Children's home run by North Tyneside Council in North Tyneside

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:

 Children make exceptional progress as a result of their short breaks here. They develop confidence in their own abilities and acquire skills which prepare them for adulthood.  Relationships between staff and children are excellent. Children love being with staff and enjoying each other’s company. There are always sufficient staff on duty to support children effectively and safely.  Children’s short breaks are carefully planned to ensure that groups are compatible. Their day-to-day care is managed through close adherence to detailed individual plans.  The home is good at safeguarding children. In particular, staff collaborate with other services and have developed excellent skills in managing challenging behaviour.  The home is well managed. The registered manager is proactive and provides good support for the staff team through training and formal supervision. She is aspirational and child-centred and ensures that staff promote the ethos of the

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

home. There are several shortfalls in practice but these do not significantly impact on the welfare and safety of children.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) 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 person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to ensuring that local authority child in need plans are kept up to date, the registered person must ensure that children— (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 07/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see Regulation 12 (2)(c)). Under Regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home's location and strategies for managing these. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 64, paragraph 15.2)  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

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Recommendations

least once every six months. Also see Regulation 13 (2)(h) (the leadership and 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 that the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides short breaks for up to five children with sensory impairment, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. It is operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/09/2015 Full Outstanding 06/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/01/2015 Full Good

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Outstanding

Children who use this service receive an exceptional level of care from a dedicated and stable staff team. All the children are happy, making considerable sustained progress, and learning new skills and experiences. One child said, ‘I love to come here. I have lots of friends. My favourite member of staff is (name) because he plays football with me.’ The quality of individualised care is outstanding. Children’s care plans are of exceptional quality. They set out in detail the child’s needs and how they are met in day-to-day living. Observation of the staff handover demonstrated the deep understanding that staff have of each child’s individual requirements, and how best to help them make progress. This is because of the exceptional quality of the care plans. Observation of the staff handover demonstrated effective use of the care plans and how staff plan the day’s activities focused around the individual needs of

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Outstanding

the children. Staff treat children with dignity and respect, and the children’s well- being is at the centre of all they do. Celebration of achievements is embedded into practice. For example, children and young people receive regular awards which they proudly display. Having their efforts recognised like this raises children’s self- esteem and increases their confidence. There are always sufficient staff on duty. They are attentive and responsive to the young people’s needs. Many of the children can have difficulties in communicating. Despite these challenges, staff are innovative in ensuring that children’s views, wishes and feelings are taken into account. For instance, when new staff are being recruited, children take an active role in the process and staff record their views using objects, symbols and signing. This ensures that they have a say in the running of the home. In order to consult with children effectively, staff are

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Outstanding

exceptionally well trained in different ways of communicating. This includes the use of Makaton sign language. The registered manager stated, ‘Often people talk for the children, we recognised this and did something about it.’ The way that staff work with children on a daily basis is underpinned by their knowledge of theory and research. The registered manager commented, ‘We work closely with the behaviour assessment team (BATs) and we discuss ways we can address specific behaviours. All staff have had training in the applied behaviour model.’ A member of the BATs team commented, ‘Staff have a good grounding in theory and this is put into good practice with great results for the children.’ Planning around admissions and discharges is meticulous. One young person was moving on during the inspection as he had turned 18 years of age. Although the young person’s religion did not allow the celebration of his birthday, the staff were

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Outstanding

aware and sensitive to this. They showed respect towards his and his parents’ beliefs by focusing on celebrating his move towards independence. There was a party tea with disco lights and party food, and some of the young people had baked cakes for him. These experiences provide children and young people with lasting memories of their time here and demonstrate the quality of the relationships that they form with others. The registered manager and her team are exceptionally proactive and forward- thinking. For instance, a planned admission was taking place for a child with a diagnosis of a particularly rare medical condition. The manager had discussed this with the BATs team and a community learning disability nurse, and organised a staff team training event. This ensured that the staff had the knowledge to understand the condition and its impact on the child’s behaviour. This means that staff are well prepared to meet any child’s needs, understanding potential risks and

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Outstanding

always placing the child at the centre of their planning and practice, irrespective of the challenges that they may present. The service provides an exceedingly nurturing environment where young people can thrive and develop friendships. One parent said, ‘I think the staff are brilliant and I know my daughter is safe and she is well supervised. They (staff) have good, clear and consistent boundaries and there is nothing they can do to improve the service.’ An excellent range of activities within the home, and out in the community, enhances life experiences. Recently, children participated jointly with another home in a fundraising day where they cooked and sold cakes, ran a tombola and enjoyed a hook-the-duck game. This kind of activity, and the emphasis on using public transport rather than the minibus for children’s outings, reduces the potential for social exclusion. Staff are excelling at promoting and developing independent living skills. The staff

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Outstanding

are innovative in ensuring that individual needs in this area are met, and sustained progress is always made. For instance, one young person’s target was to cook a meal. This was quickly recognised by the key worker as being beyond his capability. His target was adjusted to help staff prepare a meal instead, and he is making excellent progress in this area. As well as enabling children to develop practical self-care skills, the work of staff is important in helping children to acquire emotional resilience. A parent commented, ‘My child sleeps through the night now and has adjusted to sleeping away from home. He is much more confident in group situations. This is huge progress for him.’

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Good

Safeguarding practice is good. Staff have access to regular safeguarding training undertaken by the local safeguarding children board (LSCB). This provides them with the knowledge that they need to keep children well protected. When safeguarding issues do arise there is a robust response from the registered manager and her staff team that reduces the risk of harm to children. The building is physically secure, and staff ensure that children are adequately supervised when they go out. This keeps children safe without restricting their liberty. There have been no incidents when a child has gone missing, or been subject to child sexual exploitation. Individual risk assessments are detailed and help children to become increasingly safe. Staff keep them under regular review and the home liaises with and seeks advice from parents and other professionals when undertaking these. One parent said, ‘My child feels safe here and I am confident she is in good hands.’ The

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Good

registered manager undertakes a risk assessment of the home’s location. This is insufficiently detailed and lacks evidence of recent consultation with other agencies. This means that staff may not be aware of risks in the area and strategies to manage them. Behaviour management plans are excellent. The registered manager and her team have effective links with, and seek appropriate support and advice from, other agencies, such as the BATs team. A health professional in this team stated, ‘The registered manager is fab. She is very proactive and will always ask when she needs support. The whole team uses a structured approach and they have a good understanding of the applied behaviour model.’ The need for staff to use physical restraint is rare, as they are skilled in using effective techniques to manage challenging behaviour. When restraints do take place they are only used in strict accordance with the legislative framework.

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Good

Managers and staff will discuss any incidents in staff meetings and review the individual management plan in consultation with the child’s parents and other health professionals. The quality of relationships between staff and young people is one of the many strengths of the home and there is a culture of openness. This approach helps to keep children and young people safer. One parent said, ‘They always keep me up to date. There is nothing the staff could do better. They are lovely and very approachable.’ The arrangements for staff recruitment are robust. There is a comprehensive induction programme to the home for new staff, regardless of their experience. This ensures that staff understand the home’s policies and procedures and begin to gain knowledge of the children’s individual needs. Children play an active part in the recruitment process and their views are considered when making the appointment decision. This indicates the importance given to the voice of the child

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Good

and provides added assurance that only suitable people are employed. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She is passionate about sustaining a high quality of care and motivates her team to share this vision. The registered manager and other senior staff provide effective, regular supervision to staff. This results in a motivated staff team that feels valued, and helps to ensure consistency within their practice. The registered manager has developed effective relationships with family members, social workers, health professionals and other agencies. This is achieved by having regular consultation meetings and having an ‘open door’ policy. This means that the team work together to address the individual needs of children and young people. One parent said, ‘The staff always ask for my opinion. I receive a regular feedback sheet on each of my child’s stays and they update me by telephone to say she has settled. I can’t ask for anything more.’ A number of planning and review documents have not been provided to the home

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Good

by the placing authority in a timely fashion. For example, for one child, the child in need plan held by the home is three years old, when it should be updated annually. The registered manager has challenged professionals but has not escalated these concerns to ensure remedial action. This means that there is a potential that the needs of children and young people are not being met. External monitoring is greatly improved. An independent person reports on the quality of care each month. These reports are now more evaluative on the progress that children and young people are making. They also clearly state the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the home promotes children’s well-being. This was raised as a requirement from the last inspection and is now met. The registered manager’s own monitoring requires improvement. It does not take account of consultation with staff and there is no

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Good

plan for further development over the following six months. This reduces its effectiveness and value. The children live in a well-decorated, well-maintained, clean and homely environment. A recommendation made at the previous inspection to upgrade a bathroom has been addressed. Young people’s bedrooms display personal posters and pictures which helps them to feel comfortable and at ease during their stays. Outside, there is a soft-play area and a trampoline, providing huge enjoyment as well as fresh air and exercise.

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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 that 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 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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