Children's Home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 1 SC034189 Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care and accommodation to meet the needs of young people between the ages of 13 and 18 who have significant complex needs and frequently display emotional and behavioural difficulties which require significant support.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2017 Full Good 15/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/10/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person 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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.4) In particular, this is to make the matching, analysis and risk management more detailed, specifically looking at the impact on each young person already placed at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people receive good-quality care from a motivated, committed and nurturing staff team. The team members are good role models and children and young people make positive and sustained trusting relationships. Staff have a good understanding of children and young people’s complex needs and take an active interest in their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people benefit from receiving a multi-agency approach to their care. The on-site clinical team provides good support and advice to children, young people and staff. This includes an initial assessment to identify any underlying communication and developmental needs. For one child, this resulted in her obtaining the correct diagnosis and the right placement to meet her holistic needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The development of the monthly ‘three houses signs of safety plan’ ensures that care plans drive key worker activity. These plans provide evidence of the impact that staff’s intervention is having upon improving outcomes for children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have mixed educational experiences. They live in a home that promotes learning and supports their development. Creative staff have designed an education timetable that gives ideas on how to integrate education into daily activities. This is particularly important for those children and young people not attending school when they arrive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A part of the No Wrong Door principle is that specialist foster carers work at the home. For some children and young people, this has offered them a natural way to build relationships leading to long-term foster placements. Transition planning is comprehensive and child-centred. Staff work with professionals to provide a cohesive plan that meets individual needs. Children and young people experience a carefully planned and positive move from the home. For one young person who struggles with Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 4 change, this was important and resulted in her settling more easily at her new home.

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

Children and young people benefit from a collaborative approach to keep them safe at home and in the community. Managers hold strategy meetings, which provide good partnership working with health, education, social care and police professionals. These meetings are an effective multi-agency way to track and measure risk for each child or young person.

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

Children and young people have individualised crisis management plans. These working documents provide staff with planned strategies to keep children and young people safe. However, some children and young people have experienced an unsettled period. This is due to the aggressive and disruptive behaviour of a few young people who have now left the home. Staff are tenacious and use good de-escalation techniques. On the occasions when staff need to hold children and young people, this is only as a last resort to keep them safe. Staff reflect on these incidents to make sure that practice is consistent and to develop alternative strategies. The home is now far more settled and has fewer incidents.

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

Staff encourage positive social skills and behaviour. They undertake restorative work to educate children and young people, resulting in less criminal behaviour. On the few occasions when police involvement is necessary, children and young people are not criminalised.

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

The input of the in-house clinical team, which includes a communications worker and a clinical psychologist, provides useful and important psychological input. Staff respond swiftly to self-harming behaviours. Staff, with the support of the life coach, help children and young people to explore how to manage their frustrations. As a result, children and young people learn alternative ways to convey their feelings and emotions.

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

Some children and young people continue to go missing or absent without authority. Staff follow the comprehensive safety plans and reduce the risk to children and young people when they are away from the home. This involves them keeping in daily contact. Further safeguards are provided through effective partnerships with the police.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since 2017 after working at the home for several years as the acting residential manager. She holds a social work degree and has extensive experience working in residential care. She is working towards obtaining her level 5 leadership and management qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The committed and skilled leadership and management team works well together to ensure the smooth running of the home. The registered manager has good relationships with children and young people and knows them very well. Working alongside staff provides the opportunity for managers to observe practice and experience the challenges Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 5 staff face. Managers lead by example and staff feel supported and appreciate this hands- on approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular supervision sessions provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice. Staff also benefit from informal discussions with the management team, which has an open-door policy. Professional development is encouraged through training, and staff progress to more senior roles. Staff take part in regular discussions with in-house clinicians, which promotes research-based practice. This helps staff develop and ensures that they remain child-focused.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team works cohesively to ensure positive outcomes. Its members are very resilient, with a passion for caring for children and young people. Children and young people benefit from an eclectic staff team. The team has the experience of many longstanding members alongside new staff bringing fresh and creative ideas to the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides effective leadership and oversight and makes continuous improvements to the running of the home. This includes meeting the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. The manager has high expectations of staff to change and improve the lives of children and young people. Managers are innovative and have developed many new systems. The creation of a key worker monthly tasks checklist has improved the monitoring of children and young people’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

On occasions, the matching, analysis and risk management assessment has looked at the impact of the new arrival on the group. This does not provide a full evaluation of the impact on each child or young person already placed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Alongside the independent person’s monthly visit to the home, managers undertake in- depth monthly monitoring. Observation of staff’s practice is undertaken. This ensures that staff provide the highest-quality care for children and young people. The responsible individual also undertakes extensive quarterly audits. This provides extra scrutiny of the service provided to children and young people. A thorough and comprehensive evaluation of the service is insightful, and includes regular feedback from stakeholders and children and young people. The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has a clear vision for the future.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 6 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: SC034189 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Janice Nicholson

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034189 8 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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