Children's Home run by Talbot House Children’s Charity Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 1 SC432843 Registered provider: Talbot House School, Newcastle Upon Tyne

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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 charitable organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to seven children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/06/2017 Full Good 07/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Outcomes for children have significantly improved following the last inspection and the appointment of a new manager. The children are making consistent progress. Stability in staffing levels and personnel, together with reorganisation in the home, has improved practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Members of the staff team are compassionate, and present as good role models for the children. The good attachments children have with staff and with the manager enable them to grow in confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are in good health. They have access to local health services when needed. The manager and staff work in partnership with professionals from areas such as social care and health. This ensures that children receive the right services and support. For example, the manager and social care professionals advocated strongly on behalf of a child and this led to a specific health assessment being arranged. This assessment had been outstanding for some time. The social worker was complimentary about the commitment demonstrated by the manager to improve outcomes for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in the planning of activities and enjoy new experiences. The staff supported children on a recent holiday to Cumbria. The children enjoyed taking part in a range of water sports and other outdoor activities. Photographs are displayed on a prominent notice board in the dining area of the home. During the inspection, this area was observed as being a hub of activity where children spend social time with staff, often playing board games. Staff and children were smiling and laughing, and embracing friendly competition. Confidence, trust and respect are central in children‟s relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are engaging well with their education and are undertaking their exams. With staff support, the children identify and achieve college placements of their choice. This raises their aspirations, develops their confidence and enhances future life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Development of independence skills for children is an identified shortfall. The manager and staff are aware of this, and recognise it as an area for improvement. Children are not yet being provided with a structured and meaningful plan of support. This limits their abilities to cope without the home‟s guidance and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in weekly meetings, supported by staff. This is a particularly strong aspect of work at this home. Children are encouraged to make choices and offer suggestions on a range of topics, supported by a committed staff team. An identified shortfall, however, is apparent in the quality of the children‟s guide. It is not child- centred, and lacks the kind of detail that would help children who are moving into the home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 4 Staff support the children to maintain, and in some cases rebuild, important familial relationships. As a result, children develop a sense of permanence and identity.

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

The children are safe in the home. Risk assessments are comprehensive and well written. They identify children‟s vulnerabilities associated with their known behaviours and their level of understanding of risk. The staff consult with professionals and work with children one-to-one to put in place strategies for mitigating against areas of risk. Such assessments and care plans are updated by staff, monitored and reviewed by the manager, and shared with other professionals.

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

Children rarely go missing. However, when they do, staff work well with other professionals in reducing the time that children are away from the home. There are clear protocols in place to follow, such as making welfare calls to the mobile phones of children and collecting them from known addresses. On one occasion, staff failed to respond in accordance with the agreed strategy. This could have put a child at risk of harm.

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

The leaders and manager have attended safer recruitment training. As a result, records are well maintained and processes are thorough. This has enabled the safe recruitment of staff.

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

The home‟s good locality risk assessment includes information about the threats posed by extremism, gang involvement, county lines and child sexual exploitation. It includes details on how to prevent the children from becoming involved with such threats.

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

A social worker commented on the care provided, „[Name] feels very secure there, which is really important for him. He feels safe.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is experienced and qualified. He demonstrates a commitment to improving outcomes for children and has brought with him a calmness and a great deal of organisation. Comments made by staff included, „He is informative, calm and very approachable.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection, there have been a lot of changes in staff personnel. However, since Christmas 2018, the remaining staff and safer recruitment have seen a notable change in performance outcomes for children. The staff are organised and feel supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and team meetings take place monthly. Records show comprehensive discussion and reflection on staff practices and outcomes for children. Additionally, training and professional development is discussed. A member of staff commented, „The atmosphere in the home now is really good. New staff are blending in and relationships between everyone are positive. I think we are a nurturing and very caring team.‟ Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 5 Staff work effectively with other agencies and professionals. A social worker commented, „The staff work as a team; leadership and management is really good and communication between staff and himself [the manager] is very good.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Due partly to the number of staff changes and previous instability of the workforce, a member of staff has not yet completed their mandatory qualification within the required time limits. An action plan is required to enable this to be completed as soon as is practicable. Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 6

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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, 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 16/07/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home‟s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Recommendations

 The children‟s home must produce a children‟s guide. The children‟s guide must be available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 7 arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission and how staff should support the child on return to the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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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: SC432843 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Talbot House School, Newcastle Upon Tyne

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Inspector

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC432843 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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