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

Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 1 SC038564 Registered provider: North Tyneside 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 home is run by a local authority and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since 2007.

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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 good

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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: 25 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 2 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 3

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the outside space at the rear of property is not fully used to enable children to enjoy fully their experience of living there.  Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) In particular, access to the reargarden should have no restrictions for the children. Having to request access is not what would be expected in a children’s

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Recommendations

home.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, the registered person should explore the development of the staff’s knowledge and skills in regard to their understanding of specialist areas of support to children who may self-harm. The involvement of skilled professionals in that field who are currently engaged with the home should be explored further.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, staff and management teams should ensure any gaps in recording

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that promotes positive behaviour. Children are supported to be safe and develop positive relationships with their peers, families, friends and staff. The care provided by staff is warm and nurturing, and quickly helps children to settle, stabilising their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s records are kept electronically. Plans are thorough and they follow the local Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 4 authorities’ adopted formats and research-informed practice. Care plans are child centred and they evidence that children are listened to and their views are recorded. The children make progress from their starting points, and are prepared well for their identified next steps. Transitions are well planned and fully supported by a committed staff team that has high aspirations for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live at the home for an agreed assessment period and quickly settle. Children are helped to attend health appointments and educational establishments. Structure and routines are re-established through good supervision and support. Children are supported to complete school examinations and source future college placements successfully. This will support their future development as young adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Evidence was seen during inspection of the range of activities children have access to and engage in. Notably, children attended, with staff, a walk alongside an historical site over four consecutive days. Experiences and opportunities of this type enable positive relationships to develop and raise self-belief and confidence in children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children move on from the home in a planned way and by means of a collaborative approach with the respective local authorities. Recent developments have enabled children with plans for short-term or long-term care to remain close to the home, which supports safe care and maintains strong, supportive relationships with trusted adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children attend and participate in monthly children’s meetings, and are regularly consulted through their key workers in regard to completing meal plans and activity planners.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Bullying is not accepted in the home and is not tolerated. Children are respected as unique individuals. Respectful relationships and interactions between children and staff was respectful throughout the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home now accommodates children from other local authorities and has successfully supported them. A social worker stated, ‘The home/staff have been very good. I would definitely use them again and recommend the service. They have been very supportive of the child and have helped to source a college placement.’

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

The staff team has implemented research-informed practice in the care planning process. This ‘Signs of Safety’ approach helps children to recognise their starting points. The staff team focuses on what is working well with children and involves the children in their care planning process. As a result, key workers spend time with children so that they can understand and rate risk together. This approach generates discussion and identifies areas for further work through one-to-one sessions. This is direct work with children that empowers change and in turn strengthens relationships.

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

The level of missing episodes since the last inspection has been relatively low. This is Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 5 kept to a minimum in part due to staff consistency in keeping in contact with children when they are out in the community or visiting friends or family. The staff make telephone calls to children and complete visual checks on them, with their agreement. These are planned, and locations are confirmed and agreed in advance to support safe care. The staff team shares information with police and other agencies so that they are all proactive in keeping children safe.

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

Key workers spend quality time with children in order to ensure that they understand the expectations and boundaries that are in place, and how to build trust and respect. This contributes to their well-being. The staff know the children well and develop respectful and trusting relationships with them. There have been no physical interventions in the last two full inspection periods. Although sanctions are rare recording of them is not consistent and some information is missed.

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

Some children present with complex behaviours, such as self-harm. Staff help them to manage such behaviours safely, and to develop strategies to minimise the impact of these behaviours. The staff, with support from mental health professionals and their own clinical psychologist, develop specific ‘safety plans’. However, the reliance on e-learning only provides staff with an awareness of the approach. This limits their understanding and overall knowledge of responding effectively to children in crisis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and holds an appropriate qualification. Two experienced and highly motivated deputies support him. Together they provide a strong dedicated management team. They know the service well and are committed to providing a safe, caring environment so that children are able to achieve positive progress in the short time they are in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team leads a stable and resilient staff team. Morale is high and staff remain motivated through supportive supervision and day-to-day guidance. Supervision is monthly and team meetings are thorough, and use the adopted research-informed practice approach. This methodology is threaded through the service and creates a positive atmosphere of well-being, which was witnessed during the inspection. One member of staff said, ‘I really enjoy my job, I could not wish for it to be a better management team, they are very supportive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team successfully redesigned an upstairs shower room to the highest standard, ensuring that it was child friendly and conducive to ensuring children’s well- being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has modified its statement of purpose, removing the emergency bed and enabling children from other local authorities to be placed. This has resulted in successful placements. The home is fully compliant with its statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well decorated and is homely. However, the rear garden is a space that is Inspection report children’s home: SC038564 6 not being maximised for the well-being of children. Additionally, children must make a request to exit via the fire door, due to alarms being attached. This restricts overall access to a part of the home that is for the children, and presents as institutionalised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses internal monitoring procedures and the external visitor’s evaluative reports, but these do not always build on the obvious strengths of the home.

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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: SC038564 7

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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 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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