Children's home run by Stockton on Tees Borough Council in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 1 SC456710 Registered provider: Stockton on Tees Borough 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

This home is provided by the local authority and is registered to care for up to four young people who have emotional and /or behavioural difficulties.

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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: 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:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff know the young people well and put them at the centre of all their practice. They speak of the young people with warmth, knowledge and pride. Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 2  All of the young people have made significant progress at school or college. Their attendance is 100%.  The young people say they feel safe and secure in their home.  Staff have developed extremely nurturing and positive relationships with the young people. They provide an excellent quality of care.  The registered manager is confident, shows ambition and has high aspirations for the young people. He has created a culture in which the staff are highly motivated and enthusiastic.  The young people have clear and effective plans and risk assessments that are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Risks are known to the staff and managed well.  The young people are able to take part in lots of different activities and outings and

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Key findings from this inspection

have had holidays abroad. These opportunities enhance social skills, giving the young people confidence in their own abilities.  The staff have very positive and highly effective relationships with other professionals. This ensures that the young people get a high level of all-round support, to help them achieve and flourish.  The staff understand the need for the young people to maintain family contact, when it is appropriate. They are confident in their ability to work well with parents and carers and to support and promote meaningful contact.  The home has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It is clean and very well maintained. The young people take a pride in their home and have been included in making choices on how it is decorated and furnished throughout.  The staff have created a culture within the home of praise and reward. The young people are constantly praised for their achievements, and there is an atmosphere of

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Key findings from this inspection

optimism within the home.  The staff work hard to create a ‘family’ style environment in which the young people have fun, make progress and are happy.

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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 registered manager should ensure that the methods of consultation with the young people are regularly updated and developed to ensure that their views, wishes and feelings can continue to be recorded in a meaningful way.  The registered manager should help and encourage the staff to be more creative in their recording of areas of good practice, to ensure that all good work can be captured and evidenced. Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/11/2016 Full Good 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manger and staff team know the young people well. They are consistent in their approach to working with the young people and provide a high quality of care. The manager and staff team work enthusiastically to build secure and trusting relationships with the young people. A young person said: ‘I like my home; it’s good. I like to spend time with my key worker and she has helped me a lot.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people all have 100% attendance at school or college. The manager and staff offer help, support and encouragement to all of the young people. This ensures that they are learning and making good progress. One young person is attending college and is on course to apply to university. He has made exceptional progress from his starting point, having attended a school for children who have additional needs. Another young person is making excellent progress in mathematics and science and is on target to gain 10 GCSEs, grades nine to seven. The staff have high aspirations for the young people to do the best they can in their education. This has led to the young people understanding that education is worthwhile and will help them do well in the future. The young people are encouraged to read and one young person is currently doing a reading project. He has to read six books and then write a review. He said: ‘It is good; I love reading. It’s

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

hard to do the review bit.’ The manager and staff have very good working relationships with all of the schools and the college that the young people attend, which ensures that they can keep up to date with any support the young people might need. A designated teacher for children looked after said with regards to one of the young people: ‘Since he has been living at the home, he is happy; his behaviour and attitude in class are greatly improved. I would say he has blossomed.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people are healthy and are encouraged to eat a healthy diet and take exercise. They are encouraged to help in food preparation and planning menus, which means that they can understand the importance of eating healthily. When the young people have health issues, the staff work in a sensitive way with the young people to help them understand and manage these issues. They support them to attend health appointments, which helps the young people to feel relaxed and develops trust with health care professionals. The staff are always developing ways in which they can engage the young people in taking responsibility for and understanding the importance of staying healthy. Recently, there has been a focus on keeping teeth clean and healthy, with the young people participating in a session with a dental nurse. They were given access to an app that allows them to play a tooth-brushing game, which shows better

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

ways to clean teeth and keep gums healthy. This has proved to be very popular with the young people. It has helped them to improve how they brush their teeth and understand the need to keep their teeth and gums healthy, in a fun way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff understand the importance that contact plays in the lives of the young people. They are proactive in supporting and facilitating contact, when appropriate. A parent said: ‘The staff are nice and they keep me up to date with everything. Contact is the best it has been in all of his placements. This is good for me Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 5 and my son.’ Helping the young people to have regular contact with parents and carers has a positive impact. It helps them to improve relationships and set down strong foundations for future support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people’s care plans are detailed and age appropriate. The young people take an active part in their care plans and their views and wishes are evident in them. The manager and staff have been innovative in how they engage the young people in their care plans. One young person has made her own care plan with lovely drawings in her favourite colours. The impact of the young people being actively engaged in their care plans is enabling them to grow in confidence and helps them to have a good understanding of their plans for their future. Plans are updated on a regular basis. A social worker said: ‘The staff always keep me up to date with any changes in plans.’ This ensures that care planning is highly effective and consistent. A young person’s independent reviewing officer (IRO) said: ‘The staff are fantastic. All reports for reviews are on time, informative and to a high professional standard.’ One young person is

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

currently living in the flat within the home, in preparation for transition to independence. The staff are supporting him in a range of independence skills. He cooks, shops, cleans and is managing his budget very well. Alongside the practical aspects of living independently, staff are helping him to understand the emotional effects that moving out can have. This young person said: ‘I like living in the flat. My key worker has helped me loads.’ There is an up-to-date and appropriate pathways plan in place, which contains his views and plans for the future. A social worker said: ‘The staff are supporting him with independent living skills and this is going very well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s meetings take place on a monthly basis; they are called ‘our house’ meetings. There are ground rules for these meetings and the minutes are typed up. The young people are able to discuss life at the home and express their opinions on topics such as activities and holidays. The minutes are shared at the staff team meetings and the young people are given feedback. This ensures that the young people feel valued and that their views are important to the staff. There is also a consultation form that the young people are encouraged to complete on a monthly basis, which means that the young people know that they are listened to. The young people know how to make a complaint if necessary and are able to have the help of an independent advocate to support them. This ensures that the young people are confident that they will be listened to and have a voice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff have highly effective and positive working relationships with other professionals. They understand the importance of working in partnership and how it enables the young people to get the best possible care to meet their needs. A play therapist said: ‘I have been impressed with the staff; they have a true sense of pride in the progress that young people make. They go that extra mile.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people are encouraged to take part in lots of activities and clubs within the community. These include the Boys’ Brigade, Brownies, gym, swimming, football and meals out. In the home, there are lots of games, books and toys. Staff encourage the young people to spend time both indoors and out. Activities play a large role in the young people’s socialisation and this helps them to build friendships and social skills. The Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 6 young people went on a holiday abroad which they really enjoyed. One young person said: ‘It was great; I have never been on a plane before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is settled and the young people have structures and routines. They feel part of the home. One young person said: ‘It is good living here; I am part of the family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff are committed and dedicated; they take pride in the young people’s achievements and progress. They have created a nurturing environment in which the young people can flourish. They provide exceptional care and go above and beyond to make the overall experiences and progress of the young people outstanding.

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

Staff work successfully to keep the young people safe in the home and the community. There are clear boundaries and expectations with regards to behaviours both in the home and in the community. All of the young people have a ‘my safety plan’ which they have helped to complete. This means that they understand any identified risks to their safety. All of the young people have appropriate and robust risk assessments that are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

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

Sanctions are used on very rare occasions; the staff promote a restorative approach to behaviour management. For younger residents, the red and green system is in place, which acts as a visual aid to let young people know when their behaviour is becoming unacceptable. This system works well and the staff are able to de-escalate behaviours effectively. By using these systems, the young people are able to develop a sense of responsibility for their behaviours and reflect on possible consequences of unacceptable behaviour.

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

Physical interventions are used rarely in the home. They are used only in a way that helps to protect young people and helps to regulate their behaviour. Prior to a young person coming to live at the home, the staff team undertook special training with regards to managing his specific behaviours. Staff have used the learning from this training to help to de-escalate his behaviours quickly and effectively. All records are thorough and give a detailed account of any physical intervention and are clear that this was an appropriate form of intervention. All records are signed by a manager, staff are debriefed and the incident is discussed with the young person.

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

Staff have close links with mental health professionals. Staff have undertaken training in the PACE therapeutic model, which promotes thinking, feeling, communicating and behaviour that aims to make young people feel safe. The manager and staff had found this training to be very helpful when working with the young people. A child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) therapist who had delivered this training to the staff said: ‘The whole staff team were keen to learn; they showed clear understanding and insight. They showed genuine enthusiasm for this model and a willingness to go with it.’ A member of staff has undertaken play therapy training to help support a specific young person. The staff understand the importance that a therapeutic approach has in the day-to-day lives of the young people. It helps them to provide Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 7 settled and nurturing placements, in which the young people feel safe.

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

Episodes of going missing from the home are very low and none of the current young people living at the home have gone missing from home. Prior to a young person moving out of the home, he was missing from home on a regular basis. When he went missing, the staff acted appropriately, looking for him in areas that he frequented and speaking to friends to try to locate him. Records show that work was undertaken with the young person around the risks of him being missing from home. Return interviews were carried out by a social worker.

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture within the home. All staff have a thorough knowledge of the procedure to follow should a safeguarding issue arise. Safeguarding is a standard agenda item in both staff supervision and staff team meetings. This means that the staff are able to discuss safeguarding within the home individually and as a group. This helps them to embed safeguarding into all practice.

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

The manager and staff team view the safeguarding of the young people as being of paramount importance. They work well with other professionals to support the young people’s sense of well-being and safety. They help the young people to understand risks and how to keep themselves safe. They deliver an exceptionally high standard of help and protection to all of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The manager is suitably qualified and has a wealth of experience in residential care. He is ambitious, shows insight and has high expectations for all of the young people. He is very well supported in his management tasks by an experienced and dedicated assistant manager. The managers have been influential in shaping and developing practice within the home, which ensures that the staff provide a consistently high level of care and support to all of the young people. They ensure that the staff have high-quality supervision and appraisals. A member of staff stated: ‘The manager is caring and committed; I feel well supported. He has an open-door policy and staff are always made to feel valued.’ The manager knows the strengths and areas for development of the home and is able to take action to make improvements. A CAMHS therapist said: ‘This is a good home and there is good leadership.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The manager has a quality assurance system in place to monitor records and activities within the home. He has developed his monthly monitoring tool to ensure that it is comprehensive. This assists him in identifying themes and patterns that may occur, to help future development at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

There is a full complement of staff and recruitment and selection is robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Staff have received all mandatory training and report that they feel they have the right training to do their jobs well. Alongside this, the manager has developed a small but significant resource library containing books on residential care, theory and practice. There are also some useful therapeutic games, toys and books. A member of staff said: Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 8 ‘I find these resources really useful and have learned lots from the books.’

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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: SC456710 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council, Municipal Buildings, Church Road, Stockton-On-Tees, Cleveland TS18 1LD

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Inspector:

Dot McGough, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456710 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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