The registered manager has the right qualifications and experience and has been in post since 2007. She is a committed, motivated leader who demands high standards of care. This has resulted in outstanding outcomes for young people. Her peers, colleagues and other professionals respect her and she leads a dedicated team, which puts young people at the heart of its practice.

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leaders and managers

Staff receive the support, training and supervision they need to deliver consistently good quality care. They feel valued and listened to and are very complimentary about the registered manager. A reviewing officer said, „All the reviewing officers advocate for this home, they do an amazing job. There‟s always lots going on and they are very hot on education. It‟s very natural, homely. Consistency is great, it is excellent.‟

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leaders and managers

The home has progressed by meeting a recommendation from the last inspection to improve staffing. This mainly focused on the home not having a senior residential support worker for over a year, which left the registered manager without consistent managerial support or a nominated senior staff member to deputise in her absence. A recently promoted, experienced senior residential worker is keen to contribute his skills and knowledge to further develop and improve the home. This provides young people and staff with additional management stability.

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leaders and managers

Monitoring is good and focuses on outcomes for young people, who are consulted and contribute their ideas about how they think their home could be better. Recent improvements led by young people include both of them having their bedrooms redecorated and refurbished in colours and a design of their choice, improvements to the garden, that include a „fairy corner‟ and handmade garden decorations designed and painted by the young people, and they are currently deciding where they would like to go for their summer holiday. A social worker said, „The home is very “homely” and welcoming. This has had a very positive impact on [name]. The home has had an extremely positive impact on [name]. It‟s a warm and nurturing home, and it would be so lovely if all children‟s homes were as good as this one.‟

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leaders and managers

Realistic, achievable development plans show that the home continually progresses. The registered manager has identified specific improvement areas to better the home‟s inspection outcome judgements, in line with guidance and inspection grade descriptors. This shows very good foresight and planning. For example, a plan is in place to improve how the home‟s practice links to models of care and research. The home is collecting its own resources and each staff member will be responsible for a specific area of practice or knowledge. They will share their findings to increase the team‟s overall knowledge and awareness. This will lead to improved practice and outcomes. Young people live in high quality accommodation that meets their needs. The local authority employs a handyman and a housekeeper who work in all the children‟s homes, and their contribution significantly enhances young people‟s lives. Both staff members are an integral part of the staff team and they have extremely

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leaders and managers

positive relationships with the young people. The home is spotlessly clean and is maintained to a very high standard. A young person said, „[Name] helps me with my room, she sometimes cleans it for me when I am supposed to do it myself, she is great,‟ and, „[Name] decorated my room and put a shelf up for me, I love it.‟

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leaders and managers

Good partnership working with other professionals and parents, where applicable, is a high priority. This gives young people purposeful, holistic care and support. Staff are very skilled in supporting families and helping young people to maintain important relationships. A parent said, „This is a very good home, and [name] has grown up a lot more and she likes living there. Staff tell me everything and I can talk to them. [Name] is safe and cared about, I am happy with everything. If I need any help I can ask. The staff are lovely natured, kind. I have no issues at all, I‟m very happy with everything.‟ There are no new requirements or recommendations arising from this inspection.

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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 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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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