Children's home run by Paddock House Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 1 Registered provider: Paddock House Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for up to six children and/or young people. The home looks after children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager was registered in April 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team and the staff have worked hard to drive improvements forward. Since the full inspection, several children and young people have been supported to move on in a planned way. A parent and professionals have complimented the home for the good work it has done in this area.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three children and young people have recently been admitted to the home. It was difficult to track measurable progress at this inspection due to the early stages of some placements. There is clear evidence that children and young people continue to experience a good standard of care from the adults that care for them. Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 2 Admissions to the home continue to be well considered and risk assessed. Since the full inspection, the registered manager has added an extra safeguarding level to the pre- admission risk assessments. He now consults with the police to ensure that a more robust multi-agency approach is taken into consideration. This has improved working relationships. There is scheduled training to be delivered to the staff team, facilitated by the police force, about recent changes to missing from home protocols in their area.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When children and young people have specific vulnerabilities identified, the registered manager has taken a proactive approach to source training that will enhance the skills and knowledge of the staff team. For example, there is planned training specific to self- harming behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Where there are health needs for children and young people, they are responded to appropriately. Children and young people can access a range of activities that help support a healthy lifestyle and provide opportunities to enjoy and achieve. One young person has requested that there be more activities to do in the home, such as arts and crafts. She commented that she likes spending time doing activities in the home with the adults that care for her. This has been addressed by the staff team.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Independent life skills continue to be given priority in the home to help the children and young people make progress. At the time of the inspection, one young person was being supported to prepare a meal and bake a cake as part of her independent planning.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are comprehensive and identify children’s and young people’s individual vulnerabilities. Strategies are identified to mitigate risks. Improvements have been made to risk assessments to the way in which how children and young people will be supported by the adults that care for them. Additionally, key documents such as risk assessments, placement plans, safety plans and impact crisis management plans correspond with one another. It was clear that children and young people had been consulted about the care they receive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Key-worker sessions are informed by individual placement plans and risk assessments. Recordings of each session demonstrate the proactive ways that children and young people are supported to make progress.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Sanctions are used effectively but minimally to address behaviours. A restorative approach is beginning to be developed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection, the registered manager has developed an efficient system to gather data that enables him to monitor patterns and trends. He has effectively used the information gathered to support his review of the quality of care in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Missing from home episodes have fluctuated for some children and young people. For two children and young people living in the home, this has not been an issue of concern. When children and young people go missing from home, the appropriate protocols are followed to aid their safe return. At this inspection, the inspector found an incident of an Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 3 independent visit to a child not having taken place following a missing from home episode. Reasonable steps taken to ensure that an independent visit takes place are not consistently recorded. This has been made as a recommendation.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of recordings in key documents has improved since the last full inspection. Minor errors continue to be recorded. The recommendation from the previous inspection remains and will be further reviewed at the home’s next full inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/07/2018 Full Good 21/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) In particular, the staff team should demonstrate all reasonable efforts taken to ensure that return home interviews take place following missing episodes.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information

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Recommendations

about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 4

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Paddock House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: B3 Kingfisher House, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 0JQ

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Inspector

Jacqueline Tate, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 5 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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