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

Requires improvement

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 The residential short-break plans are not sufficiently individualised. They do not clearly set out the children’s and the young people’s needs, or how those needs will be met on a day-to-day basis.  The children’s and young people’s plans and risk assessments are not reviewed regularly. They are not evaluated effectively to monitor the outcomes, or how the home has a positive influence on the children’s and young people’s short-breaks.  The registered person is not operating the home wholly in accordance with the statement of purpose. Poor recording in a number of areas is evident and not all statutory documents, such as the records for restraints, are factually correct.  The records for staff, including new starters, are poor. There is a lack of statutory induction training for new starters. Not all staff receive regular supervision.  Inconsistencies in the registered manager’s monitoring has resulted in

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because:

instances when poor practice has not been recognised or challenged. There is a lack of robust record keeping, specifically when there have been significant events that involve the children and young people.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 The children and young people enjoy their short-breaks. They reside in a comfortable, homely environment that meets their needs, and they have positive relationships with the staff.  There are examples when the children and young people are achieving and developing new skills. Engaging them in activities is a strength of this home. The children and young people have very positive day-to-day experiences. They access local amenities and they are very much included in the community.  The staff manage behaviour positively. They respects the children’s and young people’s rights, and their equality and diversity.  The registered manager and the staff seek to improve the children’s and young people’s lives and experiences. They have very good relationships with parents and they support families. Relationships with other professionals are good.  Good staffing levels and supervision keep the children and young people

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The children’s home’s strengths

safe. The staff understand the children’s and young people’s difficulties, and disabilities. The staff support educational outcomes and they meet children’s and young people’s health needs.  The registered manager is approachable and he values the staff team. Good communication in the team also includes the staff in making decisions. The staff work flexibly to support the children and young people, and morale is good.

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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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

18. The registered person must prepare a placement plan for a child before the child is admitted or as soon as is reasonably practicable. The placement plan must set out how, on a day-to- day basis, the child will be cared for, and the registered person must keep under review and revise the placement plan as necessary. (Regulation 18 (4)(5)(a)(7)) 15/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to the statement of purpose and consistent management and monitoring, and robust record keeping, the registered person must ensure that they: (2)(a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the statement of purpose; (2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 15/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff have the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. In particular, ensure that there are copies of all qualification certificates for the staff to demonstrate their skills and knowledge; and ensure that all new starters have completed their statutory training before they directly care for and support the children and young people. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)) 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that children’s and young people’s plans form the basis of their care. In particular, ensure that the plans are individualised to meet the children’s and young people’s needs, and that they are regularly reviewed and evaluated to clearly set out the aims and objectives of the children’s and young people’s placement; how they are achieving and progressing; and how the home has a positive impact on each child’s and young person’s outcomes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.1)  Ensure that the staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure that all incidents of restraint are subject to regular scrutiny. In particular,

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Recommendations

ensure that the records for each restraint are detailed, include all the relevant information and ensure that all restraint reports are factually correct. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Ensure that all new staff can access the facilities and resources to support their training needs and that they receive regular supervision as set out in the home’s induction policy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides care and accommodation for two children and young people who have a disability. A local authority operates the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/06/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/01/2016 Full Good 17/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/06/2014 Full Good

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Requires improvement

The children and young people enjoy their short-breaks. They are able to socialise with their friends and enjoy a wide range of activities. When asked if a young person likes to stay at the home, she signalled that ‘she was very happy and liked to sleep over with her friends’. Having short-breaks gives the children and young people positive experiences and enables them to gain confidence.

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Requires improvement

A parent said: ‘The activities are very good, and [Name] stays with another child, which is good for him. It is good for him to meet other children and adults and have social contact. He has been coming for two years and it’s really helped with his autism.’

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Requires improvement

The staff are caring and nurturing, and they are skilled at engaging the children and young people. This leads to the children and young people developing positive relationships and trusting bonds. The staff are also supportive towards parents and families. This gives them opportunities to talk about worries or concerns they may have.

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Requires improvement

A parent said: ‘My son has a very strong bond with the staff that care for him at the home. This is the cornerstone to my son enjoying his days.’ Another parent commented: ‘The staff are there for all of us. They have parents’ meetings that are a good support. [Name’s] key-worker is very good, and we get on very well. If I had any problems, I would talk to him or the manager. I think the staff are a real strength, very understanding and very caring.’

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Requires improvement

The children and young people are referred for their short-break care by their social worker. The placements are regularly reviewed and parents are fully involved with how their children are looked after. The children and young people have residential short break plans but these lack detail and they do not fully set out how the children’s and young people’s needs will be met on a day-to-day basis. This compromises consistent care and increases the likelihood that aspects of the children’s and young people’s support could be overlooked.

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Requires improvement

There are examples that are based on testimony from the staff and parents that the children and young people benefit from having their short-break. However, because the residential plans lack written evaluation to demonstrate how the children and young people are progressing, it is difficult to ascertain how staying at the home is having a direct positive impact on the children’s and young people’s outcomes. The staff support the children and young people to attend school during their short-break. They regularly liaise with teachers and they work together to help the children and young people make the transition from the home to school, and back again. This is especially important for children and young people who have autistic spectrum disorder. The children and young people are encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle, the meals are varied and nutritious and the children and young people enjoy many healthy outdoor activities.

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Requires improvement

A staff member said: ‘We talk to the teachers twice a day when we drop the children off and pick them back up again. If there are any issues at school, or at the home, we ring the teachers or the teachers ring us so we know of any reason why a child may be upset. This works really well.’

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Requires improvement

The children and young people are consulted within their ability to communicate. The staff know the children and young people well, and they are attuned to the children’s and young people’s non-verbal cues and behaviours. This includes the children and young people in decision-making and encourages them to make choices when possible.

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Requires improvement

A social worker said: ‘The staff know the children very well and they consult with them the best way they can using children’s communication methods.’

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Requires improvement

The staff are aware of the children’s and young people’s vulnerabilities around their safety and well-being that are linked to their disabilities. The children and young people have individual risk assessments; however, these are not always robust or regularly updated.

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Requires improvement

There are weaknesses in the leadership and management of the home. This relates to poor record-keeping, which includes documentation in the children’s and young people’s case files. There are also staffing issues that potentially affect the children’s and young people’s welfare.

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Requires improvement

Good staffing levels and consistent supervision of the children and young people keeps them safe. There have been no children or young people missing, nor are they at risk of exploitation, and there is no bullying in the home.

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Requires improvement

A parent said: ‘My son is very happy and safe when he stays at the home.’ The core staff team receives regular child protection training to make sure that they know what to do if they are worried or concerned about a child or young person. The home has robust procedures in place to protect children, and the staff can contact the designated officer if they have any concerns or they wish to seek any advice. This promotes the children’s and young people’s welfare.

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Requires improvement

The staff manage most risks appropriately, and they are aware that they need to be vigilant when looking after the children and young people in the community. Each child and young person has an individual risk assessment, but a number of shortfalls were noted during this inspection. Some risk assessments are not regularly reviewed or updated. This is particularly concerning when it relates to the children and young people with complex needs. Some risk assessments record risks that are no longer an issue, and others do not adequately highlight significant risks that are current. This lack of clarity compromises the children’s and young people’s welfare.

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Requires improvement

The staff receive training to carry out restraints safely. Restraints are rarely used and the staff only consider restraints as a last resort. Parents are informed when their child has been subject to a restraint. The documentation completed following a restraint lacks detail, and, in some cases, the recording is factually incorrect. For example, one restraint entry had the wrong child’s name recorded. It is not clear how staff decide if a child or young person should access medical attention following a restraint. Some records suggest that the staff asked the child or young person if they needed to see a doctor or nurse. This is inappropriate, as most of the children and young people do not have the capacity to consent. Shortfalls in recording compromises future scrutiny of restraints in the home.

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Requires improvement

The staff manage behaviour positively. They understand that some of the children’s and young people’s behaviours happen because of their disabilities. The staff maintain a calm environment, which helps the children and young people to relax, which reduces their anxiety. They know what triggers may cause a child or young person to feel distressed, and know the advice in the behaviour management plans to reduce individual behaviours. This approach helps the children and young people to feel settled in the home.

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Requires improvement

A social worker said: ‘Positive interactions have been noted between the staff and young people; the staff react promptly to any challenging behaviour.’

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Requires improvement

The registered manager oversees health and safety arrangements and fire safety. There are regular checks to make sure that the children and young people stay in a safe environment. The home is very comfortable and is decorated to a high standard. The children and young people can personalise their room when they stay, which makes them feel more at home. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

The registered manager has been in post since September 2015. He is a qualified social worker and has a relevant management certificate. He has not yet commenced a level 5 diploma qualification. He is an experienced manager and he has previously worked with children and young people who have a disability.

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Inadequate

Since the last inspection, there have been periods of time when the registered person has not operated the home in accordance with the statement of purpose. There have been two occasions when young people have been accommodated for an extended period, which surpassed the timescales for a short-break stay. The decision was made for the short-break unit to support the young people due to a crisis and because there were no local authority residential places available. These arrangements had a negative affect on a number of children and young people and their families, as their short break was cancelled.

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Inadequate

A parent said: ‘Communication about my son is usually very good; however, communication about the recent cancelled stays due to a child being in crisis has not been so great. I understand this was not down to the home but it would have been better to be kept more in the loop.’

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Inadequate

Another parent commented: ‘I look forward to my respite care. Some of it was cancelled and it took its toll on a lot of families and on us. This was more down to the local authority than the home because they took someone in long-term and this meant that I had my respite cancelled, so did other families.’

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Inadequate

There are strengths and weaknesses in the monitoring of the home. The external monitoring is good and routinely identifies shortfalls, particularly around recording errors and poor record-keeping in the children’s and young people’s case files. Despite the visitor making a number of recommendations to improve the documentation, these have not been actioned. The internal monitoring is not sufficiently identifying or addressing other practice issues around monitoring the children’s and young people’s documentation.

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Inadequate

Another area of poor recording relates to the registered manager not recording significant incidents. For example, an event occurred involving two young people that could have been a safeguarding matter. The registered manager spoke to the staff involved and decided to take no further action. There are no records of what discussions took place, or why the registered manager decided to take no further action. The registered person confirmed, during the inspection, that no children or young people are currently at risk. However, a failure to keep a record of and monitor important events compromises good leadership and management. The home has a good induction policy for new staff that sets out what support, guidance and training they will be provided with when they start working at the home. There have been two new staff members since the last inspection. Both of the staff have an induction pack and a recruitment file. The staff feel supported

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Inadequate

and welcomed. They have a mentor and describe the staff as being ‘friendly and very helpful’. It is not clear that the registered person has provided the staff with a range of statutory training, including child-protection and behaviour-management training. There is no copy of one staff member’s previous qualifications, and both the staff have not received the level of formal supervision that the induction programme dictates. This potentially compromises the children’s and young people’s welfare.

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Inadequate

The staff respect the registered manager and they feel valued and included in the home’s operation and the outcomes for the children and young people. This creates a positive work environment. Regular staff meetings share important information and staff feel that they can openly express their views and opinions. The registered manager and the staff put the children and young people uppermost in their commitment to their roles.

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Inadequate

A member of staff said: ‘[Name] is the best manager. He talks to us and listens to us. I can talk to him about anything, he is really supportive.’

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Inadequate

Relationships with other professionals are strong and positive joint working improves the services offered to the children and young people. Feedback during this inspection was very positive. The registered manager and the staff regularly liaise with social workers and keep them informed about how the children and young people are progressing, and if there are any issues or concerns.

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Inadequate

A social worker said: ‘The staff always attend the reviews and feedback from parents is always very positive. When I visit, the children look happy. I have no concerns at all. The staff know the children very well. The home is very clean and tidy. I have worked for the local authority for 13 years, and I have never had any problems with the home.’

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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 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 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, 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

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

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