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 leadership and management of this home are excellent. The registered manager is experienced and confident and leads the staff team extremely well. She has high expectations of her staff team and high aspirations for all the children and young people living at the home. She strives to, and succeeds in, creating a nurturing homely environment which is underpinned with highly effective and very professional standards of work.  The staff team is skilled and supportive of the registered manager. The senior staff team is strong and committed as well as enthusiastic. The staff team follows the strong lead of the registered manager and ensures that the quality of care offered remains high at all times.  The staff make clear efforts to make the home as nurturing as possible. They are very open and honest with the children and young people and clearly tackle issues and difficulties in an in-depth way. Children and young

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

people are encouraged to take a full part in risk management and care planning. However, the staff do retain clear expectations and boundaries. Consequently, children and young people feel safe and secure within the home.  Education is given a high priority. The children and young people are supported to attend appropriate education provision. Staff stay in close contact with teachers and education workers. Children and young people are supported in the home to do homework and extra studies. Most children and young people achieve well and succeed in meeting or exceeding their predicted targets.  The staff are very good at preparing children and young people for independence. There are good systems in place to practise skills, and a good deal of encouragement. Children and young people are encouraged even when they are reluctant. They are fully involved in this process and in planning for moving on. There are high levels of support for children and

p.3

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

young people once they have left the home, and they are able to call back when they wish.  The registered manager is keen to help children and young people to build memories so they are encouraged and supported to do memorable activities and take memorable trips. This is clearly a planned part of making the home more family-like and making the experience of living in the home more valuable.

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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 and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/08/2015 Full Outstanding 16/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/12/2014 Full Good

p.4

Outstanding

The home offers the children and young people a nurturing, homely environment in which they are given very individual care and attention. The home has a family feel. Children and young people are encouraged to take a full part, and staff make every effort to keep them safe and secure. Consequently, the children and young people not only make very good progress but they are also able to enjoy and appreciate the care they are given.

p.5

Outstanding

The staff have very good relationships with the children and young people, and this is the basis of the good work that is carried out. Some of the children and young people make exceptional progress, and most make very good progress.

p.5

Outstanding

The home has a particularly strong nurturing approach, and staff go to great lengths to meet individual need in individual ways. One child who struggled at bedtimes was bought a different style of bed in an effort to make bedtimes feel safer and more comfortable and was read stories until they fell asleep. This was despite the placement only being planned as very short term.

p.5

Outstanding

Since the previous full inspection four children and young people have left. Two of these left after lengthy placements and have moved successfully into independence. They are still supported regularly by staff and clearly regard the children’s home as their home, feeling comfortable to pop back when they feel like it or when they need some advice.

p.5

Outstanding

Two other children were admitted for planned shorter placements. One was successful, and the young person moved back to their home area in a planned move. The other was less successful. A child was admitted with the intention of moving back home after a short placement but, due to changing circumstances in their family, this was unable to happen. The child became unsettled and anxious and had to be moved on to another, more appropriate, care setting. It was clear that staff had tried extremely hard and had gone to great lengths to work with this child.

p.5

Outstanding

The three young people currently in placement are all making very good progress. One young person has overcome substantial difficulties and, after a successful college course, is now planning a career in the armed forces. Another young person who was admitted to the home with a number of known risks, as well as having missed a great deal of education, has now settled well and is about to start a full-time apprenticeship in their chosen career. Both these young people have done extremely well. A further young person continues to do very well despite some ups and downs but has made good progress.

p.5

Outstanding

The staff at the home all take on specific responsibilities to become more highly trained in areas of their work. For example, specific staff have undertaken training in drugs and alcohol, child sexual exploitation and sexual health. This adds greatly to what the home has to offer and these skills are used to provide excellent key- work sessions and advice and guidance to children and young people. The staff also have a wide range of contacts with specialist services and workers and refer children and young people to these when required. One young person has an excellent relationship with a safe-relationships worker, and others have engaged with mental-health workers or other external workers.

p.6

Outstanding

All the children and young people have made progress with their education and some have made excellent progress, beyond expectations. Staff have high aspirations for the children and young people and work hard to support them with their school and college work. As a result, the children and young people start to develop more confidence and resilience, which then translates into success.

p.6

Outstanding

The inspector observed one young person bringing their school friend home and cooking their tea together. This demonstrates how comfortable the children and young people are in the home. The staff go to great lengths to encourage friends to visit and to meet the families of school friends so that the children and young people can visit them safely. This drive towards giving the home a more family feel extends to all areas of care. The children and young people take a full part in planning their care and in managing any risks that are apparent.

p.6

Outstanding

The registered manager is keen on helping the children and young people build memories by taking part in interesting activities and trips. One young person recently went to Italy to see a favourite pop artist in concert. Another young person went to London, and another to the Titanic museum in Belfast, which were trips of their choice.

p.6

Outstanding

One young person said that staff are there when you need them. A social worker said that the staff had done some very good work with the young person whom they had placed at the home. The social worker said that the dangerous behaviours shown by the young person prior to admission had now largely vanished.

p.6

Good

The staff have a good understanding of the risks that the children and young people are exposed to. They assess these well and put good measures in place to minimise them. One excellent example of this is the risks around children and young people staying away from the home with their friends. Staff encourage the children and young people to bring their friends back to the home for visits, meals and sleepovers so that they can get to know them. Staff also go and visit the parents of other friends and get to know them and to understand how safe it is for the children and young people to spend time there. When children and young people have stayed out without permission, staff spend time and effort to find out where they have been and assess the risks, and try to make suitable arrangements for further stays as appropriate. This way, staff build up trusting relationships with the children and young people and problems arise less often.

p.6

Good

Some children and young people have gone missing on occasions. Staff go to great lengths to contact, locate and return them safely. Missing episodes have clearly reduced over time. Consequently, other risks that children and young people may be exposed to also reduce.

p.7

Good

The staff undertake good-quality work with the children and young people in areas such as child sexual exploitation, cyber bullying and drugs and alcohol. This positive work sees these risks reduce substantially over time. One young person who arrived with concerns around sexual exploitation has been able to change their behaviours and reduce risks to themself. Other children and young people who have been involved in inappropriate behaviours have been helped to stop these. Staff keep the emphasis on working with the children and young people to manage and reduce risks rather than imposing rules, and this is very effective.

p.7

Good

Staff are trained to use physical interventions but there has been virtually no need for them to be used. Only one incident requiring a child being held for a few seconds has occurred since the last full inspection, and this was completely appropriate.

p.7

Good

Very few complaints have been made. One young person did complain about the annoying behaviour of a younger child in the home. A neighbour has also complained about some noisy behaviour outside the home by two young people. Both these complaints were dealt with quickly and effectively.

p.7

Good

There have been some incidents in the home when some of the younger children and young people have been a little disruptive. This has included some noise nuisance and some name-calling. Other young people have found this annoying. It has been dealt with as nuisance behaviour rather than bullying, and this is appropriate.

p.7

Good

Staff offer a nurturing environment balanced with clear boundaries and expectations, and generally children and young people respond well to this. The staff do use some sanctions but also use many positive rewards and incentives, including the ‘make a mint’ money incentive scheme, and these work well in supporting young people to develop more positive social skills and behaviours. Judgement grade

p.7

Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post for several years, is appropriately qualified and has a great deal of experience. The home meets the aims and objectives as written in the statement of purpose.

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager is confident and very able. She leads the staff team well and sets an excellent example. She is able to combine excellent nurturing care with a professional and effective style of management. She sets very high expectations of her staff team and has equally high aspirations for all the children and young people who live in the home.

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager has a strong belief in making the home as much like a normal family home as possible, in which everyone has a say, attention to detail is important and individuals are valued and respected at all times. These values shine through and are in large part responsible for some of the outstanding work and impressive outcomes that are achieved for children and young people. The registered manager maintains an excellent overview of all the children and young people’s progress and monitors this well through the use of good-quality systems and ensuring good-quality recording. She also has excellent relationships with all the children and young people because she spends regular quality time with them.

p.8

Outstanding

Staff say that the registered manager is very supportive, and supervision records demonstrate the regular and in-depth supervision that is given to staff. Training is given a high priority, and staff are up to date with all their core training and refresher training. Many staff take on additional training courses, some in their own time, and this enhances the skills and knowledge levels within the team.

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager is very adept at liaising with other services and professionals. She appropriately challenges others when necessary to advocate for young people. This attention to detail and insistence on achieving the best for the children and young people is very evident. Relationships with other professionals and services are strong and wide ranging.

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager has further plans to develop the service. She strives continually to improve the quality of care and wants children and young people to benefit from improvement and progress. Her efforts to keep the home as relaxed and family-like as possible through a changing environment are commendable and significant.

p.8

Outstanding

There were no requirements or recommendations from the previous inspection and none have been raised at this visit.

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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 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 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, 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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