Children's home run by Newcastle City Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 1 SC044485 Registered provider: Newcastle City 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

A local authority manages this home, which provides care and accommodation for up to seven young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home provides short-term placements in which young people generally stay for a maximum of 20 weeks.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are admitted to the home in an emergency and staff do not always have the necessary skills to meet their needs.  Young people face unnecessary disruption through leaving the home in an unplanned way.  The full range of needs and behaviours of young people are not understood at the point of admission due to an impact risk assessment not being completed upon referral.  Inappropriate matching has exposed existing residents to negative behaviours. Such placements conflict with the detail in the home’s statement of purpose.  The registered manager’s decision to refuse unsuitable placements is overruled by senior managers.  Young people experience drift through remaining at the home longer than planned.  Staff are not able to meet the needs of young people due to a lack of training and experience.  Staff do not always promote independent living skills when young people are due to move on from the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are not allowed access to some areas of the home, providing an ‘institutionalised’ feel.

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Key findings from this inspection

 An experienced manager provides leadership to a long-standing and committed staff team.  Some staff have received extensive training in family intervention work, and others are champions in preventing child sexual exploitation and drug and alcohol misuse.  Young people who move into the home in a planned way experience a child- focused introduction to the home.  There is a good safeguarding culture at the home, and behaviour management strategies are effective with no recent use of restraints or sanctions.  New, effective recording systems with regular and thorough monitoring and auditing have been developed.  Most young people are regularly attending education.  Home-cooked food and exercise promotes healthy living.  The manager promotes good multi-agency working. Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/01/2017 Full Outstanding 06/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/11/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 4

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that – helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to – lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(a) and (c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this is in respect of applying the home’s statement of purpose to offer a short stay (ideally up to 20 weeks) reception and assessment centre for children and young people. Also, specific training should be provided to staff to meet young people’s needs, for example in relation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). 15/07/17

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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; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b) and (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to developing a pre-admission 15/07/17 Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 5 risk assessment for all young people referred, including a placement matching assessment to those already living at the home. The registered manager should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that – children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b) and (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) In particular, young people’s risk assessments should identify any reason for restrictions to the shared areas of the home. 15/07/17

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improvement to be good

A high number of young people have left the home in an unplanned way. The home is not operating in line with its statement of purpose, which outlines that it is ‘A short stay (ideally up to 20 weeks) reception and assessment centre for children and young people’. Many young people are admitted in an emergency and there are no plans for them to have a matching assessment completed. Some young people who were admitted without appropriate matching consideration have left only a few days later. This causes unnecessary moves and increased disruption for those involved, as well as instability to the existing young people.

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improvement to be good

There is no practice of staff undertaking pre-admission risk assessments. The statement Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 6 of purpose outlines, ‘Our risk assessments and Reg 45 report must demonstrate that we have assessed the risks and needs both of the child admitted as an emergency (and identified gaps in the information and the possible risks associated with these gaps and what actions need to be progressed in consequence) and for the other residents as a group and individually.’ The full range of needs and behaviours of young people are not understood.

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improvement to be good

Some young people are inappropriately placed at the home. This has led to existing young people being at greater at risk of harm and exploitation. Existing young people are also exposed to the newly admitted young people’s negative or sexualised behaviour. This has led to the need for close supervision by staff to keep them safe from each other. This leads to some restrictions within the home, for example one young person having to go to his bedroom to avoid the actions of another. Despite the high level of supervision, young people are still exposed to inappropriate behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Some staff are not fully equipped to meet the needs of young people admitted to the home. This is due to their lack of training, experience and understanding of specific conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). The home does not match the placement needs of one young person as identified in his care plan. The independent reviewing officer reported, ‘This is not in [name of young person’s] best interests… this placement will not allow for the required assessments or meet [name of young person’s] needs.’

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improvement to be good

The home provides short-term care and assessment for young people. Where permanence is identified as in their best interests, transitions to alternative placements are not progressed in a timely fashion. Consequently, young people remain living at the home, not because it can meet their needs, but because the placing authority cannot find an alternative placement. This causes drift for young people, even when staff assess that a more suitable placement is required. A member of staff said, ‘[Name of young person] has been here longer than he should have been. This is due to the lack of success finding him an appropriate placement. I don’t think we fully meet his needs or can change his behaviour – we can’t do that.’

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improvement to be good

Young people who move in a planned way receive a thorough introduction to the home. Staff provide information to family and carers to put their minds at ease. The child- friendly introduction pack provides young people with all the necessary essential information, such as staffing and routines. Staff spread this detailed information sharing with young people across key-working sessions. This is because feedback from young people identified that they had too much information on arrival. Young people no longer feel overwhelmed early in their placement. This offers stability and reduces anxiety, as staff gradually make young people aware of the routines and boundaries in the home. Ongoing information provided through a child-friendly, monthly newsletter informs young people about things happening in the area.

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improvement to be good

Young people have education placements but are not all consistently attending. Staff provide ongoing encouragement and support to promote educational opportunities for all. Healthy, home-cooked food ensures that young people benefit from a well-balanced Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 7 diet. They are encouraged to eat together. However, this is dependent on the dynamics of young people living at the home and how well they get on. Staff promote physical exercise and encourage young people to use the gym facilities in the home.

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improvement to be good

There is an institutional feel to the home, with staff carrying master keys preventing young people’s easy access to the gym and chill-out room. Young people have to ask for permission to gain access to the kitchen. A young person complained, saying, ‘I am not allowed in the kitchen to cook. No one is. Staff are meant to help with my independence but they don’t.’ However, the home also provides good facilities for young people, such as a games table. The home is freshly decorated in bright colours, and young people are able to personalise their bedrooms.

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

Behaviour management strategies are effective. There have been no restraints and no sanctions since the last inspection. Young people receive rewards and incentives to encourage positive behaviour.

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

Some young people go missing from the home or are absent on a regular basis. Two young people on separate occasions were missing for many consecutive days, resulting in media involvement. On both occasions, this involved young people who were new to the home. Staff follow safeguarding procedures and provide a clear, detailed chronology of their efforts to locate young people who are missing. Consistently provided return-to- home interviews ensure that young people are given opportunities to discuss the reasons for their absence and for staff to follow up any new concerns. Staff are proactive in ensuring that action is taken to stop young people from absconding. However, some young people still put themselves at risk of child sexual exploitation or offending behaviour when absent from the home.

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

Following unplanned admissions, the committed staff work additional hours and change their shift patterns to include waking nights. This provides extra supervision during the initial stages of placement to keep young people safe.

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

Staff have all received basic safeguarding training to help them identify concerns relating to child sexual exploitation. Some staff have also received additional training in this and other areas such as drugs and alcohol misuse, making them champions within the home, enabling them to advise and influence others who are less knowledgeable. The innovative use of screening tools helps staff to identify the risk and triggers involved with drugs and alcohol misuse. Staff ensure that all new information and risks are reflected through additional key-working sessions, updated risk assessments, and referrals made to appropriate external agencies. Proactive input from staff further helps to educate young people and keep them safe.

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

An easily accessible ‘grab file’ holds details of all young people’s placement plans, risk assessments and positive handling plans. This provides staff with up-to-date information about young people to ensure consistency of care, supervision and support. Managers Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 8 provide regular and thorough monitoring and review of young people’s records. This reflects young people’s changing needs and promotes continued progress. Staff members’ good awareness of these plans provides protection, as they know the risks to young people and what strategies to use to keep them safe.

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

Staff are empowered to contribute to young people’s plans, and managers maintain a thorough oversight of young people’s behaviour, needs and progress through a monthly tracker system. Managers undertake additional internal auditing. The robust monitoring from the independent visitor provides good-quality evaluative scrutiny. This drives improvement and ensures that young people continue to be safeguarded at the home.

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

Good collaboration with safeguarding professionals ensures that young people’s needs and vulnerabilities are shared with those who need to know. As well as formal meetings, this also happens on an informal basis, with community police regularly calling at the home and using the opportunity to get to know the young people living here. A two-way exchange of information identifies any local safeguarding issues at an early stage. This provides staff with locality information to keep risks under review.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager provides effective leadership and oversight of the home. He has been the registered manager of the home for 10 years and has demonstrated his considerable experience and commitment to the home. He has a social work degree and diploma in management that renders him qualified and competent to manage the home. The manager is supported by two experienced senior staff members who work well together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and senior staff members are regularly challenged by senior managers about their views regarding unplanned admissions. While the manager acknowledges that the responsibility for making decisions about admissions lies with him as the registered manager, he indicated that his views are often challenged, saying: ‘I resisted an admission. However, I was overruled.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel vulnerable on Friday afternoons and during the weekends, when the emergency duty team regularly makes requests for placements. A staff member reported, ‘Some young people shouldn’t come in to the home. However, the emergency duty team will still place the young person if we have a vacancy.’ This is regardless of any earlier planning. This causes instability and upheaval for young people whose placements often only last a short period

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is well staffed with a long-standing team of staff who have worked together for many years. They are committed to offering a good-quality service to young people, and several of them have increased their skills through obtaining a qualification in family intervention work. They provide work with young people and their families when the care plan is for reunification. One of the aims of the home as outlined in the statement of purpose is, ‘To provide accommodation for those young people who have a clear, Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 9 achievable plan to returning home.’ This has proved highly effective in the past. However, no family intervention work has taken place for many months. One staff member said they felt this was due to the young people being admitted to the home who did not fit these criteria. Staff voiced frustration at not being able to use their experience and skills. One said, ‘We are an assessment unit but are being used more for

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

emergencies – we can get offenders in, drug users, young people who have been known to carry weapons, as opposed to family breakdown.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff said that they feel supported by managers and benefit from regular supervision, training and team meetings. Additional focused group supervision takes place particularly when family intervention work is undertaken. This provides staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice, with mentoring provided from team members and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are committed to offering a good-quality service to young people and are a close- knit team who support each other. Positive feedback received from stakeholders about the care and support provided by staff includes ‘staff are fantastic and accommodating’, and, ‘they are caring and friendly’.

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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 differences 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: SC044485 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council, PO Box 690, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 2BN

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Inspector(s)

Tina Ruffles, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC044485 11 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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