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

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

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and the staff team respond well to requirements and recommendations made at inspections and by external agencies. The good work that has taken place in improving the overall decorative appearance of the home has created a far more homely environment. This ensures that young people are provided with a comfortable home in which they can feel safe and secure. Plans in place for the substantial redecoration of the shower and bathroom facilities were going to be implemented within days of this inspection. They are creative and child friendly in design, and are a testament to the local authority’s commitment to ensuring the continued development of their children’s homes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Given the assessment remit of this home, the young people only stay for a relatively short period of time. The management and staff teams are skilled in developing good Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 2 relationships quickly with the young people and their families. In addition, they develop strong links with all professionals to ensure that the time-limited assessments are completed positively, in order to enable a young person to move on to the next step; this may be home to family, staying agreed longer term provision of care or moving onto independence. The home operates as part of a network of support to ensure that young people are helped to develop independence within a ‘Staying Close’ initiative approach to care leavers. This level of planning keeps young people within close proximity, so that they can be supported by staff and yet still develop their independence. One young person has recently moved to independent post-16 accommodation. There was a slight

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

delay on the new build and, to ensure the young person was supported, he was able to stay for a few more weeks at the home over the Christmas period. This enabled the young person to feel supported, both emotionally and practically, among familiar care givers, and promoted his well-being and resilience.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people benefit from being supported by a stable and strongly motivated staff team that is very experienced and highly skilled in care practices. The home is piloting a ‘Signs of Safety’ approach in its paperwork and care planning with young people, in particular with the new ‘progress and action plans’. All staff have attended this training, as well as specific training that involves relationships and the quality of attachments. A member of staff said, ‘It is very good the way it fully involves the young person, it also enables us to demonstrate our work clearly. We will use the ‘scaling question’ in our key work sessions to determine where the young person sees themselves. I feel it is about them and child centred.’ This is direct work with young people that accesses their views and wishes. This in turn strengthens relationships and promotes positive development, empowering change.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people are kept safe at this home. The registered manager and the team leaders are responsible for completing individual ‘safety plans’ for each young person, based on identified and potential risks. This process allows for the identification of key- work sessions that support young people to understand and recognise negative behaviour, developing their understanding of personal safe care and acceptable social behaviours. A social worker said, ‘[Name] is presenting as more mature and is managing his time in the community better; his relationships with staff, he says are very good.’ A parent stated, ‘They [staff] focus on positive things all the time, always providing feedback, they have provided ‘fantastic care’, really good.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The monitoring systems used by the management team are good and well organised. The monthly monitoring records completed by the registered manager allow him to review all incidents that occur, enabling close scrutiny that supports and identifies further work with each young person, so that positive outcomes can be achieved. Key- work sessions are frequently completed on specific behaviours and areas of support, to ensure that all young people have a trusted adult to guide and promote their resilience.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team is provided with regular supervision that is reflective in its presentation, but does not cover safeguarding as a stand-alone agenda point. This does not encourage staff to consistently use opportunities to learn and develop as a team while considering and discussing the safe care of young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 17/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14). In particular, safeguarding should be added as a stand-alone item to ensure that it is discussed on each occasion.

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Unique reference number: SC038564 Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 4 Provision sub-type: Children’s home

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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 5 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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