Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC033127 1 SC033127 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire 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 local authority has registered this home to provide care and accommodation for up to 11 children and young people who have learning and physical disabilities. The home is split into three smaller homes. The Bungalow provides long-term care for up to four children and young people. Rainbow and Starlight both provide short-break services, with Starlight catering for children and young people who have additional complex health needs.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC033127 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people make excellent progress and thrive in the care of a dedicated and passionate staff team.  The manager and staff team strive for the highest standards of care. As a result, children and young people are happy and settled. They thoroughly enjoy being here and look forward to staying.  Disability is not a barrier. The staff team makes sure that all children and young people are included in activities and events. Children and young people are helped and supported to try new experiences.  Children and young people are safe. Staff have exceptional safeguarding knowledge. In addition, they are highly skilled at managing complex and life- threatening conditions.  Collaboration with parents, carers and professionals is outstanding. Staff are strong advocates for children and young people. They ensure that their needs are met to a high standard and they are not afraid to challenge poor practice.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people have an excellent awareness of risk and safety in line with their ability and understanding. In addition, they grow in confidence and self-esteem as they develop their independence skills.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2016 Full Outstanding 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC033127 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home provides a combination of short breaks and long-term care for children and young people. Although large and purpose built, the home is spilt into three separate adjoining homes. Each area of the home is warm and welcoming. Young people who receive long-term care have personalised their home and bedrooms. This ensures that they have a sense of belonging and, as a result, they are settled and happy. In addition, children and young people who receive short breaks are able to personalise their rooms on arrival, and each room is well matched to their sensory needs. Children and young people thrive from individualised care, which meets their complex needs. As a result, they make excellent progress in their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff know all the children and young people exceptionally well. As a result, they skilfully match children and young people. This means that everyone receiving a short break at the same time is compatible. Staff plan well in advance; however, they are highly flexible and respond swiftly to care requests. This is effortlessly achieved and ensures that no young person or child misses out on their short-break experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff consistently use research-based models to gain the views of children and young people. By combining different communication methods and through their thorough knowledge of each child, they ensure that all views are heard, regardless of the child’s disability. As a result, children and young people have clear records of their likes and dislikes. In turn, these are used to organise fun activities and the planning of meals. All children and young people enjoy a range of activities including holidays away with their friends. Staff do not view disability as a barrier and they make sure that everyone can join in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The education of children and young people has high priority. The staff work closely with the teachers to ensure that children’s learning is continuous. Targets are shared between home and school and practised in both settings. This reinforces learning and ensures that children and young people receive consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Many of the children and young people here have complex health needs. Exceptional partnership working with medical professionals ensures that children and young people have their medical needs addressed. Staff attend bespoke and specialised training in order to provide this high-level care. As a result of this, one child who has life- threatening medical needs is now enjoying care in a homely setting rather than a hospital. Staff are highly skilled at responding to medical emergencies. A health professional said, ‘They [the staff] are brilliant! They follow the care plans. They do not take chances. It’s reassuring to know that the staff have it sussed. They liaise well with me if they’re ever worried.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people are very happy here. They have clear and strong bonds with the staff. In addition, the majority of parents and carers expressed how impressed they are with the high-quality care their children receive. Parents said that their children are Inspection report children’s home: SC033127 4 making great progress in independence skills and socialisation as a result of their experiences at this home. Children and young people are supported to grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Individualised targets help each child to take small steps, which lead to big achievements. Children and young people learn a range of skills such as dressing themselves, cooking and brushing their teeth. This will help them to be as independent as possible in later life.

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

High staffing ratios ensure that the children are well supervised at all times. In turn, this reduces risks to them and to others. Staff undertake bespoke work with the children to educate them where possible about how to keep themselves safe, for example about crossing the road, and social media and internet safety. This enables children and young people to develop their own understanding of risk and safety appropriate to their abilities. No children go missing from this home. If a child did go missing, staff are confident in following procedures.

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

Risk management is thorough and effective. This means that children and young people stay safe but can still have fun and enjoy themselves. Extensive and detailed risk assessments are in place. In addition to this, clear and easy-to-follow emergency plans ensure that staff know how to respond swiftly without the need to read lengthy reports. All staff members can accurately describe their response to emergency situations without the need to refer to complex documents.

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

The staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the children’s and young people’s complex health needs. They work in partnership with a variety of professionals to ensure that complex, and in some cases life threatening, health conditions are well managed. Staff demonstrate confidence and sound knowledge of emergency procedures. In addition, medication is managed exceptionally well, and there are no errors in administration. As a result of the highly skilled staff team, no child’s or young person’s health has been placed at risk. Children and young people thrive from the routine and boundaries implemented by the staff team. The staff know each of the children very well and are able to pick up the subtlest of cues; they know when a child is becoming distressed. As a result, the need to use physical intervention is reduced. When it is used, it is a last resort and is implemented for the minimum time necessary to keep the children and staff safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has many years of experience in and knowledge of working with children and young people. The manager has been registered since 2010, and she has high standards, which are shared by her dedicated staff team. The staff team is experienced and stable. Staff tend to stay and they said that they love working in the home. They are inspired to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC033127 5 Multi-agency working is highly prioritised. The manager works in partnership with a variety of professionals such as specialist nurses, doctors, social workers and educational professionals. This ensures that children and young people are receiving a comprehensive package of tailored care. The registered manager is a strong advocate for children and young people. She challenges other services where necessary to make sure that the children receive the service they need. The manager takes decisive action

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

where necessary to make sure that children’s and young people’s needs are central to care planning. In particular, she has recently raised a prompt and effective challenge to medical professionals. Although there has been a reduction in the provision due to local authority budget restraints, the manager has successfully managed this. The same high level of care is provided, and no child or young person has had a reduction in their care package. High-quality supervision ensures that staff receive support to undertake their jobs. In addition, they receive support to increase their confidence and skills. As a result, the staff team works cohesively while having a level of autonomy. The manager recognises every staff member’s individual skills and uses this to further develop her team. The manager has effective monitoring systems that allow her to track progress and ensure that staff training deadlines are met. Training is regularly refreshed by in-house trainers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

In addition to mandatory training, staff receive new and bespoke training to help them support the individual needs of children and young people. The manager has an excellent grasp of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and has clear plans in place to make improvements. She utilises ideas and suggestions from her staff team and guidance from an independent visitor. For example, she is creating an ‘independence room’ to support children and young people to gain basic household skills such as laundry and cooking. The requirements made at the last inspection have been actioned, and the manager is clear on the steps to manage allegations.

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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: SC033127 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Child Care Management Team, Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire DN35 8LN

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Inspectors

Abigail Maspero, social care inspector Jamie Richardson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033127 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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