Children's Home run by North East Autism Society in Durham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 1 SC458415 Registered provider: North East Autism Society Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides short-breaks care and accommodation for up to six children or young people who have a learning disability. The home specialises in looking after children and young people who have an autistic spectrum disorder.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children‟s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children‟s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 20 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because: Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 2  The children and young people receive outstanding individualised care that meets their needs. They have excellent relationships with the staff, and with each other. The children and young people are consulted and their views, and wishes, are fully taken into account.  The children and young people are progressing and achieving in all aspects of their lives. The quality of their daily experiences is extremely positive. Healthcare and educational outcomes are very good, and inter-agency working is a strength. Activities are wide ranging and stimulating.  Transitions are exceedingly well planned and the children and young people are making very rapid progress in their independence skills. Support for parents, and carers, is meticulous.  The children and young people are safe and effective risk management ensures

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Key findings from this inspection

that their ongoing safety and well-being are maintained. Positive behaviour management unquestionably contributes to improving the children‟s and young people‟s lives.  The registered manager and the staff team are highly committed to the care of the children and young people, with outstanding results. Positive equality and diversity are threaded throughout all aspects of the home‟s purposeful ethos.  Leadership and management are strong and focus on the children‟s and young people‟s needs and their superior outcomes. Meaningful staff supervision is effective and the staff receive the training, and professional development, that they need to enable the children and young people to thrive.

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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 current monitoring systems do not fully take into account feedback from the children and young people about the home‟s operation, and there is no service specific development plan that includes actions to further improve the home and the children‟s and young people‟s outcomes.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/08/2016 Full Outstanding 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/06/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 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 person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every six months. In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) and (2)(a), (b) and (c)) 11/08/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Individualised care is exemplary. The children and young people receive outstanding care and support that fully meets their needs. Comprehensive, ongoing assessment ensures that the needs of the children and young people are identified and known to the staff. This ensures that the care delivered focuses on supporting the children and young people to achieve and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A social worker said: „One of my young people was highly dependent before he came to have short breaks. This has been fantastic for him. He is much more settled and happy and he is accessing the community, something he could not do before. It is a lovely home and I cannot praise the staff and the manager highly enough. They do a fantastic job.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the children and young people have progressed from their starting points and, since the last full inspection, most of the children and young people have surpassed expectations. Relationships with the staff are excellent. The children and young people have formed trusting bonds, which have enhanced their confidence and their Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 4 achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A staff member said: „The young people are great and they are the main reason why the staff work here. All the young people are improving; they improve every time they come. More importantly, they really enjoy it here. This is a great place for kids to be, it is a happy place.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people clearly enjoy their short breaks. A young person, attending for their short break, ran into the home calling a staff member‟s name with his arms raised ready to give her a hug. He was greeted warmly by the member of staff, who reciprocated the young person‟s show of affection. Another young person was excited to be having his short break, and happily went to his chosen bedroom to unpack his suitcase that was full of his favourite toys and other precious personal possessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A young person said: „The best things about coming to stay here are there is lots to do and the staff are very nice. I like to go out with the staff and I like to chat with them. The food is very good, and the staff are teaching me lots of things. I like it here very much, and the very best thing about here is the staff.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Key working is a strength. Each child and young person has a nominated key worker who provides individual one-to-one support. This includes consulting with the children and young people, taking into account their age and their level of understanding. The staff use a range of communication aids to include all the children and young people. This promotes their equality and diversity, and gives them a voice in how they are cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Educational and healthcare needs are met. The staff work closely with schools to generate consistency for the children and young people. This is very important for children and young people who have an autistic spectrum disorder. The staff also regularly consult with parents and healthcare professionals to ensure that the children and young people access the healthcare services that they need. This promotes their good health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A headteacher said: „I currently teach two young people who access short breaks. The staff are doing wonders with the young people, and one particular young person is thriving due to the input and support he receives. The staff are very child-centred and they are very good at sharing practice, which included inviting me to the home to see how they worked with the young people. This was particularly helpful for consistency. Everything about the home is extremely positive. I cannot praise them highly enough.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A parent said: „I am fully involved with my child‟s care and her care plan. The staff are very aware of [Name‟s] health needs and her key worker is fantastic. I am kept fully up to date with everything and the communication is excellent. The care at this home is second to none, the staff are fantastic and they just smile all the time.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people rate activities as one of the best things about having short breaks. There is a wide range of choices, which include individual hobbies and Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 5 interests and group outings. Taking part in activities significantly improves the social skills of children and young people, and being introduced to new experiences unquestionably develops their confidence and feelings of self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A social worker said: „One of my young people has been attending short breaks for 14 months and he has made fantastic progress, which is lovely to see. He loves the activities and he is fully involved. The staff do a great job. His socialisation has increased massively and he is learning lots of new skills. This is a major achievement.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A number of activities centre on teaching the children and young people social and independence skills. This prepares them for later life. All the children and young people are learning how to look after themselves, how to do basic household chores and how to cook and help with food shopping. They thoroughly enjoy learning new skills, and their achievements are rewarded and celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A parent said: „It is brilliant at the short breaks. My son is learning so much. He has even learned how to cook and he does a lot more there than he does at home. The staff send us photographs so we can see what he has been doing, and that is great. My son loves to go. He has a great time.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Another parent commented: „My daughter is doing really well. Since she has started having short breaks she is really coming out of herself, she is doing lots of activities and getting so much more confident. She is trying things that she has never tried before, and she is not so frightened of everything. This is due to the support from the staff and the relationships they have with my child. I love the home and I love the staff, they are like my second family.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Transitions are comprehensively planned to reduce the anxieties that children and young people have about coming to stay at a children‟s home. Attending for short breaks is often the first time the children and young people have been away from their home and their families. The staff are very skilled at managing transitions and supporting the children and young people through what can be an extremely stressful time for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the transitional arrangements are discussed during pre-admission meetings to gather the views of the children and young people, their parents and social workers. Each transition is unique and focuses on supporting children and young people. This innovative way of working facilitates a smooth transition, which helps the children and young people to settle into their short-breaks care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A social worker said: „I have had a number of young people placed at this children‟s home. The staff are fantastic at managing transitions and the work they do is brilliant. The planning and effort the registered manager and the staff put into transitions is well over and above expectations. This helps the young people to settle quickly. The transitions for my young people have been a huge success.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Another social worker commented: „Children do achieve at this home and the staff know the children‟s needs very well. Managing transitions is a strength. All the children and Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 6 young people love it there and feedback from parents is also very positive.‟

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

The children and young people are kept safe during their short breaks. There have been no children or young people go missing, and they are not at risk of being radicalised or exploited. The staff know the children and young people extremely well, and they are able to anticipate any potential risks or harmful situations. Good staffing levels provide the children and young people with the safeguarding support that they need.

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

A parent said, „My daughter is settled at the home and she is safe. The staff know all the children inside out and they are supervised at all times. I have no concerns whatsoever about the safety of my child.‟

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

Risk management is effective and is instrumental in keeping the children and young people safe. Individual risk assessments are maintained, and regularly reviewed, to make sure that there are strategies in place to reduce known and potential risks. The staff receive training in all areas relating to keeping the children and young people safe. This includes child protection, and health and safety, training.

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

Behaviour is managed positively to guide and encourage the children and young people to learn about socially acceptable behaviours. The home has a strict „none punitive‟ approach to managing behaviour by focusing on praising the children and young people and using incentive and reward schemes.

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

A social worker said: „I currently have three young people accessing this service who all experience challenging behaviours. It has been extremely difficult to place one of the young people because previous provisions have been unable to meet his needs. The home worked very closely with the parents, and the young person made an excellent transition and he quickly settled. His behaviours are greatly improved and he loves the home. This is a great achievement and a credit to all the staff.‟

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

Regular health and safety, and fire safety, checks ensure that the children and young people have their short breaks in a safe environment. The staff ensure that all the equipment that is used by the children and young people is in good working order, and all the home‟s utilities are regularly checked and serviced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since May 2016. She is a qualified social worker and she has a wealth of childcare experience. She is currently undertaking a level 5 diploma qualification, as part of her professional development, to extend her management skills and knowledge. The registered manager is supported by a deputy manager who is very experienced in working with children and young people with a disability, and she is suitably qualified to undertake her role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager and the deputy manager have focused Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 7 on team-building activities that have resulted in the formation of a committed, motivated and highly trained staff team. All the feedback gained during this inspection, from parents and social workers, is extremely complimentary about the management of the home and the staff employed there. Strong management and the dedication of the staff team are significantly influencing the delivery of high-quality care and the outstanding outcomes for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A social worker said: „The support my young person gets is excellent. The staff team is very tight and works extremely well together. The home has had a really positive impact on my young person‟s care, and the support for the parents is fantastic. I cannot praise the registered manager and the staff enough, they do a brilliant job.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training has been another key area of development since the last inspection. Regular, meaningful supervision enhances the staff‟s skills and knowledge. Each staff member has a professional development plan that is agreed at annual appraisal meetings. Leaders and managers, and the provider, actively encourage and promote staff training to facilitate their learning and development. This values the staff and recognises their contribution towards delivering outstanding childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A member of staff said: „Everything is great, fine, fantastic. I love it here, I love working here and I love the young people. We have been doing some extra training courses, which I am really enjoying. The team is lovely and we all work together, and help each other out. The managers are great, I cannot fault them. I have spoken to the registered manager about having some extra responsibilities and she is very happy with this. This is something I would really like to do as part of my development.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good inter-agency working and supporting parents enhance all aspects of the children‟s and young people‟s care and support. The registered manager and the staff become involved with parents and social workers from the point of referral, and they maintain regular communication throughout a child‟s or young person‟s short-breaks care. This provides holistic care and high levels of consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A social worker said: „Since I have been working with this home, there have been some very good examples of partnership working and consistency. It is a really good provision. The staff attend all the care meetings and they produce well-written detailed reports. They have also formed a very good relationship with my young person‟s mother, and they work closely with [Name‟s] teacher and with the local child and adolescent mental health services. I am very impressed with this home.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has progressed by meeting a recommendation to improve the children‟s and young people‟s behaviour management plans. The plans now fully describe triggers that may lead to the children and young people experiencing distress, along with individual strategies to reduce behaviours that are often caused by increased stress and anxiety. These measures are effectively supporting the children and young people to manage situations that they find difficult, which is reducing periods of challenging and self- harming behaviours. Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 8 A previous recommendation to improve the monitoring of the home is not fully met. There has been some positive progress since the last inspection that includes the introduction of a new audit tool that is starting to measure outcomes that link with the quality standards, and the provider has improved the quality of the independent visitor‟s

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

reports. However, the current monitoring does not provide for taking into account the children‟s and young people‟s views, and there is no service-specific development plan that identifies what actions will be taken to ensure the ongoing improvement and development of the home‟s operation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is one new requirement arising from this inspection.

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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: SC458415 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester Le Street DH2 1AN

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Inspector

Debbie White: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC458415 10 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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