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

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place in response to a complaint to Ofsted about the care provided at the home. There are shortfalls in meeting children’s and young people’s health needs. These include occasions when the registered manager and the staff have not adequately supported children and young people to attend healthcare appointments promptly, particularly when they have started to display early signs of being poorly. This compromises children’s and young people’s welfare. There are also lapses in managing follow-up healthcare appointments. This is partly due to poor recording. For example, staff do not always record the outcomes from healthcare appointments. On one occasion, staff did not record an instruction from a general practitioner for a child to have a further medical appointment within a given timeframe. As a result, the child was three weeks late in having a medical test. In this instance, there was no significant health-related

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This monitoring visit

impact. However, for some children and young people with complex healthcare needs, this oversight could have led to a deterioration in their health. Written residential plans that set out how the staff meet children’s and young people’s healthcare needs on a day-to-day basis have very little detail. Known healthcare needs are not included in the plans and other important information, such as the possible side effects from prescribed medication, is not always set out. This lack of robust planning puts children’s and young people’s health at risk. The registered person has not always followed the home’s child protection procedures. For example, the registered manager became aware of a potential safeguarding event and, although he shared the information with the child’s social worker, he did not refer the concern to the authority’s designated officer. A failure to quickly recognise and respond to possible child protection matters in

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This monitoring visit

accordance with local child protection protocols shows a lack of understanding and could put children and young people at risk. Additionally, there is a failure to keep records of child protection events and the actions taken in response. The home has a designated child protection log book to record all child protection events. The last written entry in the log is dated 2013. This is despite there being child protection notifiable events and concerns since this date, which have not been entered into the log. A lack of robust recording compromises children’s and young people’s welfare. Complaints management is complacent. There have been complaints raised, with the registered manager and some members of staff, but these have not been taken seriously. Nor have the concerns been robustly addressed. This undermines children’s and young people’s rights, and the rights of those acting on their behalf, to challenge the services provided and the home’s operation.

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This monitoring visit

One complaint investigation has occurred since the last inspection. This was in relation to concerns around some aspects of childcare practice. The registered manager carried out the investigation, which is not appropriate. This is because the registered manager is involved in the delivery of the care and support to the children and young people, and therefore he potentially investigated his own practice and performance. This questions the validity and independence of the investigations and the subsequent outcomes. The registered manager has also failed to maintain a written complaint log, in line with the home’s complaints management policy. Much of the paperwork, including children’s and young people’s information and the home’s records, is disorganised and difficult to locate. This was apparent throughout the visit. A number of requests to view statutory documents were not met because the registered manager was unable to find or produce the items.

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This monitoring visit

Case tracking was very difficult to carry out due to the children’s and young people’s case files being crammed with paperwork, with many documents not being stored as per the file contents itinerary or stored in any kind of date or chronological order. This approach to document management indicates a lack of care or respect for children and young people. There have been failures in notifying Ofsted, and other appropriate agencies, of significant events that have involved children and young people. This lack of openness and transparency potentially impedes external scrutiny of the home, which acts as an independent safeguard for children and young people.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for four children and young people with a learning disability.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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

10. In order to meet the health and well-being standard, with particular reference to supporting children to attend healthcare appointments, the registered provider must ensure that staff: (2)(a)(iii) help each child to take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child's health and well-being needs. 22/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which: (1)(a) is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children's home from abuse or neglect; and (b) sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that all the elements listed in this regulation are made clear in the home's safeguarding polices and that all staff robustly and consistently implement them. 22/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. (2) In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. (3) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(2)(3)) 22/12/2016 6. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to children's written residential healthcare plans, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans. 22/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if: (4)(c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child that the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4) (c)(e)) 22/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to managing and organisation of documentation that includes children's case files and other statutory records, the registered person must: (2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of the care provided in the home. 22/12/2016

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

to 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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