Children's home run by St Cuthbert’s Care in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 1 SC459244 Registered provider: St Cuthbert’s Care

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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 home is run by a charitable organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to six children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager was registered to manage the home on 24 September 2014.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 2 15/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 08/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 3

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Recommendations

 The relevant plan may include a strategy for a particular type of care, treatment or intervention (for example therapy relating to neglect or abuse). The care staff will need to understand the purpose of any such care and the way in which the past experiences of abuse or neglect may manifest itself in the day-to-day life of the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.15) In particular, strategies in young people’s residential care plans should be clear.  Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home, so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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Recommendations

In particular, safeguarding to be added as a stand-alone agenda item in staff supervisions and team meetings.  Some records may be kept electronically (Regulation 38), provided that this information can be easily accessible by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. In particular, transfer of records to electronic formats is carried out in a timely manner to avoid any unnecessary impact upon case records. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before

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Recommendations

the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, records should be signed and dated by the author of each entry to demonstrate accountability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and the staff team are highly motivated, and ensure that the young people receive safe and consistent care. The staff are very effective at building and maintaining trusting relationships with the young people. The staff get to know the Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 4 young people quickly and this helps to settle them. There has been one new admission to the home. A professional commented, ‘I can’t believe how well [Name] has settled; his relationship with the staff is just brilliant. He sees this as his home. He wants to be there.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a relaxed atmosphere where the young people like to spend time. Young people can invite friends to visit them in their home and sleep overnight. Young people are also supported by the staff team to spend independent time away from the home. This is in line with their risk assessments. Activities and hobbies are encouraged according to interest. One young person likes skateboarding and enjoyed a weekend break at a skating park with a friend. Another young person likes animals and enjoys horse-riding lessons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education and attainment are well supported. Where young people have no clear educational plans or educational placements, the registered manager takes swift action to ensure that alternative arrangements are made. For example, there is good evidence of the registered manager working with virtual heads of schools to secure home tuition. This is likely to support reintegration back into school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have individual residential care plans that are regularly updated. Residential care plans are not explicitly clear regarding the strategies used to support young people. Improvements are required in this area. However, there are outcome charts that demonstrate where young people are making progress and the areas where they require further support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s records are held both electronically and on paper files. The two systems are not fully compatible. Information is not easily accessible to those who have a legitimate need to view it. Additionally, there is an inconsistent approach to signing and dating paper records. This does not demonstrate accountability. These matters have not prevented young people making progress, but the registered manager recognises the necessity to make improvements.

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

The staff have a very good understanding of the risks to young people. Risk assessments are robust and identify clear strategies to mitigate the risk of harm. There is good evidence that young people are effectively safeguarded at this home. Staff follow safeguarding procedures in line with individual risk assessments. Key-working sessions evidence that young people are supported to keep themselves safe.

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

In the period since the previous full inspection, some of the young people have been missing from home. For some young people, missing episodes have significantly reduced. For those young people who have had missing episodes, missing-from-home procedures are followed. Return interviews are conducted by an independent visitor.

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

The staff are attentive to the individual needs of the young people. When young people Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 5 require additional care and support, the staff respond in a sensitive and nurturing way. This has helped manage some of the risk-taking behaviours that the young people engage in.

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

The young people respond well to the clear boundaries in the home. Consequently, physical interventions have not been used since September 2016.

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

Bullying is not an issue in this home. However, the registered manager is not complacent that there is still a potential for this behaviour to happen. She ensures that there is a bullying champion in place to respond effectively to any bullying incidents should they occur.

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

To strengthen safeguarding practice in the home, safeguarding should be added as a stand-alone agenda item in staff supervisions and team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is appropriately qualified for the position she holds. She has considerable experience. She is supported in her role by a highly motivated and hardworking staff team. There is clear evidence that the aims in the home’s statement of purpose are meeting the needs of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads by example. There is a strong culture in the home of being young-person focused. This supports the staff team to deliver individualised care that aims to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people. The registered manager and the staff team create a homely environment for young people. This is effective, as the young people like to spend time with the adults who care for them. Young people who have moved on in a planned way return to the home for visits and very much see the staff team as an extension of their family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly effective at advocating on behalf of young people. She has been proactive in challenging other services to ensure that the best possible outcomes can be achieved for young people. In some cases, she has considered legal advice and legal action for young people, to ensure that they have access to relevant support that they are entitled to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is confident and is assertive when challenging other professionals. This is particularly evident if she believes that decisions and actions are not in the best interest of the young people. She will escalate concerns to ensure that swift action is taken. Her ability to challenge others is impressive. It has not impacted on her professional relationships with other agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision records evidence that the staff are supported with their individual professional development. This goes beyond statutory training and appraisals. The registered manager encourages new skills and knowledge to develop, depending on the interests of staff or needs of the young people. She recognises the benefit this has in Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 6 terms of creating a satisfied workforce as well as having positive influences on the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has an effective system in place to ensure that all staff are kept up to date on changes to policies, procedures and legislation. There is an equally impressive system that enables all of the staff to be promptly updated regarding changes to young people’s records, including changes to risk assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a good insight into the home’s areas of strength and weakness. She has already considered areas of development that are linked to the recommendations made at 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: SC459244 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Cuthbert’s House, West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE15 7PY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sheila Errington

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Inspector

Jacqueline Tate: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC459244 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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