Children's home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children's home: SC034220 1 SC034220 Registered provider: North Yorkshire 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 offers pre-planned and emergency short breaks in a residential setting to children and young people who have a sensory impairment, learning disability or physical disability. The home also offers extended and bespoke packages of care on a shared-care basis. The home is owned and managed by a local authority. The manager has been registered since March 2015.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2018

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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: SC034220 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2018 Full Outstanding 30/01/2018 Full Outstanding 13/12/2016 Full Outstanding 25/05/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC034220 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home provides short breaks for children and young people with complex physical and learning disabilities. The children and young people are making excellent progress through the highly specialised care provided by the staff. Detailed and individualised development plans help the children and young people make exceptional progress in all areas of their development. One child has been successful in using the toilet consistently and another has made progress with their behaviour which saw a reduction in aggressive outbursts. Parents spoke highly about the progress of their children and that the staff are invested in helping them to develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people are encouraged and supported to participate in a range of activities and experiences, many of which they have not engaged in previously. They have been canoeing, experienced high-ropes, been swimming and engaged in soft-play, all designed to challenge their physical capability and enhance their social skills. The children and young people would be unable to have these experiences without the dedicated support of the dynamic staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff build trusting relationships with the children and young people and know them very well. This allows the staff to better meet the needs of the children and young people, and they also extend help and support to parents and siblings. Staff have supported a mother to take her daughter to hospital appointments, as this would have been challenging for them. One parent said, ‘They go above and beyond with everything all of the time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive extensive support to move on from the home. Staff are well organised and instrumental in ensuring that the new provision is suitable. The case files evidence that children and young people are included in the decision-making and that key work sessions are completed to prepare them for their move. Following the move, staff are available to answer any questions about the young people’s needs. This ensures that the move is managed seamlessly, and there is continuity in the young people’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Most of the children and young people have additional needs, which impact on their ability to articulate their views. The staff use a variety of communication methods to enable the children and young people to have choices and be an active part of the decision-making process. Where children and young people are unable to verbalise their views or indicate through sign language, the staff use their extensive knowledge and observations of the children and young people to understand their views and facilitate decisions in their best interests.

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

The staff have an excellent knowledge of individual children and young people and a strong understanding of their specific risks and vulnerabilities. These are reflected in clear plans and risk assessments to manage those risks. Developing a comprehensive Inspection report children's home: SC034220 4 understanding of the children and young people begins as part of the preparations for the children and young people’s arrival. This ensures that their stay starts positively. The plans help the staff to understand and anticipate the children and young people’s complex needs to prevent any escalation in behaviour and keep them safe.

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

High levels of supervision keep children and young people safe. The staff have an excellent understanding of how the children and young people communicate, and they quickly recognise any changes in behaviour, to which they respond to effectively.

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

Some children and young people self-harm. The staff keep detailed records of any injuries and use body maps to record where children and young people have been hurt. Due to the self-harming behaviours of one child, the staff have developed an innovative method of recording injuries using a colour-coordinated system as a quick reference to where and when the injuries occurred. The staff have worked with the parent and school to implement this system and use the information to better understand the triggers for the behaviour. This enables staff to intervene and protect the child from harm quickly.

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

Staff have a very consistent approach to caring for the children and young people. Comprehensive positive behaviour plans are clear and easy to follow, guiding the reader in the best strategies to manage behaviours. Restraints are only used as a last resort, and the aim is to support children and young people during times of crisis. The effectiveness of the holds is monitored throughout, and records demonstrate appropriately the ways in which staff de-escalate behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers show high aspirations for the children and young people in their care. The registered manager and deputy show passion for what the children and young people can achieve and this inspires the staff team to do their best for the children and young people. They demonstrate an extensive knowledge of all those using their service and their families. This wider understanding helps the manager better meet the needs of the families, supporting them in the best possible way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has an excellent understanding of the progress the children and young people have made from their starting points. The children and young people’s records are organised in a way that enables tracking and monitoring of their progress, and staff continue to set achievable goals for all.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have an excellent understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. The manager’s effective monitoring systems ensure that any shortfalls are identified and addressed without delay and with the best interests of children and young people at the forefront. However, not all notifiable events have been shared with Ofsted, although the impact on children and young people was negligible, as all were safeguarded appropriately. The statement of purpose, whilst up to date, had not been sent within appropriate timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is enthusiastic about her well-trained team. Team members have specialist Inspection report children's home: SC034220 5 medical training, which allows them to work alongside healthcare staff to meet the needs of children and young people. Regular, reflective supervision supports the manager to identify any additional training or developmental needs and to reflect on staff’s care practices, keeping children central to any decisions. The manager encourages a reflective environment to inspire learning and advance the safeguarding culture.

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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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Recommendations

 3.5 The Statement of Purpose is of particular importance to this Standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a “Statement of Purpose” (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 14-15, paragraph 3.5). In particular that the statement of purpose should be kept under review, revised and then notify HMCI of those revisions within 28 days.  14.10 Regulation 40(4) requires the registered person to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be

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Recommendations

serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10). In particular, the registered person must notify Ofsted, without delay, in the event of any allegation made against a member of staff. Inspection report children's home: SC034220 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: SC034220 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Deb Duffy, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC034220 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 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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