Children's home run by The Percy Hedley Foundation

Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 1 Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this children’s home that offers short-breaks care and accommodation for up to three children or young people who have a learning and/or a physical disability. The home is located on the same site as the children’s and young people’s school. There is no registered manager in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 24 September 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2018 Full Good 06/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people enjoy positive experiences during their short breaks. The staff provide good individualised care that meets the children’s and young people’s needs. Relationships and interactions between the staff and the children and young people are caring and nurturing. This provides the children and young people with feelings of emotional security and positive well-being. A parent said: ‘My daughter loves it there, and I know that she is safe and very well looked after. The staff know what they are doing. I have no worries at all.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Having short breaks benefits the children’s and young people’s progress and development. This is demonstrated by their achievements and the progress that they are making in school. The staff work closely with parents and teachers to ensure that the children and young people receive consistent care and support that encourages them to thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker said: ‘[Name of the child] is doing really well both in school and short breaks. I have visited her there and she looks very happy.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of the children’s and young people’s written short-breaks plans has improved since the last inspection. The plans clearly set out individual needs and how these will be met. There is good evaluation of the plans, which ensures that the plans are relevant and effective. The staff regularly consult with the children and young people, considering their ages and levels of understanding. This includes them in decision making and promotes their equality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Provision of individualised activities is a strength. The children and young people can choose from a broad range of pastimes and activities where they are learning positive independence skills. For example, the staff show the children and young people how to plan their meals, how to visit the local supermarket to go shopping and how to prepare their food. Other activities include trips to local amenities, such as the park and leisure centres. These activities promote their inclusion within the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s health needs are met. They have multi-agency support from their responsible medical professionals, and an added benefit of being able to have immediate access to healthcare professionals who work in their school. The staff receive the training that they need to meet the children’s and young people’s needs and they are also supported by the school’s healthcare team.

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

The children and young people are safe during their short breaks. Due to their often complex needs, they are supported by at least two members of staff. This ensures that the children and young people are safely supervised and observed. Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 4 Risk management is effective. The children and young people have individual risk assessments that show their known risks and how hazards are minimised. This promotes their safety and welfare. Behaviour management is handled positively. The staff use gentle persuasion and positive incentives effectively. Consequently, the children and young people are developing good social skills.

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

The children and young people stay in an environment that meets their needs. The home is nicely furnished and decorated, and the provider ensures that all the relevant health, safety and fire checks are carried out in accordance with regulation. All visitors are checked, vetted and sign in and out of the children’s home. This ensures that the children and young people are not exposed to unsuitable adults.

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

There has been one complaint since the last inspection. The registered manager addressed the complaint appropriately and met with the complainants to ensure that they were satisfied with the actions taken by the provider. Because of the complaint and subsequent investigation, positive changes were made to improve a young person’s experiences and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been no registered manager in post since 17 March this year. The provider is taking action to employ a new manager, but they have not been able to secure a suitable candidate. Interim management arrangements are in place to give management oversight, which provide the children and young people with stability and consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to meet the needs of the children and young people. Careful planning ensures that the right staff are working with individual children and young people, particularly those with complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Some planned short breaks have had to be cancelled at short notice because the staff have been moved to the adjoining residential children’s home to cover staff sickness and absence. This has negatively impacted on the children and young people, who enjoy their short breaks, and on their parents, who need some respite and family time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has improved by meeting a previous requirement to improve the quality of the internal monitoring and the Regulation 44 reports. However, the provider has not adequately consulted with all the required people. This lack of seeking the views of key people compromises the provider’s ability to portray a full picture of how the home operates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Further progress has been made by improving the children’s and young people’s healthcare planning. The updated plans set out individual healthcare needs and how these will be met. Good planning provides a written framework for staff to follow, which improves the children’s and young people’s outcomes. Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 5

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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, the 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home, and the registered person is an organisation. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of the name and address of the person so appointed and the date on which the appointment takes effect. Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i) (2)(a)(b)) 31/05/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person must plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)  The registered person must oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, independent reviewing officer, teachers, clinicians and other health professionals etc. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.23) Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 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: 1250842 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Percy Hedley School, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8YY

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Inspector

Debbie White: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1250842 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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