Children's Home run by Park Blue Homes Limited in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC453372 1 SC453372 Registered provider: Richard Parker

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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 children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and/or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private provider.

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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

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: SC453372 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2018 Full Good 19/07/2017 Full Good 11/01/2017 Full Good 17/11/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC453372 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships between staff and children and young people are good. Staff show genuine warmth and affection towards the children and young people and work quickly and effectively to build trusting and meaningful relationships with them. This helps children and young people to develop the confidence that they need to achieve their potential. One young person said, ‘The staff make you feel wanted.’ Another young person said,’ They’re like parents.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

School attendance is very good for all children and young people. Staff work hard to ensure that children and young people receive the support they need to attend and achieve in school. Staff work closely with schools. A teacher said,’ Fantastic, couldn’t speak more highly of them. In fact, we are due to do some joint training with them so that we are singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to supporting [name].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are making good progress in developing independence skills. All children and young people are encouraged to work through an independence programme that helps them develop skills for later life. One young person has recently moved into a new room which has a fully fitted kitchen and bathroom facilities. This will provide the young person with the opportunity to further develop independence skills to support her transition when she eventually leaves the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to provide a safe and well-maintained home for children and young people to live in. Children and young people have been involved in the planning and refurbishment of communal areas. However, areas of the home including the downstairs toilet and the games room require further attention.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are encouraged to be polite and courteous. Professionals and residents of the local community have complimented the children and young people on their manners. This reflects well on the children and young people and supports their integration into the community in which they live.

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

The children and young people spoken to all said that they felt safe at the home. All children and young people could identify a trusted adult whom they could confide in if they had any concerns. The staff have introduced a ‘worry monster’ so that children and young people can put a note inside the monster’s mouth in the knowledge that staff will check the ‘worry monster’ daily. This adds to the sense of safety and security that children and young people feel.

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

Missing-from-home episodes are rare. When children and young people do go missing, staff do everything they can to find the children and young people. Relevant protocols are followed by the staff and records reflect the steps taken to return children and young Inspection report children’s home: SC453372 4 people home safely. This makes children and young people feel cared for and valued.

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

Staff use one-to-one sessions effectively with children and young people to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. The staff have a good understanding of the reasons why children and young people take risks. A calm and proportionate response to risk-taking behaviours enables children and young people to learn from their experiences.

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

Risks in the home are well understood. Risk assessments for individual children and young people moving into the home are good. This minimises disruption to children and young people already living in the home. Supervision levels are increased when necessary. This supports the children’s safety both inside and outside of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about the home and has an ambitious vision about what the children and young people can achieve. The manager knows the children well. She spends time with the children and young people daily to ensure that she has a clear understanding of their needs, behaviour and progress. Children and young people spoke very highly of the manager. One young person said, ‘We really like [name].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care plans that link to the local authority plans for children and young people identify and mitigate risks effectively. Children and young people are encouraged to have an input into their plans, ensuring that they receive the support they need. However, the plans are not always updated by staff and this could lead to confusion about what information is relevant and correct.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular and effective supervision enables staff to reflect on their practice and discuss individual children and young people. The home receives support from a clinical psychologist who attends team meetings to offer advice and guidance on strategies to meet the needs of individual children and young people. Monthly meetings take place to discuss the development of the home and children and young people. To strengthen practice within the home, safeguarding should be made a standing item on all staff meeting agendas. This will enable staff to discuss any concerns and improve the culture of safeguarding within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team work with a care team of other professionals including police, social workers, health professionals and education professionals. One professional said, ‘The home have worked closely with school in terms of managing risk. They are good advocates for [name], the home fought to keep her in school.’ Working together with other professionals ensures the best outcomes for children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC453372 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, make the necessary refurbishments to the downstairs toilet and games room. 24/09/2019

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Recommendations

 Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home, so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14) In particular, safeguarding should be a stand-alone agenda item recorded consistently in each supervision and in every team meeting.  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. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of the birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15

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Recommendations

years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations Inspection report children’s home: SC453372 6 including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: SC453372 7

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Inspector

Mark Proffitt, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC453372 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 in care, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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