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

Good

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

p.2

The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 The children and young people are progressing and achieving. They have very good relationships with the staff and with each other. Their health needs are met and they have access to a wide range of meaningful activities.  All of the children and young people have 100% school attendance and they are meeting their education expectations. They are learning a range of independence skills and gaining in confidence.  The children and young people receive individualised care that meets their needs. Improvements in their residential plans show positive measurable outcomes. The staff consult the children and young people about their activities for daily living, and day-to-day experiences are positive.  The children and young people are safe, and the staff are skilled in positive behaviour management. The staff respect the rights of children and young people, as well as their equality and diversity.  The registered manager and the staff are committed to improving the lives

p.3

The children’s home’s provision is good because:

of children and young people. The staff feel supported and valued. Partnership working with other professionals is good, and the majority of parents feel supported and included in their children’s care.  Transitions from the home are poor. Robust transition planning is lacking, and there are significant delays in young adults moving on from the children’s home. The registered manager and the staff do not always take action when there are known risk factors.  There are shortfalls in the internal monitoring. There have been delays in submitting required information and documentation to Ofsted within reasonable timescales. The home has also failed to meet a requirement from the previous inspection.

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child that include information and documents listed in Schedule 3. Specifically, that each child has a comprehensive and detailed transition plan in place to support their move into adulthood. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 31/03/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality care provided for the children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home and any actions that the registered manager considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 31/03/2017

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that 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 the internal monitoring makes best use of the information available to scrutinise the home to ensure continuous improvement. The registered manager should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, learning from disruptions and be responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned to sustain good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that all leaders and managers fulfil their management responsibilities. In particular, ensure that the registered manager submits important information

p.4

Recommendations

either requested or required by Ofsted within the prescribed time scales. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.2)

p.4

Information about this children’s home

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

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/03/2016 Full Requires improvement 22/10/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Good

The children and young people are happy in their home. They receive good quality, individualised care that meets their needs. Improvements to their residential care plans now clearly show that the children and young people are progressing and achieving, and that living at this home positively influences their outcomes.

p.6

Good

A parent said: ‘The care my son receives in the unit is superb and has been for six years. My child has an excellent relationship with the staff and his key worker is outstanding in the care she delivers to improve my son’s quality of life. [Name] is doing exceptionally well within his limitations. He has learned lots of independence skills.’

p.6

Good

The children and young people experience meaningful relationships with the staff, which helps them to form strong emotional attachments that increase their self- esteem and self-worth.

p.6

Good

A parent said: ‘I am hugely grateful for all the support the home provides for [name]. His key worker is great, and she is a wonderful substitute mother to him. All the staff are so caring, good-natured and patient and have a wonderful sense of humour, which is sometimes essential. I would like to say an enormous thank you to everybody.’

p.6

Good

The children and young people are healthy and their healthcare needs are met. They access the healthcare services they need, including specialist services, and they live a very healthy lifestyle. Engagement in activities is a strength. The children and young people access a wide range of individual and group activities, which increases their socialisation and widens their life experiences.

p.6

Good

A parent said: ‘The staff are wonderful at letting [name] do what gives him pleasure. He loves swimming and stories, and the staff take my child out for long walks, which he thoroughly enjoys.’

p.6

Good

Another parent commented: ‘[Name] loves to be busy and to get out and about. He enjoys outings, walks and swimming with staff and the other residents. He particularly enjoyed a holiday last year. We were very grateful as we realise the amount of hard work and dedication this took.’

p.6

Good

Educational outcomes are consistently high. The children and young people enjoy going to school and the staff fully support their educational needs. Key workers often go into school to work with the teachers and other key professionals to support their key children and to share good practice. This gives the children and young people access to a good, rounded education that helps to prepare them for later life.

p.6

Good

All the children and young people are encouraged and supported to learn useful independence skills, with very good results. They have learned a range of skills that include how to attend to their personal needs unaided. For example, how to carry out household tasks and how to help with the shopping and preparing snacks, drinks and meals.

p.7

Good

A social worker said: ‘[Name] has progressed and is doing well, staff got him to use the toilet by himself within six months, which is a massive achievement. His speech and language are coming on brilliantly. He can make choices and ask for a drink, or something to eat. This is great for him.’

p.7

Good

The staff are skilled in communicating with the children and young people, who all have communication limitations. They use a wide range of communication aids, and they recognise the changes in the behaviour of children and young people to ascertain their feelings. The staff consult with the children and young people, and encourage them to make choices in their daily routines. This promotes the rights and equality of the children and young people.

p.7

Good

The children and young people are safe and the staff see their welfare as paramount. The staff receive regular child protection training and they are aware of the vulnerabilities of children and young people. No children or young people are at risk of going missing or of child sexual exploitation.

p.7

Good

A social worker said: ‘I have no concerns about safety at the home. My young person is safe and very well cared for.’

p.7

Good

Positive behaviour management supports the children and young people to develop their self-regulating skills, which reduces the incidents of challenging behaviour and self-harming. The staff fully understand that consistent routines and rituals are very important for children and young people who have autistic spectrum disorder, to help calm them and meet their sensory needs. Good communication, team working and agreed behaviour management plans ensure that the staff control and maintain the children and young people’s environment to reduce known stress factors. This settles the children and young people and enhances their quality of life.

p.7

Good

The children and young people are rarely restrained. The staff receive training to carry out restraints safely, and the registered manager ensures that written records are regularly monitored and reviewed. These measures validate that all restraints are appropriate and necessary.

p.8

Good

A parent said: ‘I am very happy with the care my child receives. The staff are all expert and they deploy a range of strategies in managing challenging behaviour.’

p.8

Good

A social worker commented: ‘[Name] is progressing well. He is settled and his behaviours have significantly reduced. This shows he is happy.’

p.8

Good

The children and young people have individual risk assessments, which in the main are robust and effective. Generic risk management for the environment and health and safety are also good. However, there have been occasions when potential risks or hazards have not been recognised or assessed. For example, a young person had some accidents when he used the bathroom, but the staff did not instigate a risk assessment to review why this was happening or how to reduce the likelihood of further mishaps. On another occasion, the staff did not address a recommendation from the independent visitor to write a protocol for the times when a young person should attend hospital following incidents of self-harm.

p.8

Good

The staff are vigilant in checking visitors to the home to ensure that they pose no risk to the children and young people. The staff know the contact arrangements for family and friends. When restrictions are in place, they ensure that the children and young people are protected. These actions promote the children and young people’s welfare.

p.8

Requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post since September 2015. He is a qualified social worker and has a relevant management certificate. He has recently sought to commence a level 5 diploma qualification to further improve his skills and knowledge. He is an experienced manager and he has previously worked in children and young people’s services.

p.8

Requires improvement

The home has met one of the two requirements from the last full inspection. The registered manager has facilitated all the necessary consents so that the independent visitor can carry out their role effectively. A failure to meet a requirement, to ensure that the children and young people have a transition and pathway plan in place, has had a significant impact on outcomes for two young adults who are living at the home. The young adults have had unacceptable delays in moving to an adult placement.

p.8

Requires improvement

There are no transition or pathway plans available in the home. Although the transition delays have primarily arisen from poor planning by the local authority, the registered person has failed to ensure that the young adults had the required plans in place at a much earlier stage in the transition process.

p.9

Requires improvement

There are currently fixed plans in place to move the young adults, and the effect on them has been minimal because they are very happy at the home. However, the delays and changes in the transition arrangements have caused high levels of distress to the young adults’ parents.

p.9

Requires improvement

A parent said: ‘[Name’s] transition has been a nightmare. There is a plan in place now, but he was 18 last year and there was nothing set up for him. Things are beginning to move now, but they have known about [name’s] needs for years.’

p.9

Requires improvement

The internal monitoring is not fully compliant with regulation. There is some useful, relevant information in the registered manager’s six-monthly report, but there are also some omissions. The reports lack evaluation and it is not clear how the monitoring findings are driving improvement. When incidents have occurred, these have not been adequately analysed to show any lessons learned or what measures are taken to improve practice. The report contains no consultation with the children or young people about their views or feelings. These shortfalls compromise the home’s development.

p.9

Requires improvement

The registered manager has also failed to provide Ofsted with important information that is required by regulation. The home’s statement of purpose, which should be submitted to Ofsted at least annually, was last received in 2015. Additionally, the registered manager did not send Ofsted an action plan from the monitoring inspection that took place in November. These omissions compromise strong leadership and management arrangements.

p.9

Requires improvement

Due to receiving a complaint from a parent about the care of her child, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit on 14 November 2016. As a result, six requirements were identified to improve the safety and welfare of children and young people. The home has met all of the requirements.

p.9

Requires improvement

The registered manager has an improved understanding of what constitutes a notifiable event and who he should inform when an event occurs. This ensures that relevant agencies, including Ofsted, can monitor the home and the outcomes for the children and young people. Healthcare plans are more robust, and there are better systems in place to ensure that the children and young people attend follow-up medical appointments. Strengthened child protection arrangements keep the children and young people safe, and the registered manager and the staff know they must respond quickly to potential safeguarding concerns. Clear guidelines about who manages complaints ensure that the investigators are independent of the home.

p.9

Requires improvement

The registered manager and the staff have improved the quality of the written residential care plans. The plans better set out the needs of children and young people and how these will be met. This promotes individualised care and consistency. There are improved systems to audit the children and young people’s information and their case files.

p.10

Requires improvement

The registered manager leads a committed staff team that feels valued and respected. Communication within the team is very good, with regular staff meetings where the registered manager and the staff share and discuss important information. This includes all the staff in decision-making and promotes consistency.

p.10

Requires improvement

A staff member said: ‘[Name] is a good manager. He listens to us and he respects what we say. He is approachable and very supportive.’

p.10

Requires improvement

Recent internal promotions have improved the home’s management structure. The introduction of a deputy manager and senior residential workers is starting to have a positive impact. Roles and responsibilities are shared, which gives the registered manager more time to focus on his direct management responsibilities. This positive move strengthens leadership and management in the home.

p.10

Requires improvement

The staff receive the training they need to meet the needs of the children and young people. The registered person is supportive of staff training and development, and the annual appraisal for each member of staff sets out individual aims and objectives. This investment in the staff ensures that they provide good care and support.

p.10

Requires improvement

Relationships and joint working with other professionals and agencies provide the children and young people with additional support, which enhances their outcomes. The registered manager and the staff are supportive of parents and families, and family visitors are welcomed into the home. This important input keeps families together and supports the children and young people in maintaining important emotional bonds.

p.10

Requires improvement

A teacher said: ‘We work really well with the staff, and the handover process is very good, twice a day. This helps with consistency. We have a speech and language therapist who works with the young people and we share this communication information with staff at the home. We visit the home and the staff come to the school. It all works really well.’ A parent said: ‘I have nothing but praise for the home. They have been fantastic. [Name] is very happy. Communication is very good and we can visit when we want. Everything is positive. We visit a lot so we see how the staff operate. They are attuned to [name’s] needs. I have no issues with the home; I have never had any concerns.’

p.10

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’.

p.12

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

p.12

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.12

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

p.13

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 .

p.13

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,

p.14

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.14

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.14

Information about this inspection

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

p.14