Children's Home run by South Tyneside Council in South Tyneside

Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 1 Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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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 was previously operated by a private provider until 11 October 2017, when South Tyneside Council registered as the current provider. This is the home’s first full inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The register manager has been in post since the home registered with the local authority. She has experience of working in children’s homes, but she has not attained the relevant qualification required to be a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 6 and 14 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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treat each child with dignity and respect;

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help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(vi)(c)) 04/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 04/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 3 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(e)) * The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided at the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(d)(f)) 04/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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the health and well-being needs of the children are met; and

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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)(2)(i)) 04/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 4 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and;

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(iii)) 04/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure the children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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the individual is of integrity and good character;

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the individual has the appropriate experience, qualifications; and skills for the work the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(a)(b)(d)) 04/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)). 04/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the registered person ensuring that there is a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the hours actually worked. 04/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. In order to complete the quality of care 04/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 5 review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for the children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of the care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(5))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Staff should ensure that each child understands the home’s procedures and policies for respecting their confidentiality and when it will not be possible to preserve this. In particular, the staff must ensure that all private confidential records relating to the children and young people are stored securely, and that confidential information about the children and young people are not recorded inappropriately. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.12)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to

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Recommendations

the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  No more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  Any staff member in a deputy or supervisory role such as ‘shift leader’ should have substantial relevant experience of working in a children’s home and have successfully completed their induction for the home in which they are employed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.21) Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 6

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home’s written short-breaks plans are ineffective. The information recorded does not meet the criteria that is set out in statutory guidance, and there are no individualised plans that set out the children and young people’s needs or how these will be met. Consequently, the registered manager and the staff cannot demonstrate that the children and young people are progressing or whether the care that they receive is having a positive impact on their development and enabling them to achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Similarly, the children and young people’s healthcare plans lack substance. The plans do not clearly record the children and young people’s, often complex, health needs or the risks associated with not meeting these needs. This puts the children and young people’s health and welfare at risk. In addition, confidential information about the children and young people is not always stored securely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children and young people are encouraged to learn new skills, including independence skills. However, planning for this is poor. There are no set plans, goals or consistent strategies to increase the likelihood of the children and young people achieving good results. In addition, there are no transition plans in place for the five young adults who have recently moved into adult placements or for the older young people who are approaching adulthood. This lack of planning potentially impedes young people from making smooth transitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home is spacious, and there is a large enclosed garden that is ideal for outdoor play. However, some areas of the home have not been adequately maintained. As a result, these areas are showing clear signs of wear and tear and damage. For example, the internal walls are scuffed and marked, the carpets are worn in places and some of the bathrooms need refitting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children and young people enjoy their short breaks. They have good relationships with the staff and they are supported to take part in a wide range of activities. The registered manager and the staff provide good levels of support to parents, which enhances outcomes for the children, young people and their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children and young people are regularly consulted. They are offered everyday choices, such as what they would like for their meals and what activities they would like to do. The staff have a nurturing, caring approach and they use a range of communication techniques to include those children and young people who have communication difficulties.

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

There are significant concerns regarding staff recruitment that place the children and young people at risk of being exposed to unsuitable adults. Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 7 The registered persons have not ensured that all the required safety checks have been undertaken on new starters. A review of the home’s recruitment documentation shows that in one instance an applicant’s previous employer was not contacted to provide a reference. Other shortfalls include not contacting previous employers, particularly where the applicant has worked with children and young adults. In addition, important information is missing; for example, a copy of a relevant qualification certificate was not available for inspection, and in one instance there was no staff photographic identification.

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

None of the children or young people are experiencing radicalisation, extremism, bullying or subject to being exploited. In addition, there have been no child protection referrals or complaints since the home was registered with the local authority.

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

Behaviour management is positive, and restraints are very rarely used. The staff guide and encourage the children and young people towards positive behaviours and they use praise and rewards, which increases the children and young people’s confidence and self-esteem.

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

There are no environmental health or safety concerns arising from this inspection. The registered manager, supported by the local authority, maintains good levels of fire and environmental safety. This protects the children, young people, staff and visitors to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has experience of working in children’s homes and she was previously a registered manager in another setting. Since beginning her role, the registered manager’s focus has been on planning and organising the transition of the home from a private provider to the care of the local authority rather than the planning for children and young people. This involved complex managerial input alongside supporting the children, young people, staff and families to make a smooth transition. The registered manager does not yet have the relevant diploma level 5 qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff changes that have occurred during the change of provider have had an impact on the quality of care provided to the children and young people. The home does not have a full staff complement, and therefore relies on relief staff to cover staffing shortfalls. Occasionally agency staff are used. This has an impact on consistency and continuity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff duty rota does not adequately set out the persons working at the home. The rota sets out the staff’s first names only, and there are no staff designations recorded. The rota does not identify the persons in charge over each 24-hour period, and there has been one occasion when agency and relief staff have been left in charge of the home. There are also occasions when other staff covering the absence of the registered manager do not have the relevant skills, experience or qualifications to oversee the home. These unsatisfactory arrangements, coupled with the lack of clear plans for children, compromise the children and young people’s quality of care. Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 8 Staff training is lacking in some areas, specifically the number of staff who have a level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people. There are currently 14 care staff employed, with four having a level 3 award. In addition, the induction of new staff is

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

inconsistent and does not always adequately prepare the staff to fully meet the children and young people’s needs. For example, new staff have only two short shifts where they shadow experienced staff before they are included in the minimum required staffing levels. In one case, a member of staff has started working directly with the children and young people before they have completed their child protection and other mandatory training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The external monitoring of the home has improved, and the regulation 44 visitor is identifying shortfalls in the home’s childcare practice and the operation of the home. The registered manager is addressing the visitor’s recommendations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s internal monitoring is not comprehensive or effective. The latest regulation 45 monitoring report does not meet regulation. The registered manager has not included, reviewed or evaluated feedback from the children and young people; nor has she consulted with the staff, parents or placing authorities. This lack of consultation and evaluation undermines the overall quality of the oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are two compliance notices, seven requirements and four recommendations 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 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields NE33 2RL

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Inspector

Debbie White: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1268334 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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