Children's Home run by Northumberland County Council in Northumberland

Inspection report children’s home: SC486604 1 SC486604 Registered provider: Northumberland County 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

The home is run by a local authority and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to four children and/young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in June 2016 and is appropriately qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 February 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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC486604 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2018 Full Outstanding 28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 29/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC486604 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home has been very settled over the past year, with no children or young people arriving at or leaving the home. The staff team has also been settled. All the children and young people at the home have made excellent progress. They thrive and flourish in the home, where there is a calm atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff are highly trained and work in a consistent way. They offer the children and young people high standards of care and nurturing while also providing firm boundaries and clear expectations. The children and young people are very clear that their relationships with the staff are what makes the home so good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people have progressed well at school and have aspirations for their future careers. The older children have made really good progress at school and towards their independence, and have grown up and matured. Some of the independence support work is exceptional, and a recently introduced system for measuring this work is very good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the children and young people are involved in planning their own lives, and staff support them with some excellent individual work. Children and young people are encouraged to work on agreed goals and targets, and mostly they achieve these well and go on to make further progress. They have succeeded at many activities, and with many trips which they plan with staff. Some of them have recently conquered Ben Nevis. Some are planning further adventurous trips this summer, as well as other projects and activities. This helps to develop their self-worth and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the children and young people have been supported to build better relationships with their families, where this is possible. The staff have worked hard to ensure that this happens. The staff have also promoted children and young people’s health, and one child has had a significant reduction in medication, overseen by medical staff, which is excellent.

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

The children and young people in this home are kept safe, but perhaps more importantly staff help them learn how to keep themselves safe. The staff accurately assess risks and then work with the children and young people to control and minimise these risks. The staff work with the children and young people to establish good daily routines.

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

There have been very few safeguarding concerns throughout the inspection period. The only incident was one very short incident of going missing which was quickly resolved by efficient and vigilant staff.

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

For most of the time the children and young people get on very well with each other, and there are lots of times when the older ones help the younger ones. All the children Inspection report children’s home: SC486604 4 and young people spoken to by the inspector said that they felt safe and secure, and that there was no bullying in the home. From time to time the children and young people do fall out with or upset each other, as is natural in group living. On all of these occasions, the staff intervene and quickly resolve the situations.

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

The staff do use some sanctions on occasions but prefer to work with rewards and praise, and this approach is very successful. There have been quite high numbers of physical interventions. These are appropriate and do keep the children and young people safe. These incidents have clearly decreased in numbers and duration over time, and they are effective and necessary interventions.

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

Safeguarding practice is particularly evident in the individual work the staff carry out with the children and young people. Staff are creative and innovative, and this work is effective in many ways. As an example, staff made up and wrote a story about a big ginger cat for one child, which helped them to better understand stranger danger.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager excels at her job. She is experienced, skilled and confident, and there is no doubt that she wants the best for all the children and young people in her care. She has built a strong and skilled staff team and is ably supported by her senior staff, whom she is able to easily delegate to. She is also well supported by senior managers from the local authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are appreciative of the support, training and supervision they receive from the managers. They are clearly highly motivated and work well as a team. They appreciate being able to have their say and being able to organise work and activities to benefit the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are encouraged to work closely with other professionals and agencies. The registered manager has established close ties with many of these, and particularly with education providers. There is some excellent joint work with staff in some of the children’s schools.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has successfully introduced a model of therapeutic work and has embedded this practice in the team by providing good training and support. The staff are enthusiastic about this work. The supporting psychologist told the inspector that staff were keen to learn and to delve deeper into the ideas before putting what they learn into practice. This culture of learning and good practice is exceptional, and is also successful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The service continues to develop over time. The registered manager sets the example, but others are quick to follow. The manager is strong on maintaining an overview. She is good at monitoring care practices and understanding and analysing what is needed. She is then able to work with her staff team to improve or adjust practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC486604 5

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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: SC486604 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northumberland County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 2EF

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Inspector

Colin Imrie, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486604 7 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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