Children's Home run by Highfield North East Limited in Redcar and Cleveland

young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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young people since the most recent full inspection

The committed manager has either fully or partially met all of the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection. This demonstrates the home’s capacity to improve. The regulator is now in receipt of the revised statement of purpose. This detailed document provides all interested parties with a comprehensive view of the care that is provided at the home. The updated locality assessment now contains full information about the extensive grounds that the home sits in. Improved practice ensures that children and young people receive visits from independent persons following any missing-from-home episodes and all information is clearly recorded. Updated risk assessments provide further safeguards to children and young people. They provide steps to prevent unsafe materials from being taken to bedrooms and guidance on how to facilitate room searches.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the company has opened a small school. Children and young people from the company’s homes, as well as from the local community, can attend. This education opportunity broadens children’s and young people’s horizons. They are able to access a school that meets their needs and they can meet with other children and young people who live in the locality.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Further improvements have included specific autism awareness training and the development of more detailed key-worker session sheets. As a result, children and young people are encouraged to invest more in these sessions and take ownership of them. This level of participation promotes their well-being, as it allows their confidence and self-esteem to grow further. A parent said, ‘He couldn’t ask for any better staff. They’ve done everything for him. I can see the progress he makes.’

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been two new admissions to the home. One child has settled well. This has allowed him to start building important, trusting relationships. The other young person was only resident for a few weeks. His placement was terminated as a result of the risks his behaviours posed to other children and young people. Positive pre-admission visits took place for these children and young people. However, the home’s matching processes were not detailed or evaluative enough to assure compatibility. In addition, one young person, who had been resident for some time, left after a period of disruption to live in a home that is located closer to family members. Notwithstanding these changes, the two established young people have continued to thrive. Increased contact with family members, including overnight stays, has bolstered their sense of belonging and their inclusion in their home communities. One young person now attends the

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young people since the most recent full inspection

company’s school for five days a week and has 100% attendance. This is a significant improvement on his past experiences in education. Children and young people have aspirations for and confidence in their future as a result. A young person said, ‘I’ve been here two years and I think it’s getting better all the time.’

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young people since the most recent full inspection

The new resident is starting to respond to the care that is provided at the home and is developing bonds with the manager and staff. This increased confidence enables him to attend full-time education. Children’s and young people’s lives are enriched as a result of their involvement in education and training. This provides them with the opportunity to form positive friendships and gain skills for their future. A young person said, ‘I know I’m doing better at school, although I don’t like going, and want to be a bus driver one day.’ Another young person is able to fulfil her passion for working with animals.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people report that they are safe, and feel safe, in this home. The manager and staff are committed to protecting children and young people and ensuring that they plan effectively in order to meet their individual risks and vulnerabilities. Robust management of any missing-from-home episodes, along with good partnership working with the police and relevant professionals, provides further protection. This includes the opportunity for children and young people to speak with someone from outside of the home on their return. A parent said, ‘He’s safe there; if he runs off the staff are straight there behind him. I’ve got no concerns on that.’

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young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of physical intervention is a last resort to prevent injury and safeguard children and young people. Good debriefs with children, young people and staff allow all to learn from the experience. A young person wrote after being ‘held’, ‘It helped me to think about things and calm down.’

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Individual behaviour management plans contain some very good interventions for children and young people. For example, the introduction of ‘Safe Cards’ has allowed a young person to let staff know whether she wishes to have time alone in her room or whether she wants to spend time with them. In this way, children and young people who are not always able to express their feelings, are empowered do so in a safe, planned way. However, on a number of occasions since the last inspection, there have been no sanctions implemented after children and young people have engaged in unsafe or destructive behaviour. Some sanctions have been employed, but these have been of a monetary nature. This approach does not allow children and young people to understand how to make recompense for negative behaviour and how to learn from their actions.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

As a result of their aggressive behaviours and disengagement, a young person was cared for away from the home, which included the young person staying in the company’s holiday caravan and a local hotel. On neither of these occasions was a specific risk assessment prepared to protect the young person from going missing or to protect the staff who were working alone in these circumstances. This lack of risk assessment means that sufficient safeguards were not provided. There has been an improvement in the quality of the reports prepared by the independent visitor since the last inspection. These now comply with legislation. However, the time of day that the visits take place and the length of time of the visits preclude the visitor from building a strong relationship with the children and young people.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s internal monitoring reports are detailed and informative. They explain how the views of children and young people, their parents, and professionals are obtained. However, they do not state whether staff have the opportunity to make contributions to the home’s practice. This means that the opportunity to influence or improve care in the home is not being given to all interested parties.

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/09/2016 Full Good 18/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good 04/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (2) In order to meet the standard in paragraph (1), with particular reference to having specific risk assessments for care outside of the home, for example at the company’s caravan or in a hotel, the registered person must ensure– (a) that staff– (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 17/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(5)) 17/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should have the skills to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  It is essential that the home understands what will be required of it before it accepts responsibility for a child’s placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in the future and for other children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 children looked after and child protection.

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Information about this inspection

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 .

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Information about this inspection

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, 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

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

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