Children's home run by St Cuthbert’s Care in Newcastle upon Tyne

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 management and leadership of the home are of a very high quality. The registered manager is exceptional. She is skilled and confident. She has high expectations of her staff, and is ambitious for the children and young people in her care. She leads by example and ensures that very high-quality care is given to all the children and young people in the home. She has a deputy manager who is supportive and who also helps to maintain very high standards of care at all times. The responsible individual supports the home well and, together with the organisation, ensures that the registered manager has sufficient resources and support to maintain the very high standards that they have set.  The staff team follows the lead of the registered manager. Staff are well trained and enthusiastic. They are committed to the work and like the registered manager, and provide a nurturing and caring environment for all

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

the children and young people.  The children and young people are given a great deal of nurturing. Staff pay attention to detail and make every effort to ensure that the needs of the children and young people are both recognised and met.  Education is given a high priority, and all the children and young people are both in education and attend well. All the children and young people are achieving well at school and college, and all have career aspirations and good ideas about both what they want and how to achieve this.  The staff are quick to refer children and young people to specialist workers for support with specific emotional or behavioural difficulties. They also bring in a range of specialist workers to provide education and information about current safeguarding issues, such as child sexual exploitation and e-safety.  The children and young people are encouraged to take part in a wide range of

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

leisure activities and trips, and they have been able to participate in a number of exciting events. A number of the children and young people do voluntary work and also attend various forums, where they are able to contribute to local community resources and to care services.  The children and young people are well supported to have the best contact with their families that is possible. The staff are able to help children and young people to maintain and improve family relationships by keeping in close contact with their families. The staff also encourage children and young people to spend time with their local friends, including having sleepovers and shared activities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a charitable organisation, and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to six children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/01/2016 Full Outstanding 19/03/2015 Full Outstanding 31/07/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.4

Outstanding

The children and young people living at this home do extremely well. They receive a great deal of nurturing care and they thrive on it. The experience of living in this home is excellent and they make really significant progress in many areas of their lives.

p.5

Outstanding

When external professionals were asked to comment on the home, without exception they came up with a list of positive comments: ‘fantastic care’; ‘immensely supportive’; ‘excellent advocates for the young people’; exceptionally impressed’; ‘one of the best children’s home’s that I have ever worked with’; ‘absolutely fabulous’; ‘fantastic staff’; ‘a lovely place’; and ‘when we were looking for a placement, it really stood out’.

p.5

Outstanding

The children and young people are clearly very happy with the care that they receive, and the staff also say how much they think of the service, of which they are very proud.

p.5

Outstanding

Since the last full inspection, two young people have been admitted and one young person has left. Three children and young people have remained in the home on long-term placements, and they are all going extremely well. Several of the children and young people have been on placement here for much longer than at any previous placement, which demonstrates the stability that staff are able to offer. Both the young people more recently admitted have settled well and one, in particular, has made excellent progress in a short space of time. The young person who left requested this, as they felt that they wanted to be elsewhere. This was not part of the original long-term care plan, but the young person was insistent and so the placing social worker felt that they should support their wish to move. The placing social worker of this young person said to the inspector that he felt that staff ‘never gave up’ and that the young person had made ‘great progress’ during

p.5

Outstanding

The relationships between staff, children and young people are very good. The staff are extremely good at paying attention to detail, and the children and young people thrive on this high quality of care. The inspector sat in a morning staff handover which was detailed and comprehensive, and where staff were clearly motivated to pass on every detail in order to ensure that nothing was omitted. This level of care and nurturing is the basis for the children and young people being supported to achieve so well in their lives.

p.5

Outstanding

All the children and young people attend school and college well. Some excellent exam results have been achieved by the older young people and some have gone on to achieve well at college. Some of the children and young people have been supported to overcome significant health difficulties, learning difficulties and substantial trauma, and to achieve well in their education. These are impressive outcomes. Staff go out of their way to support education. Some children and young people have nightly reading practice with staff, and this has significantly improved their reading ability. One young person who has struggled with reading has been provided with an advanced piece of technology to help them to read examination questions. This is a pen that can recognise text and speak it to the user. All the children and young people seem to have career ambitions and aspirations which are realistic. One young person is keen to join the armed forces. Another young

p.5

Outstanding

person already has a full-time job working in childcare and is pursuing an advanced qualification in this subject. This is another substantial achievement.

p.6

Outstanding

The children and young people have an extensive say in the running of the home. They are consulted individually, and they also have regular house meetings which are clearly productive and positive. Not only do they have a say in decor, meals, activities and holidays, but they also have their opinions and wishes recognised in other areas. They are encouraged to contribute fully to their own care plans and their own risk assessments. This shared way of working ensures that their goals and targets are realistic and meaningful. The registered manager is content that all the children and young people contribute towards their care planning, but feels that this additional work, which most children and young people do not have to do, should be rewarded. Therefore, all the children and young people who complete this shared care planning work are rewarded with additional one-to-one activities with their key workers. This has proved popular and contributes significantly to the

p.6

Outstanding

registered manager’s stated aim of making the residential home more like a like an ordinary family. The opinions of the children and young people are also sought when all staff have their annual appraisals.

p.6

Outstanding

The health of the children and young people is also carefully considered. All health needs are assessed and dealt with well. Most of the children and young people have considerable extra support from external specialist workers to support their emotional health and any other areas of their lives in which they feel that they need additional support. The staff have been able to engage with a steady stream of external workers who come to talk to children and young people about a range of topical subjects, including child sexual exploitation, e-safety, healthy relationships and bullying. One young person with extensive emotional health needs was offered substantial support by staff within the home, as well as by a range of mental health specialists outside of the home, and much good work was completed. A young person with complex physical health needs has been supported to manage these entirely themselves. The deputy manager has recently

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Outstanding

qualified as a health champion and takes a lead on health matters at the home. None of the children and young people currently smoke or misuse drugs or alcohol, which is really commendable. Another young person with challenging behaviour has settled well. The placing social worker was very complimentary about staff, saying that they had quickly come to know this young person and supported them really well.

p.6

Outstanding

The children and young people are encouraged to participate in many varied outside activities and they do take advantage of these opportunities. Two of the young people completed a week-long sailing voyage on a tall ship this summer, and others have been camping with schools and with army cadets. Most of the children and young people went on the house annual holiday and others attended holidays run by their schools. Several of the young people are very actively involved in the local change council. The council seeks to involve children who are looked after in various activities. Some are also involved in the local authority’s young inspectors group, where they are able to contribute their views to a range of local service provisions. One of the older young people is seeking to lobby influential national figures about what she sees as the poor aftercare provision from her local authority.

p.7

Outstanding

Admissions are well planned and carefully considered. Young people moving on are also well prepared. One young person, who is shortly moving on to independent living, has been extremely well supported. They were able to joke that the only thing they couldn’t do was to put up wallpaper. All the children and young people are encouraged to practise life skills during their stay at the home, and the inspector noted that some of the young people do this routinely, without needing to be asked or prompted. This says a great deal about the culture of the home, and the level of care and cooperation in the children and young people.

p.7

Outstanding

The children and young people in this home are kept very safe. Risks are well understood by the staff team and are well assessed. Staff are able to work with the children and young people to put in place appropriate ways of minimising risks, and ways to help the children and young people become increasingly safe.

p.7

Outstanding

Some children and young people have been reported missing on a few occasions. These incidents have all been managed very well. The incidents have been short incidents when children and young people have just been later home than was expected. Good efforts were made on each occasion to locate and return these children and young people. Also, good efforts were made to understand why these incidents had occurred, and then appropriate measures were taken to help the children and young people not to do the same again. These efforts have been successful, and the number of incidents of going missing clearly decrease after these interventions. The staff’s attitude towards bullying is impressive. They say that they have a zero tolerance approach to bullying, and this is clearly put into practice. There have been a few less serious incidents, such as name calling or hurtful remarks being made among the children and young people. These incidents are picked up

p.7

Outstanding

immediately. The staff support the recipient of these incidents and also work thoroughly with the perpetrator to help them to understand the effect of their actions. Consequently, these incidents do not become commonplace and are dealt with well in a restorative manner. Children and young people are asked for apologies, and these are given and are generally accepted well. Because of this attention to detail, bullying is not a concern at this home, and children and young people are helped to understand the consequences of their actions. The staff have recently done some work with the children and young people around the concept of bystander bullying and this, again, demonstrates the thoroughness of their work.

p.8

Outstanding

There have been some concerns for some of the children and young people around child sexual exploitation. A combination of good educational work by the staff, appropriate supervision and good risk management has meant that there have been no actual incidents. The subject is talked about frequently. The inspector witnessed more than one matter-of-fact conversation between a young person and a staff member about these issues and how it affects us all, to some extent.

p.8

Outstanding

There have been some self-harm incidents with one of the young people. These were dealt with well. The registered manager brought in more than one additional training course on the subject for staff in order to protect one young person fully. The placing social worker commented on this excellent practice when they were spoken to by the inspector.

p.8

Outstanding

The staff are nurturing in their approach, but also give the children and young people very clear expectations and boundaries around their behaviour and actions. These provide security and a feeling of being safe. Children and young people comment that they feel safe at this home. No restraints or physical interventions have been used since the last full inspection, but staff are trained and can use these if they feel the necessity. Equally, the staff rely on giving rewards and positive incentives to influence behaviour, rather than imposing sanctions. The few sanctions that have been used have been evaluated, and behaviour is monitored over time to ensure that progress is continued and to ensure that behaviour management plans are effective.

p.8

Outstanding

The house is very well kept and maintained, and there are no health and safety concerns. Judgement grade

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager is experienced and appropriately qualified. She is an exceptional manager who has the well-being of the children and young people at the forefront of everything that she does. She has very high aspirations for all the children and young people, and also seeks to make the experience of living in the home as good as she can. In both these areas, she succeeds very well. The children and young people make excellent progress in many areas of their lives, and the experience of living in the home is also excellent. One young person said, ‘Living here has changed my life.’

p.9

Outstanding

The home clearly meets the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose. The children and young people are given the highest priority, they make excellent progress and their needs are very well met. The registered manager oversees care practices and monitors these efficiently. She also takes a lead in much of the work, and there are some excellent documented pieces of key work which she has carried out herself. They demonstrate excellent knowledge and insight, and a high degree of skill and compassion.

p.9

Outstanding

The staff spoken to clearly felt that the managers were supportive and approachable. They are offered regular supervision which is of good quality. Annual appraisals are also in depth and are conducted using the ‘360 model’, so that all other staff, and all children and young people are able to contribute towards the appraisal. The content of both supervision and appraisals contains positives and constructive criticism, so that staff are able to develop their practice over time.

p.9

Outstanding

All staff are qualified and they also receive a range of good-quality training. Training is focused to meet current needs and is delivered quickly when required. There has been no new recruitment since the previous interim inspection, but recruitment is being undertaken currently. It is commendable that, in a recent round of interviews, the registered manager decided to not employ anyone, because she considered that none of the candidates were good enough to join the team. This principled approach to recruitment undoubtedly pays off in the longer term and will certainly ensure that the strength of the staff team is maintained.

p.9

Outstanding

The registered manager has clear plans for further development. Development targets for last year have been met. These include both the ‘Investors in Children’ and the ‘Hear by Right’ awards being achieved. The staff, children and young people have also entered for and won an anti-bullying award. The registered manager has recently set up a providers’ forum in the local area. After contacting another provider, she started this forum and invited all other local providers, including managers from several other local authorities. This is impressive and innovative, and demonstrates the real quest for continued improvement. The registered manager also regularly works on research topics and brings information to the attention of the staff team.

p.9

Outstanding

The registered manager is modest, but does pride herself on her ability to secure what is needed for the children and young people in her care. There are many examples of her fighting for and obtaining better services. One young person was found a more appropriate school, despite resistance form the education agencies. Another local authority is considering a placement change for a young person and the registered manager has set about ensuring that this does not happen, because it is not in the young person’s best interests. She clearly has the motivation, confidence and the skills to make good relationships with other professionals and agencies, and has a track record of success in obtaining the services that she feels are necessary.

p.10

Outstanding

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection and none are made at 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’. 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 looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 0300 123 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 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

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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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