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

Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 1 SC032701 Registered provider: South 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

This local authority home provides care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager was registered in October 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 26 September 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2017 Full Good 02/08/2017 Full Inadequate 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 3

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Recommendations

 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 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3). In particular, where a document asks for a signature, ensure that that this is completed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is well presented both internally and externally. The home is warm and inviting, creating a calming and relaxing environment. The staff team and young people take pride in their home. The management team continually looks for ways to develop the aesthetics of the home, and there are further developments under way outside in the garden area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The changes made by the manager to the admissions process has meant that matching is carefully considered, and young people are engaged in the process long before they are admitted to the home. This means that placements are sustained, enabling a sense of belonging and stability from the outset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people living in this home have developed excellent relationships with the adults that care for them. The staff team knows the young people very well, and this helps team members to provide individualised care. Young people spoken to said that they feel happy and safe in their home and that they trust the adults that care for them. One young person when talking about the staff team said, ‘They have made a massive difference to my life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

From their starting points, young people have made outstanding progress. The staff team understands the benefits of engaging with wider systems and family members to provide the best possible care for young people. The ethos adopted by the staff team is that of ensuring that staff help and support young people now, with a strong element of developing resilience for the future. This ensures that young people grow into self- sufficient adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager and the staff team are excellent advocates for all of the young people. One young person is due to move on from the home, and staff have been pivotal in ensuring the right placement for him. Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 4 Young people are encouraged to take education and work seriously. Staff react swiftly and effectively if there is a breakdown in education placement to ensure that there is minimal loss of learning. Attendance at school or alternative provision has improved significantly, and work-based placements are offering young people the opportunity to sample careers before making choices about apprenticeships or university.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is clear evidence of young people developing independent skills that prepare them for being adults. Young people’s progress is recognised and rewarded with individual incentives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people are provided with opportunities to engage in activities and trips. They attend football matches and have weekends away with key workers. This enhances the opportunities and experiences that the young people have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is very good evidence of children and young people contributing to their care. This includes being involved in decision-making about how they will be cared for and what their goals and aspirations are, before they are come to live at the home. This continues throughout their stay, with reflection on the plans taking place every three months and a new action plan being developed with key workers. House meetings take place, and the registered manager responds to the appropriate requests of young people. This promotes a sense of ownership leading to increased confidence for young people.

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

Risk assessment and risk management processes are of an excellent quality. The staff have received specific training in self-harm, suicide and county lines. This equips the staff team with the skills and knowledge that is required to understand wider safeguarding concerns and to plan, review and manage risks more effectively.

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

The registered manager and the staff team are intuitive. They know the young people exceptionally well and identify potential risks and triggers. Plans to reduce these risks are detailed and highly effective, and young people know what concerns staff and why. This helps the young people to re-evaluate their behaviour and regulate their emotions so that they can develop the strategies to manage their own risks as they grow into adulthood.

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

Behaviour management is good. Missing from home episodes have significantly reduced. When there have been missing from home episodes, the staff team has followed missing from home protocols and been proactive in ensuring the safe return of young people.

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

The staff team encourages young people’s development by balancing interventions between keeping them safe and recognising that young people need to take measured risks in order to develop appropriate skills. The calm, measured approach the staff team takes when risks arise gives young people the opportunity to discuss issues rather than react negatively to the interventions of staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is passionate and inspirational. She is supported in her role by two effective deputy managers and a committed staff team. The staff team is stable, and the staff team members draw on each other’s strengths by means of a recognised strengths-based practice approach. This approach looks at how best to utilise the skills and personal strengths of staff to improve the service offered to young people. This is underpinned by an effective system of ‘champions’ in the team. The registered manager creates a culture in the home that places young people at the centre of everything that the home does.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team receives regular supervisions and appraisals. There are regular team meetings in which generic safeguarding issues are discussed and that offer the opportunity for reflection on practice. This enables the staff team to have a consistent approach to help and protect young people. The registered manager promotes opportunities for healthy debates in meetings and on a day-to-day basis. She constantly looks for new ways to help develop practice and learning and ensures that staff have protected time to learn or focus on their records of the work they undertake with young people. The staff team respects her and feels well supported and motivated as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff team are very much respected by a range of professionals. One professional said, ‘They are just so passionate about what they do. They show respect to young people, their families and other professionals.’ Parents and carers are also involved in the lives of young people where this is appropriate. One parent said, ‘I have seen a massive improvement in my child in every way.’ Parents and carers regularly visit the home and on occasions join the young people for meals. This enables young people to improve their family relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the staff team show great insight into the home’s strengths as well as areas that could be improved. They are not complacent, and they are effective in continually improving services for children. There is a consistent approach to monitoring the work undertaken by the management team with regular audits taking place. Records are up to date, but occasionally documents are not signed when the document identifies that this is required. Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 6

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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: SC032701 7

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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

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor: regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: SC032701 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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