Children's home run by Hartlepool Borough Council in Hartlepool

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The three recommendations raised during the previous inspection are now met. One requirement and four further recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff address the impact for young people of living with one another at times of increased risk. This involves good levels of consulting young people when, for example, some of them are approaching adulthood. As a result, clear boundaries and expectations are sustained. Staff now receive training about how to safeguard vulnerable adults. This helps ensure the protection and safety of all young people. A member of staff said, ‘We spoke to young people and asked them how they felt and for their views.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A user-friendly report now helps young people contribute to their care plans because it is written in a format that reflects their individuality. This also serves as a chronology of their achievements, and identifies important events in young people’s lives. This aids their current and future understanding about their time within the home. These developments meet the previous recommendations.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are highly effective at responding to young people’s developmental and emotional needs, leading to their continued progress. Young people invest in planning for their futures by going for interviews at college and taking part in work placements. For some young people, when there is a dip in their motivation because of external factors, the focused response from staff helps them to get back on track. A parent said, ‘I think the home is fantastic. They have helped [name] build the bond back with his family.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

High investment in young people’s individual interests, talents and skills means they also continue to take part in an exceptional range of activities. These include holidays to specialist snowboarding centres. Some young people have also taken part in an onsite project resulting in the provision of a workshop. This is for the sole use of young people to aid the development of their practical skills, helping to further equip them for work. For one young person, passing a motorbike proficiency test has led to them owning a motorbike. For another young person, the provision of an allotment means being able to pursue an interest in gardening, with the aim of a career in horticulture. A young person said, ‘We are going to get chickens to keep on the allotment and I can collect the eggs.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s statement of purpose does not advise stakeholders about the levels of monitoring within the home. For example, sensors on external doors, which ensure that staff know when young people come and go. Staff take effective action in response to young people who are absent or go missing. They address this behaviour by exploring the underlying concerns with the young people. In addition, such open discussion helps to sustain the stability of young people’s placements and sends a strong message to them that their welfare is of the highest priority. A police officer said, ‘They always go out and look for young people. They don’t shy away from doing anything they need to.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people receive excellent help and support, enabling them to move on at their own pace and to live independently when they reach adulthood. Staff provide additional assistance to those that have left the home and stay in contact with them, visiting them and helping them with any concerns. This approach means young people are more likely to receive assistance if they need it, promoting their safety and well-being within the community. On the subject of Christmas, a member of staff said, ‘We went to visit young people who had left and we bought them presents.’ This reinforces good relationships and replicates family life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff feel well supported by the management team. This is underpinned by meaningful opportunities for the staff team’s ongoing professional development. This leads to a motivated staff team and improved care practice. A member of staff said, ‘We have just finished some training about research in practice and we are going to look to see how we can use this here.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some records relating to absent or missing incidents, in particular, chronologies, do not include all the details, such as the time at which young people were last seen. As staff rely on this summary for analysis purposes, this omission diminishes the effectiveness of any in-house thematic review.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff ask young people to sign some of the home’s documentation — for example, for the receipt of pocket money, attendance at young people’s meetings and in response to any disciplinary measures. This practice is at odds with the ethos of the home to build trusting relationships. Treating young people in a dissimilar way to their peers who do not live in a home for children is an unnecessary reinforcement of this difference.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff occasionally use sanctions in response to behaviours. Some of these are a result of school staff passing on concerns about young people’s negative behaviour during education. This approach is both ineffective and unfair, and is also at odds with the home’s approach of reinforcing positive behaviour. Such responses only increase young people’s anxieties about returning to the home, rather than instilling confidence that they can relax within a calm environment whatever the difficulties they experience elsewhere.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behaviour difficulties. It is owned and operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/08/2016 Full Outstanding 04/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/10/2015 Full Good 26/02/2015 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) 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

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in schedule 1 (Regulation 16 (1)) With particular reference to Schedule 1 (16). 31/3/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home provides a domestic and homely environment. In particular, ensure that young people do not have to routinely sign any documentation as a means of indicating compliance with activities of daily living such as receiving pocket money and being consulted. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. In particular, ensure chronologies compiled for analysis, as a result of young people being absent or missing, also record the time at which the young person was seen last. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person should ensure all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. In particular, ensure young people are not subject to further sanctions by the home for behaviour already addressed within school. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to

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Recommendations

help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In particular, ensure that any measure taken in response to a young person’s behaviour helps them make the links between their behaviour and the arising outcome. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.38)

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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 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

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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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