Children's Home run by South Tyneside Council in South Tyneside

Inspection report children’s home: SC032697 1 SC032697 Registered provider: South Tyneside 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

This children’s home provides short-break care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A local authority operates the home. The manager was registered in July 2016. He has considerable experience within a residential setting.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 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 good

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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: 29 January 2019

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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: SC032697 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2019 Full Outstanding 15/03/2018 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC032697 3

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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 person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii) and (e)) 20/12/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The service has, through evidence-based practice, enabled a number of children and young people to remain living with their families. The service offers an edge of care provision, which provides outreach and residential care and support to children, young people and families. Since the last full inspection, the service has expanded the support it offers to families in their own home. This benefits a wider range of children and young people in the local authority area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Highly effective outreach work has supported children, young people and families in Inspection report children’s home: SC032697 4 multiple ways. The service helps improve parenting techniques, building confidence and self-esteem with the aim of promoting independence. This means children and young people benefit from bespoke packages of care and support that enhance their opportunities to achieve and make progress in all aspects of their lives. This enables children and young people to remain in the care of their family where it is safe to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is well maintained, creating a warm, welcoming environment for children, young people and visitors. Family time is encouraged in a variety of relaxing, calm and fun settings. Activities and outings are well considered and planned to accommodate family members. This is balanced with children and young people choosing individual activities. There are plans to develop a holiday-break provision for families to access. This supports the service’s work in strengthening family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager carefully considers new referrals to the service. He plans admissions to ensure that the short-break provision is appropriate to meet the needs of all children and young people. Through consultations with his staff team, parents, carers and other stakeholders, he has improved referral processes into the service. This means that children and young people receive support sooner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people’s achievements are celebrated well. They are captured using photographs. ‘Proud clouds’ are a tool used to encourage children and young people to recognise and embrace their own achievements. This helps build their confidence and self-esteem. The registered manager, via his own quality of care processes, recognises that improvements can be made to show children, young people and families the progress that they make from their own starting points. His plans include visual aids to capture the strengths and progress that children, young people and families achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There are delegated champions in the staff team. Children and young people benefit from the input of a life story champion and Respect Young People Programme (RYPP) champion. Specialist areas of support mean that children and young people receive support in line with their assessed need.

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

Key workers engage children and young people in well planned pieces of direct work. They support children and young people to explore their emotions and feelings in a safe environment. This helps children and young people to develop the skills that will keep them safe in a range of settings.

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

Risk management processes are effective at keeping children and young people safe during their short-break stay. Individual risk assessments identify strategies to mitigate risk of harm. Safeguarding concerns are responded to well. The inspector found one incident that had been notified to the relevant agencies but not toOfsted. A requirement has been made to address the shortfall.

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

Children, young people and families develop excellent relationships with the staff team. There has been an increase in children and young people accessing short-break stays. Inspection report children’s home: SC032697 5 Despite this, there are no incidents of bullying, physical intervention or missing-from- care episodes. A parent commented, ‘It is like a home from home. I know my child is safe there and I know that they feel safe, too.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He is passionate about the service and continues to make further improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager recognises the benefits of a skilled staff team and, as such, all of the staff have a level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people, and some members have a level 5 diploma and/or a social work qualification. The registered manager continues to provide his staff team with opportunities for professional development. Statutory training is in date. Additional training includes county lines, knife crime, diabetes, foetal alcohol syndrome, RYPP, and much more. As a result, the members of the staff team feel valued and motivated and they are competent to meet the needs of children and young people placed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager welcomes and acts on feedback from the independent visitor, inspector and other stakeholders. He knows the home’s strengths, as well as any areas for development. His workforce development plan is clear about how he intends to improve the service. The innovative ways he develops the service significantly improves outcomes for children, young people and families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and his team are excellent at engaging with parents, carers and wider systems that support children, young people and families, including specialist services. A family member commented, ‘The service is a lifeline to parents. It has helped us all individually and as a family. The work they do really makes a difference and we are very lucky to receive it.’ Other comments from families and professionals describe how the registered manager and his staff team ‘go above and beyond’ in their input.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a strong strengths-based model embedded in practice. Evidence-based approaches to engaging with children, young people and families mean that the registered manager and his staff team provide a consistent and effective service that is improving the lives of children, young people and families. Furthermore, in comparison to the number of referrals accepted, there are very few families that return to the service. This means that the quality of intervention provides positive and sustained outcomes for children and young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC032697 6 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: SC032697 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields NE33 2RL

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Inspector

Jacqueline Tate, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032697 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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