Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 1 SC441553 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire 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 is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 February to 1 March 2019

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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 Good

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Outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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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: 7 November 2017

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Outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2017 Full Outstanding 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/05/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each young person and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, undertake and record regular room searches when appropriate. Consistently record discussions with young people, and/or between staff about risks to young people, and include a view as to whether risks are increasing or decreasing.  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of care provided by the home, the experiences of the young people living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the young people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for

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Recommendations

safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff consistently support young people to achieve highly successful outcomes. Since the last inspection, five young people have returned to live with their families and two have moved into independent living in line with their wishes and feelings. The staff are part of the local authority’s ‘Staying Close’ project and they continue to support three of these young people who qualify for additional help. This has had a positive impact on sustaining improvements to the young people’s lives since leaving the home. Transitions for young people are thoroughly planned and the aftercare helps to further develop their maturity and independence. Consequently, these young people thrive. Young people enjoy remarkably good relationships with the staff. These beneficial relationships develop from the solid, caring and nurturing way that staff determinedly support the young people. The young people fully appreciate the dedication and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

commitment shown in the way that the staff stand by them. This is reflected by a striking comment from a young person, ‘The staff have picked me up time and time again, despite all I have put them through. To me they are outstanding. Since being here, I hardly drink anymore and do not go missing.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 4 The young people are fully included in the running of the home. Their views and wishes about where they go to school, activities, meals and decor are all taken into account. Staff advocate strongly for the young people and have helped them to increase the frequency of and improve the quality of contact with their families. All the young people spoken to commented on how well the staff listen and said that there is always someone they can talk to. The young people feel confident that the staff care about them and want the best for them. One young person said, ‘This is the best placement I have had.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff work closely with the schools that the young people go to and with the local authority’s virtual school head. These partner agencies value the determination of the staff in promoting young people’s attendance and achievements. Consequently, the education outcomes for young people are high and there is a consistent message to all of the young people that their education is important. Equally, the health and well-being of the young people are prioritised. The manager and staff are relentless in pursuing the best healthcare to meet the individual needs of the young people. Consequently, a recent diagnosis and change of medication has had a significant impact for one young person. There has been a dramatic improvement in this young person’s behaviour, much improved educational achievements and a significant reduction in the risk of offending and entering the criminal justice system. Care practice is heavily influenced by research and well-known evidence-based social

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

work models. This is supplemented with clinical input from the local child and adolescent mental health service. The care planning system is comprehensive and highly individualised. The staff are adept in using this system to promote the young people’s strengths, and focus highly on addressing areas of concern. The diary records and care plans are very child centred, and they are accessible to the young people. Along with individualised memory boxes, young people are provided with a thorough account of their time at the home.

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

The young people feel safe physically and emotionally. They are confident in telling visitors how well the staff look after them and help to keep them safe. The staff have made physical alterations to the home to improve the safety and security. They also talk to the young people regularly about the concerns that staff have relating to their behaviour, the people they mix with and any suspected alcohol and drug misuse. The staff work hard to protect all the young people from harm and support them to reduce risk-taking behaviour. The staff know and understand the risks to young people, such as alcohol and substance misuse, child sexual and criminal exploitation. There are detailed risk assessments in place that are implemented in practice. Safeguarding practice follows an evidence-based social work model. The concerted efforts of staff in using this model lead to reductions in risk for the young people.

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

Room searches take place as part of a risk-reduction strategy. Current findings in the home suggest that these are not regular enough to be as effective as they could be. This does not help the manager to demonstrate that risks from a young person having smoking materials in his bedroom are reducing. Other evidence suggests the risks are reducing, but the irregular pattern of room searches does not help to conclude that this Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 5 is the case. The records of discussions between staff and young people about safety and risks are inconsistent in quality. This also hinders the staff and manager in further assessing and demonstrating how well the risks to young people have reduced. When needed, the manager has increased staffing levels to help keep the young people safe. The frequency at which the young people go missing from the home is low and continues to decrease. The staff promote the individual interests of the young people

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

and their sense of belonging in the home to prevent the young people from going missing. The good relationships between the staff and the young people have a good effect on the well-being of the young people. The staff use these relationships to reinforce clear expectations of behaviour and the young people help to determine the consequences for any poor behaviour. The young people take more responsibility and there are fewer incidents of challenging behaviour. The young people value and respect the home and the staff. The staff rarely use any form of physical intervention, and there have been no incidents of this in the last four months. The manager has well-developed links with the police and the local authority. These links ensure that the young people receive additional support when needed, including help in reducing the risks of criminal exploitation. Information-sharing keeps the manager and staff informed about local risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager excels in her ambition and inspiration for the staff and the young people. She has considerable experience and a proven track record in providing young people with good and outstanding outcomes. She continues to successfully manage the home. There is a significant culture of restorative practice, led by the manager, who is a strong role model. She leads a cohesive team that provides young people with high-quality experiences. The young people learn to trust the staff and form positive relationships based on feelings of safety and security. This placement stability helps the young people to make significant progress; they make better choices, and develop ambition and maturity. The staff enjoy their jobs and are dedicated to helping young people fulfil their potential. The manager ensures that there is a supportive environment for staff and that they receive the necessary training to look after the young people in their care. The young

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

people respond very positively to the way that staff invest time and effort in helping them. One young person commented, ‘I want to stay here for as long as I can.’ The manager and staff have strong links with social workers, schools, the police and health services so that the young people receive the best all-round support. They also involve the relatives and friends of the young people in their lives wherever it is safe and appropriate. This helps the young people maintain their sense of identity and belonging. The quality of monitoring reports, by one of the two independent visitors and by the manager, lack analysis and evaluation. There are areas that do not fully link the impact of staff practice to the progress of the young people. This shortfall is in some way Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 6 minimised by the manager’s monthly scrutiny of the young people’s care. However, issues such as in the consistent recording of one-to-one work with young people and the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

quality of recording on one occasion of the decision-making made with partner agencies are not being picked up and addressed.

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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: SC441553 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire DN35 8LN

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Inspector

Simon Morley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 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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