Children's home run by The Percy Hedley Foundation

Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 1 Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides short breaks for children and young people who have a learning disability. The home is situated next to the children’s and young people’s school, which helps them to make positive transitions. The registered manager has been in post since December 2016.

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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

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

06/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 2

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of the children are met; and children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(i)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete the quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of the children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b) and (5)) 31/10/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that all areas of the home are nurturing environments and that they will be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that all the bedrooms are designed and decorated to meet the children’s and young people’s needs. Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people have very positive experiences during their short breaks. They thoroughly enjoy their time at the home, and they are all progressing and achieving good outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A young person said: ‘I like it here and I like the staff. We have fun and I like to go out. I like [Name of the child’s key worker]. She is funny, and she makes me laugh.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between the children, young people and the staff are extremely positive. The staff’s caring and nurturing approach leads to children and young people forming positive and trusting bonds, which helps them to develop high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent said: ‘The home has been brilliant from the start. My son absolutely loves it and he loves to go. The staff just totally get [Name of the child], and I cannot praise them enough.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff consult with the children and young people to seek their feelings, wishes and their aspirations. This is especially apparent in how activities are organised. The children and young people are given choices about what they would like to do. The staff ensure that the children and young people are able to fulfil their dreams and their full potential. There are numerous examples where the children and young people have gained new and positive experiences, which contribute to their good emotional health and well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s written short-breaks plans are good and, mostly, set out the children’s and young people’s needs and how these will be met. Where appropriate, the children and young people are included in their planning, and their parents/carers are consulted about their wishes and views about how they would like their children and young people to be cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s healthcare needs are met, and the staff work alongside relevant other professionals who are involved with the children’s and young people’s ongoing healthcare needs. The children’s and young people’s case files contain information about their, often complex, healthcare needs, but these are not collated into a central healthcare plan that staff can easily access in the case of an emergency. For example, for those children and young people who need emergency medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is no indication that this has negatively impacted on the level of healthcare and support that the children and young people receive because, to date, there has always been an experienced member of staff on duty. However, there is a potential risk of errors being made should an occasion arise where the staff on duty are not fully knowledgeable about the children’s and young people’s emergency medication regimes. Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 4 The children and young people stay in an environment that meets their needs. The registered manager and the staff take great care to provide a homely environment. The children and young people are supplied with any aids or equipment that they need, and the home is spotlessly clean and tidy. However, there is a bedroom that has not been decorated or maintained to the same standard as the rest of the home.

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

There are no children or young people who are at risk from exploitation, radicalisation, extremism, bullying or going missing and there have been no safeguarding referrals since the last inspection. The staff receive regular child protection training, and the registered manager has good links with local safeguarding officers, who are available to offer support and advice.

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

Risk management has improved since the last inspection by the home, meeting a previous recommendation. The children’s and young people’s individual risk assessments now set out the children’s and young people’s risks and how these will be minimised.

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

A parent said: ‘I have total peace of mind when [Name of the child] is at the home. I fully trust all staff to keeping safe.’

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

Behaviour is managed positively and in line with the children’s and young people’s individual behaviour management plans. The children and young people are encouraged to learn about socially acceptable behaviours, with the staff focusing on positive incentives and rewards.

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

Physical interventions are only used as a last resort and for the appropriate reasons. A previous recommendation to improve the way such interventions are recorded is met. This ensures that all physical interventions can be monitored and reviewed by the registered person. This protects the children’s and young people’s rights and their equality.

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

Health and safety, including fire safety, is good. The registered manager undertakes regular environmental risk assessments, and she ensures that all the fire safety checks are carried out. This protects the children, young people, staff and visitors to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced practitioner who is motivated towards improving the outcomes of the children and young people. She has a relevant level 4 diploma in working with children and young people and she is currently working towards attaining a level 5 award.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is supported by two deputy managers and a committed staff team whose members share the registered manager’s drive to make a positive difference to the children’s and young people’s lives. Staff morale is very good. This is reflected in their day-to-day practice that provides the children and young people with a happy, Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 5 caring environment. Consistently good partnership working with parents, carers and other professionals ensures that the children, young people and their families receive a high-quality, holistic service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has progressed by meeting a previous requirement and three recommendations. Improvements include better recording, changes to practice to improve children’s and young people’s privacy and improved oversight of the quality of the children’s and young people’s case files.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the staff have high aspirations and expectations for the children and young people. They have a clear understanding of the needs of the children and young people and the progress that they are making, and they actively seek ways to continually support the children and young people to achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from all of the staff is positive. The staff are offered the support and guidance that they need to undertake their roles and they feel valued and appreciated. All of the staff said that the home’s management team members are approachable. The staff comments include: ‘This is the best the home has ever been’ and ‘I love it here and I would not want to work anywhere else.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s monitoring systems are effective overall. The registered manager is addressing any shortfalls that are identified by the home’s independent visitor, and there is a good development plan in place. Weekly internal monitoring checks have improved and they are effectively highlighting strengths and areas of improvement. However, the registered manager’s six-monthly reports are not fully compliant with regulation. Specifically, they do not include feedback from the children, young people, parents or placing authorities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are two new requirements and one recommendation arising from 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 Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Percy Hedley School, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8YY

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Inspector

Debbie White: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 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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