Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 1 SC035137 Registered provider: Durham County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Good

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

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Good

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2017

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 The leadership and management have been good. The registered manager and the interim manager have led the staff team well. They have ensured consistent Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 2 practice and have maintained high standards of care. The staff are well supported by supervision and training.  The young people have very good relationships with the staff. Staff are supportive and committed to the welfare of the young people and take an interest in all areas of their lives. Staff share activities with the young people and enjoy spending time talking about issues that the young people are interested in.  The staff team is strong and experienced. Staff members are all qualified and well trained. Perhaps most importantly, they communicate well with each other and they take time to support each other while carrying out their work with the young people.  The young people achieve well at school and college. Their attendance is good

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Key findings from this inspection

and they make good and sometimes excellent progress in their chosen studies. Young people who have previously missed school have much-improved attendance.  The young people are supported to maintain and develop good contact with their families. The staff work hard with families, and this family work contributes to the good outcomes that the young people are currently achieving.  The young people are all approaching independence. They are working hard with the staff to ensure that they have sufficient skills and experience to take this step. Planning is well advanced for the older young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The standard of record-keeping on the children’s files has slipped a little in recent months, and the staff need to make greater efforts to keep records up to date. This includes ensuring that essential documents are obtained in a timely way and that their records are accurate and kept up to date.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 21/07/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The registered provider must maintain records ("case records") for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(b)) 31/07/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous full inspection in September 2016, the registered manager has been absent from the home for almost five months. He is now back at work and has resumed full management responsibility. The local authority was quick to appoint an interim manager. This was a senior worker from within the home who had some previous management experience. The interim manager has led and managed the staff team very well during this period and has maintained high standards of care practice throughout.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The skilled and experienced staff team has also played its part in both supporting the interim manager and in maintaining high standards throughout this challenging period. The interim manager has said that he felt supported by the staff team, and the staff team has had confidence in the interim manager and has supported him well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although this is a significant disruption to the service, the young people have been very well supported and have not been adversely affected by the changes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have continued to make good, and sometimes excellent, progress and have continued to benefit from the experience of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the home is the relaxed and homely atmosphere. Relationships between the young people and the staff are excellent. The young people can approach the staff easily and chat freely. They clearly feel valued and supported. There is an air of mutual respect, and the staff are genuinely interested in being with the young people, in supporting them and in enjoying their company. Mealtimes are shared times when the day is discussed and when conversation, stories and jokes flow easily. The young people share in day-to-day decision-making in the home. There is a communal shopping list on a blackboard in the kitchen, which is for everyone’s use. The Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 4 young people negotiate and discuss their plans for their leisure time and ask for any appropriate lifts or transport.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the young people are making progress with their education. One young person is now attending school well after missing a good deal of school prior to moving to this home. Another young person has made good progress in their first year at college, is now predicted exam success and has been accepted on a skills-based college course for next year. This is a substantial achievement for this young person. Another young person is continuing to excel in their A-level studies and is predicted very high grades. They are making plans to go to university to take an academic degree and have made ambitious career plans for their future. A senior teacher from one young person’s school described their progress as ‘fantastic’ and went on to praise the staff and the joint work done between the school and the home. The staff have made education a priority, and there is an expectation of participation and a culture of support and achievement in the home

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

in relation to school and college. It was noted by the inspector that staff were helping one young person to revise for an upcoming exam. The support was informal and relaxed but given a high priority. Lunchtime was moved back to allow the young person to finish a piece of work without interruption. One young person went on a school trip abroad to a site of pilgrimage. The young person has since developed an interest in religion and is pursuing this in their own time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are encouraged to maintain contact with their families whenever possible. The staff work with families to support these relationships, and progress is clear to see. The parent of one young person described the staff as ‘really professional’, saying that they have adopted a ‘whole-family approach’. They went on to describe the substantial progress that their child has made at the home and said how pleased they are that the young person has gone to this home to live. Another young person is supported to have regular contact with their family despite ongoing concerns. This is undertaken by staff working closely with the family and the young person. While the staff remain flexible, they are very clear about expectations and boundaries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people spend some of their leisure time out of the home with friends and family but also choose to share some of this time with the staff. There is a full range of activities and trips on offer, but it was the sharing of more day-to-day activities that was impressive. One young person was taking part in an aerobics class with a member of staff for the evening. This was part of a healthy eating, healthy lifestyle programme that both of them are signed up for. Another young person, who has recently not only passed his driving test but bought a car, was working out how to get it booked into a local garage for some necessary repairs, with staff who demonstrated that they have good local knowledge. These day-to-day activities are not only building relationships but promoting life skills, confidence and resilience in a relaxed and informal way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are all in good health, and regular appointments are made and kept routinely. All of the young people are receiving external support from specialist workers and counsellors to help them to deal with difficult areas of their lives. This work is having a clear and significant beneficial effect. This work is complemented by regular individual and personalised work undertaken by the staff with the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 5 Because the young people living at the home are all approaching independence, the staff have placed a greater priority on this aspect of their work. All of the young people are making good progress in this area, although some of the recording of this could be better. The inspector observed the staff and young people discussing issues such as transport, shopping and making day-to-day transactions. The two oldest young people are very nearly ready for moving into adult life. These young people are actively

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

discussing their future plans with the staff and they have clear and realistic views about where they will be living once they move on from the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young people at this home are safeguarded well.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

In the period since the previous inspection, there has only been one safeguarding incident. While this was not the most serious of incidents, it was concerning because it happened while one young person was visiting their family on arranged unsupervised contact. The incident was properly reported by the staff, and a subsequent child protection investigation was undertaken. The situation was dealt with appropriately, and staff, social workers and child protection professionals worked together to address the concerns and to allow the young person to maintain good-quality family contact in a safe way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff understand risks and make good risk assessments. They are able to work with families and the young people to minimise these risks. One young person who has a history of harmful behaviour has undertaken a specialist assessment and accompanying specialist work. They now clearly understand themselves and their experiences better, have made significant changes to their behaviour and, as a result, risks have decreased substantially. The young person, their family and professionals recognise this progress.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Levels of going missing from this home are low. Since the previous inspection, incidents of missing have only involved one young person and the number of incidents are reducing month on month. This is partly due to the young person settling down but also to the work that the staff have undertaken with the young person and their family. One young person has a history of drug misuse. This issue has been addressed, and the young person has received specialist advice and guidance. As a result, these incidents are becoming less frequent and more manageable. In both cases, risks are decreasing and the young people are becoming more in control of their actions.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Because the staff have built excellent relationships with the young people, there is little need for sanctions to be used. No physical interventions have been necessary and only a few sanctions have been used in this reporting period. Staff are clear about expectations and boundaries, and issues are discussed when necessary. Records at the home show that when one young person bought a small quantity of alcohol back to the home the staff were able to discuss the issue and resolve it amicably with the young person concerned. The situation has not been repeated. Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 6 The young people feel safe at the home and said so. There is no bullying and, generally, the young people get on well with each other. They are able to resolve small issues and concerns in a reasonable way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Some of the young people have a history of harming themselves, but there is no record of any such recent issues. This is undoubtedly because they feel safe and secure and because they have been able to come to terms with some of their past difficulties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the previous full inspection, the registered manager has not been at work for nearly five months between early December 2016 and late April 2017. During this time, a senior member of staff from within the existing staff team was appointed as an interim manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has led and managed the team well and has maintained high standards. The focus during this time has been on maintaining the existing care practices rather than on developing the team. This has worked well and it is clear that the staff team has felt supported and has supported the interim manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has now returned to work in a full-time capacity and has resumed his responsibilities in full. He is qualified, with a level five diploma in leadership and management, and has been in post for just over two years. The registered manager has continued to develop his knowledge and skills over this period and has been involved in the review of several of the local authority’s childcare policies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is up to date, and it is clear that the home meets the aims and objectives set out in this document.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the interim manager have continued to offer annual appraisals for all of the staff, and these are thorough. They have also offered good and regular supervision, although the recording of this work should be kept more up to date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they are supported, and it is clear to the inspector that this is a supportive team, the members of which communicate well with each other and support each other with the work. The staff team is well trained, and continued refresher training is regularly offered and taken, ensuring that the team is up to date. The registered manager also brings in specialist trainers to cover any new training need identified by the staff. A drugs worker is booked to update staff on new drug issues, and further training on child sexual exploitation is also planned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has produced a good development plan, and there are improvements planned throughout the current year as well as opportunities to review and discuss current arrangements and systems. This bodes well for the continued development of the team. The registered manager has a good understanding of things that the staff team does well and the areas where there can be some improvement. These are being actively addressed. Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 7 Both the registered manager and the interim manager are very child centred. They put the young people’s needs first. They have both ensured that the young people currently at the home have continued to make good progress and have continued to benefit from and enjoy the experience of living in this home. Both these managers have an excellent understanding of the needs of all the young people at the home and are very clear about

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the staff team have good relationships with external professionals and with the families of the young people. This was demonstrated during the recent safeguarding issue and is apparent in the excellent relationships that they have with schools and colleges. It is also clear that the young people are referred to external specialist workers when this is necessary. The registered manager is able to challenge others when this is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Only one requirement has been made at this inspection. The requirement is to keep the records in children’s case files up to date. Two up-to-date personal education plans were not on file but it was clear that these documents have been produced. One risk assessment on family contact was not completely up to date, as the risks have changed following a child protection investigation. Work on independence skills and other personalised work was taking place but was not being recorded very thoroughly. The inspector’s feeling was that the standard of recording has slipped a little during the busy time caused by the registered manager’s absence.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Durham DH1 5UL

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Inspector

Colin Imrie, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC035137 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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