Children's home run by The Percy Hedley Foundation in North Tyneside

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The staff provide high-quality physical and emotional support at all times. The strength of the relationships with and knowledge of the children that the staff have is commendable.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The staff enable the children to express their views and choices through a variety of communication aids. Children do well in education and are provided with opportunities to experience a variety of stimulating activities that engage them with the wider community.

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The children's home provision is good because:

The staff and management have excellent working relationships with partner agencies, such as health professionals and education. This ensures that a „circle of support‟ enriches the children‟s experiences and maintains a responsive and caring environment tailored to individual need.  The staff recognise risks associated to individual children and respond effectively to safeguard their welfare.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The inspector has identified shortfalls in the home‟s leadership and management. As a result, a number of statutory requirements have been made.

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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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to ensuring that bedrooms have sufficient ventilation, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to recording and evaluating children‟s progress against identified objectives, the registered person must ensure that children:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. 14/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that – (3)(a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes – (i) the name of the child (ii) details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure (iv) a description of the measure and its duration (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medication treatment administered, as a result of the measure (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to

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Requirement Due date

8/12/2016 do so (“the authorised person”) – (i) has spoken to the user about the measure (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a),(b),(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 8/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children‟s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41(1)) 8/12/2016

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Information about this children's home

The home accommodates up to 20 children with sensory impairment, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. It is operated by a charitable foundation.

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Good

The staff provide a supportive environment that is tailored to the children‟s specific needs. The staff know the children well and understand their individual care plans. Some children have complex needs and associated communication issues. However, staff make use of the child‟s „circle of support‟ (parents, grandparents and other professionals) to assist them in providing a detailed understanding of the child‟s needs. This enables staff to plan the day-to-day care of children more effectively. Individual targets for children are identified, but evaluation and recording of the progress that children make against these objectives is not well evidenced. This makes it more difficult for staff to identify when additional support for children may be needed.

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Good

The close support that the staff provide is evident when children return from school. Staff respond with warmth and genuine interest to the children, listening to their accounts of what they have done that day and giving praise for their achievements. This provides a sense of belonging for children and promotes their well-being. A parent in recent consultation said, „Overall I am very pleased with the home.‟ He said that he felt that the staff were „really committed‟ to the children and were really impressing him in the service that they provide.

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Good

The staff are effective in meeting the complex health needs of the children. In particular, health plans support how staff work closely with a range of specialists within the wider organisation. This is a strength of the service as a whole in that direct and tailored support is available for both face-to-face work with children and consultancy to staff. The range of professionals include psychologists, speech therapists and occupational therapists. Records of staff development show that they receive specific training in relation to children‟s individual medical needs. This ensures that staff can meet these needs with skill and sensitivity.

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Good

Children attend the attached educational provision. They love going to school but are also excited every afternoon to return to the home. One young person has transferred into the post-16 provision and is progressing well. Staff support children and young people through liaison with teachers and ensure that children are ready in the morning and arrive at school on time. A social worker commented that the staff work closely with the school. An example provided was how staff from both settings worked on independent living skills with the young person to complete the process of washing his clothes. Staff from the home went into the school to enable this to be planned together.

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Good

There are computers for children to do their homework within the communal area, enabling their education to continue within the home with support from the staff. Children are able to express their wishes and choices through the use of picture symbols and special electronic communication devices. This is a real benefit in enabling children to have a sense of empowerment.

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Good

Staff support and facilitate contact for children with their family and friends. Not all children have consistent contact but staff work proactively and positively with parents and grandparents to ensure that this can happen when appropriate. Staff also enable children to use video chat services to maintain contact with their families. The use of this technology enhances the quality of contact and ensures that children can maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Good

Morning routines are clearly busy. Staff provide the right level of attention to each child‟s needs in line with the home‟s stated staffing ratios. Staff support intimate personal care when necessary and encourage children and young people to take responsibility for their own care needs as far as possible. A particular child prefers a male to assist with his personal care, which promotes his dignity and self-respect. Staff support children in their morning routines, such as breakfast. Children use their individual communication aids, if required, to request their choices. Children and young people who are able to prepare their own meal are supported by the staff in the kitchen. This enables them to develop their independence skills and promote their development and a sense of achievement. Staff respond by offering guidance, support and praise throughout, impacting positively upon the children and young people‟s well-being.

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Good

Children experience a range of activities in the home through positive relationships with their peers and staff. Activities include arts and crafts, riding bikes within the grounds of the home, listening to music, enjoying books, or just spending play time in the lovely gardens. This kind of recreation provides relaxation as well as stimulation for children. Inspectors observed one child cooking during the evening. This was a planned activity as part of the drive to develop his development and independence skills. Staff said, „He enjoys this so much.‟ The same child was happy to show inspectors his room, which had a comprehensive range of DVDs that he watches with staff and his peers.

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Good

Staff take pains to encourage children to enjoy experiences in the community. They support them in going for meals out; visiting museums; going to fun fairs and theme parks; riding on public transport; or just enjoying time in the countryside. Staff have been creative in providing experiences for the children to take part in. One child has shown a talent for the climbing wall. She is supported to attend a local venue twice a week with a member of staff who is also trained in this activity. This child now participates in competitions, and this has opened up the possibility of further experiences (such as international competition) that could not have been imagined even a short time ago. By supporting children in this kind of activity, staff greatly enhance their self-esteem and emotional resilience. This work also demonstrates the determination of staff not to allow children‟s disabilities, however profound, to be a barrier to them taking full part in wider society.

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Good

Children have regular group meetings which are supported by staff, and the agenda and records of discussions reflect children‟s choices. They are very helpful in enabling the child‟s voice to be heard in their everyday experiences. A „Dutch Christmas‟ was an idea from one child, and a decision was made to have a different celebration each month as there were so many ideas. Halloween was also enthusiastically celebrated at the request of the children.

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Good

Staff provide an effective and safe environment for children. The front entrance of the building is operated by a magnetic swipe system which has restricted access and therefore ensures that children cannot leave without the company of staff. The management team reviews generic risk assessments on a regular basis. These address potential risks, such as the storage and use of oxygen, water temperatures, children accessing the community, and activities both inside and outside the home. The comprehensive approach to risk management ensures the safety of children.

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Good

The children have a variety of medical and learning needs that impact upon their communication, mobility and health. Staff ensure that risk assessments are tailored to each individual and updated regularly. They are supported in the monitoring and reviewing of risks by a range of professionals including psychologists and occupational therapists. Staffing levels within the home ensure that children are safeguarded. On one occasion, a child managed to exit the building via his bedroom window, even though this had been designed to restrict how far it can open. With the support of the police, staff quickly located the child and returned him safely. The registered manager promptly reviewed the incident with the support of health and safety professionals, and identified the locking of the child‟s window as a precautionary step. This does not allow for sufficient ventilation to the room and may impact upon the child‟s well-being and health. Staff are working

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Good

with the child to help him develop an understanding of the risk and potential harm if he leaves the premises by himself. Such individual key-worker sessions are important in helping children to acquire a greater sense of how to keep themselves safe.

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Good

Staff are vigilant to children‟s change of mood and presentation which may indicate that they are becoming distressed. This enables them to take preventative action to reduce the risk of harm, for example diverting a child‟s attention by engaging them in an activity. Staff also recognise the importance of not overreacting to children in certain situations. For example, staff may deliberately ignore attention- seeking behaviour while discreetly monitoring it. Because of this approach, and with the support of other professionals, staff have achieved successful outcomes, for example with children who have the potential for self-harm.

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Good

Despite the challenges that children can often present, since the home opened in June 2016 there have only been four restraints involving two children. As a result of the evaluation of these incidents, the registered manager is currently reviewing the behaviour management approach used in the home. Every time restraint is used, staff record the incident. However, the detail of the actual restraint is not always clear, for example how staff held the child. Confirmation that the child has either given their view of the restraint, or the observations by staff of the child‟s mood afterwards, are sometimes not recorded. These shortfalls reduce the accountability and accuracy of the record.

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Good

Staff do not use sanctions, preferring a more positive approach to behaviour management. Staff use reward charts and incentive programmes to help children make progress in accordance with their plans. One child, when he was first placed, was displaying difficult and aggressive behaviour. Staff quickly identified that this child had a particular interest which they have utilised as part of his individual incentive scheme. This has enabled the child to make substantial progress in modifying his behaviour. He now responds positively beyond the timescale in which he receives his reward, demonstrating capacity for learning. This contributes not only to the child‟s emotional well-being but also his safety.

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Good

Children present as very happy in the company of staff, indicating that they feel safe here and protected from harm. Staff recruitment and training is robust. Induction for new staff provides the high level of specific training required in order to keep children with profound disabilities safe. Close attention to the medical needs of children is particularly evident. Staff administer medication and carry out personal care tasks with sensitivity and respect for children‟s dignity. A new system of medication recording is about to be introduced which will improve the robustness of the system. Key-worker sessions ensure that the children understand their relevant medical needs and conditions. This helps them to understand the risks of their conditions and what they need to do to keep themselves healthy. For example, one child carries her insulin in a rucksack when she goes to school or on outings. This reinforces her sense of ownership and responsibility and promotes

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Requires improvement

The registered manager is suitably experienced and is currently undertaking the recognised management qualification. The deputy manager is relatively new to this home but is experienced and qualified, which will enhance the overall capacity of the home‟s leadership. Senior staff are all enrolled on a level 3 management course and staff at other levels are all in some form of professional development, which indicates a commitment to training and strengthening skills at all levels. This demonstrates the commitment to delivering high-quality services to children and their families.

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Requires improvement

The home has been purpose-built to a very high specification. This provides the children with large bedrooms and en-suite facilities which have the appropriate ceiling track hoists to allow children to shower and bathe in comfort and safety. The management team ensures that all equipment is assessed by occupational therapists attached to the school. This demonstrates a culture of working together across the organisation to ensure that children are provided with a suitably equipped and furnished building. With the support of staff, children have personalised their bedrooms by choosing wall art unique to their own interests. One child said of the building, „It‟s great‟. The wide open spaces are particularly helpful for children with mobility issues. They allow freedom of movement around the rooms and corridors. This enhances the children‟s ability to make choices and removes any barriers to their full participation irrespective of their disability.

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Requires improvement

The location of the home provides a semi-rural aspect and a garden to the back with play areas and views across the lake. The registered manager stated: „During the summer months tea was often outside which was great for the children.‟ Children are provided with a warm and stimulating environment that encourages and develops their sense of identity, recognising and promoting achievement and independence. The registered manager and her team have recognised that the transition to the home from the residential special school building has been difficult. They have worked hard to smooth the transition by planning it carefully. For example, they ensured that children who had developed friendships on the previous site with children in the short-break facility were able to maintain these. They did this by creating a central area for children to meet and enjoy communal activities and events safely. This means that children are able to develop

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Requires improvement

friendships and attachments that enhance their life experience.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has done well in overseeing a complex and difficult transition into the new home. She has ensured that the children‟s experience and progress are good and that they remain safeguarded. However, insufficient attention has been paid to monitoring the quality of care. This includes the shortfalls already described in care planning, recording of restraints, and ensuring that bedrooms have sufficient ventilation. In addition, the registered manager did not notify Ofsted of a significant event, meaning that the regulator could not apply the required scrutiny to ensure that it had been managed appropriately. Admissions and discharges of children have not been notified to the local authority where the home is situated. It is important that the local authority is aware of all children looked after who are living within the area.

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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 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

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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