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

Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 1 SC038564 Registered provider: North Tyneside 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 six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 23/05/2017 to 24/05/2017

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff develop warm and supportive relationships with the young people quickly.  Placement plans are good and are routinely updated, ensuring that the documents remain ‘live’ at all times. Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 2  The young people enjoy living here. They enjoy the time they spend with staff, who they respect and listen to. They feel strongly that they can confide in staff and are supported in their day-to-day lives.  The registered manager and staff ensure that the young people are supported in their education. They communicate well with other agencies, sharing information on a regular basis. This ensures that any intervention or strategy is agreed, maintaining a consistent approach to fulfilling care plans.  The management team and staff provide stability in a supportive home. They are highly competent and suitably qualified professionals. All of the staff have attended a training workshop in aspects of radicalisation and extremism, raising

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Key findings from this inspection

their awareness and ultimately protecting young people from potential harm.  In general, the young people get on well with the staff and their peers. Boundaries in the home are clear and consistent. Bullying and restraint is very rare.  Staff ensure that the young people are supported in their well-being, fitness and healthy lifestyles. They will support meal preparations, menu planning and attendance at a local gym, among a range of other activities offered.  Risk assessments are good and staff will work with the young people, their families and their friends, through welfare checks and a range of other strategies agreed with the young person to ensure that any risk is managed.

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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

 Supervisions need to reflect and recognise the accountability for a shared agenda and be less organisationally led.  The home itself would benefit from additional refurbishment in terms of bathing facilities and general upkeep.  The young people are mostly here for a short time and encouragement is required to engage all of the young people in activities and new experiences with staff. This is mostly achieved but creativity is required to engage some young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 17/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure- that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14(1)(a) and (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that pathway plans are in place and that these clarify the young person’s assessed needs. 05/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure- that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1) and (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to upgrade the main upstairs shower room to provide a more homely and less institutionalised environment. 05/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality care review") at least once every 6 months. The system must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(1)(5)) 21/06/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff receive good quality supervision which allows them sufficient time to reflect on their practice and discuss matters relating to the children assigned to their care and encourage them to bring agenda items, relevant to practice to discuss. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 61 paragraph 13.2) Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is skilled in developing strong relationships with young people. The staff know the young people well. They support their independence. One young person said: ‘I used to need lots of prompting, when first doing independent work, but the staff don’t just ‘chuck’ you in, they slowly pull away.’ The support which is provided daily and through protected time with each young person helps them to develop as young adults, at their own pace. Encouragement is provided and achievements are celebrated with certificates and awards. Trips away or special activities are provided as incentives. For example, a city break was being planned during the visit. It is apparent that the confidence of young people develops through praise and recognition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of care is individualised to young people, ensuring that targets and goals are attainable. Education is supported through good communication and partnership working with schools. Some of the young people need extra support to attend education during difficult times in their lives. An educational professional stated: ‘They have managed [Name’s] behaviour well. They mirror our boundaries in school with good support, which is crucial. We have the same strategies, alongside the nurturing and caring environment that they provide.’ Another young person is being supported in achieving the examinations that he requires for his future. Extra tuition is provided through the school before the school day starts. These improvements have been achieved through good care, encouragement and praise. As a result, the young person’s improvement in self- esteem and confidence is measurable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the young people in developing healthy lifestyles. The young people attend the local gym. Through discussions with the young people, plans are being considered to buy bikes for the home. The plan is that staff will be able to go out on bike rides with the young people, which will improve their health, develop stronger bonds between the young people and staff, and enable the young people to build trust with appropriate adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team supports contact with family and friends, and communication is excellent in cementing relationships. Families are encouraged to attend relevant meetings to promote the young people’s sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Cards and letters were viewed from young people who had moved out of the home and from parents who were very complimentary of the care that had been provided. The registered manager and staff spoke fondly of the young people and their families, recognising the strong relationships that had been made. Plans were already agreed to maintain contact. This continuous support is another facet of the care that is provided in this home, and supports young people’s resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The delay in accessing pathway plans is a shortfall, and the registered manager and the team are aware. Actions are in place to rectify this as soon as possible. Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 5

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

The staff’s knowledge of young people, their backgrounds and current circumstances has enabled them to maintain ‘live’ individual risk assessments. Electronic recording has improved the monitoring of these records. The records are updated following concern or when new information is provided. The management team and staff ensure that any changes are communicated to all parties. This consistent approach supports other strategies to keep young people safe.

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

The staff team is good at keeping in contact with young people when they are out in the community, or visiting friends or family. The staff keep in contact with young people by phone at regular intervals. Additionally, visits are arranged at an agreed place to ensure that a young person is safe and well. Young people are given a mobile phone which enables contact to be possible, to reduce risk and potential harm. This action has seen a decrease in missing episodes. The staff team shares information with police and other agencies so that action can be taken to keep young people safe.

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

Key-working sessions are specific to identified risks and completed regularly. There are no bullying issues, and young people are always able to discuss and confide in staff. A young person said: ‘They are always approachable. They listen to you and are really helpful, especially when it comes to difficult times.’ At times of potential risk, staffing ratios are increased. This proactive approach not only protects the young people but maintains their safe development.

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

There are clear expectations of young people’s behaviour in the home. This, supported by the quality of relationships, results in an atmosphere that is settled. A young person’s preferred responses to certain behaviours is noted in their plans, and this helps to support strategies which are effective in calming them. There have been no sanctions or physical restraint during this period. This demonstrates the quality of the relationships that are in place.

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

The home itself is well furnished, yet there are still improvements to be made. The bathing facilities are not homely and could have an impact upon a young person’s emotional health. Personal hygiene is very important in raising self-esteem and body confidence. The staff team do very well in this area but would find this less of a challenge with improvements in the facilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and holds an appropriate qualification. He is supported by two experienced deputies providing a strong management team. They are dedicated to their work and are focused on caring and supporting the young people to achieve positive outcomes. They have high aspirations for the young people, who are generally only placed in this home for a short period of time. They demonstrate this on a daily basis as they are visible at all times in the day-to-day practice of the home. This provides a consistent approach to care. Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 6 The management team has put in place an improved electronic recording system. This demonstrates that improvements are being made, which support the staff to record with clarity. Records are accurate and up to date. Plans are robust and individual. The team itself has been together for many years, and it provides stability to the home and young

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

people. A member of staff said: ‘The support from the registered manager and deputy manager is good. Their door is always open. The whole team is supportive of one another.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring processes in the home have improved, yet there are still shortfalls. The quality care review has not included an action plan for the service or considered the views and opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. As a result, the plan for the next six months is unclear. Monthly monitoring checks are completed by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing ratios are good, and young people are supervised in accordance with their individual plans. Training is well monitored and offers opportunities to increase knowledge and skills associated to the needs of the young people and future placements.

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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 who 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: SC038564 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: North Tyneside Council, 16 The Silverlink North, Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0BY

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Inspector

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 8 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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Inspector

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