Children's home run by St Cuthbert’s Care in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report children’s home: SC433451 1 SC433451 Registered provider: St Cuthbert’s Care

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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 six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager was registered in 2011.

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 November 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: SC433451 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2018 Full Outstanding 06/02/2018 Full Outstanding 02/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC433451 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people receive individualised care from a caring, professional and committed staff team. They develop excellent relationships with the staff team, that are characterised by good humour and expressions of love. The children and young people’s feedback throughout the inspection confirmed this. Staff understand the impact of early childhood experiences on children’s ability to develop and maintain healthy relationships. This helps them to feel cared for and improves their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is exceptionally child centred. The children and young people take a full part in the day-to-day running of the home and their plans. Staff consult with them and give them choices wherever possible. This helps them to develop a sense of ownership and increases their ability to make positive choices. Progress is recognised and rewarded with certificates, fun stickers and celebration days.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is a large period property set in its own grounds. The space is well used, giving the children and young people a well maintained and comfortable home. The children and young people’s bedrooms are large and contain lots of personal belongings. This means that they have a special place to have privacy and relax.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people achieve well at school and college and have high levels of attendance. The staff have high aspirations for them and believe that they can achieve their potential. The staff team develops close working relationships with other professionals to ensure that it can work effectively on behalf of the children and young people. A deputy headteacher said, ‘Relationships are effective and supportive. Communication is consistently good. Recently, the staff team went above and beyond to help and support a child through a very difficult transition from a primary to a secondary provision.’ This enables the children and young people to understand the importance of education and to develop self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Contact with family is recognised as important and is supported where appropriate. The staff team offers guidance and support to family members. This helps the children and young people to see the benefits of working together and realise that change is possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff enable the children and young people to consider other people in the community and the wider world. Activities in the community are wide-ranging. The children and young people have participated in community clean-ups, litter picking and beach cleaning. They have learned about environmental issues, such as the detrimental effects of plastics, in the oceans and to wildlife, and the benefits to the planet of recycling. This reinforces a sense that they can make a positive contribution and enables them to enjoy the benefits of seeing the difference that they can continue to make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A wide range of activities support children and young people’s interests and their self- confidence to develop. The children and young people like to spend time with the staff in the home, relaxing and having fun. Inspection report children’s home: SC433451 4

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

The children and young people are kept safe and they said that they feel safe. They are helped to develop strategies to manage risk in the community. Staff are vigilant and achieve a good balance between minimising risk and allowing the children and young people to take age-appropriate risks.

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

Risk assessments are clear and up to date. They detail the strategies that staff need to use to keep the children and young people safe and to mitigate risk. They are developed together with the children and young people. Effective work is undertaken with the children and young people to protect them. Internet safety, anti-bullying and appropriate behaviours are taught. The children and young people are part of the local anti-bullying intervention group and have recently been awarded a platinum-level anti-bullying certificate.

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

The manager and staff consistently promote and role model positive behaviour and interaction with others. Good manners and respect are seen as being important and this helps the children and young people to develop a strong sense of how to treat others. Physical interventions are rarely used now and have decreased significantly from when children first arrived at the home. On the occasions that they are used, they have been appropriate and to ensure safety. All have been recorded well and reviewed by a senior member of staff. Following such interventions, staff carry out conversations with children and young people to ensure that their views are heard and recorded. The use of sanctions to manage behaviour is minimal and is counter-balanced by incentives and rewards for positive behaviour. This supports the children and young people to develop an awareness of responsibility and consequences for the choices they make.

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

Episodes of children and young people going missing from the home rarely occur. The staff team is aware of risks to children and young people when they are away from home and makes meticulous efforts to minimise such risks. Staff give consistent messages to the children and young people, helping to reinforce the need to keep safe and make good choices. Well-established and effective partnership working ensures that the children and young people are safeguarded, and protected, exceedingly well.

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

There is an excellent safeguarding culture within the home and robust, safeguarding procedures ensure that staff have the knowledge and confidence to act promptly if there is a concern for a child or young person’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly motivated and committed. She actively seeks to improve the outcomes for the children and young people. She is supported by a dedicated and knowledgeable deputy manager and a highly effective and nurturing staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the children and young people in her care very well. She maintains Inspection report children’s home: SC433451 5 a thorough oversight of their behaviour, needs and progress. A child said, ‘She always helps us and listens to us; she makes me feel safe.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example by working with the children and young people directly. This enables her to observe, at first hand, day-to-day practice and to develop plans to address any issue that may arise. The staff are well trained and have the necessary skills to help them meet the very complex needs of the children and young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular and effective supervision enables the staff to reflect on their practice. In addition, monthly meetings take place in which the manager recognises the positive work of the staff. Staff spoken with during the inspection felt very well supported and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring systems are comprehensive and accurate. They are undertaken by the management team, including the deputy manager and senior staff. The manager is clear about the strengths and areas for development needed in the home and has realistic and attainable plans to achieve them. She has used research to good effect in developing practice in the home. This is enabling the staff to improve their individual effectiveness with the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager gives clear direction to the staff who, as a result, have responded positively and creatively. The children and young people’sfiles create an interactive and rich record of what is happening in the children and young people’s lives. Their ‘voice’ is evident throughout, ensuring that children and young people are at the centre of all practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager works collaboratively with a team of professionals including social workers, health workers and the police.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff work very hard to promote positive outcomes for all of the children and young people. They understand the value of developing the children and young people’s confidence, self-esteem and resilience. They have created an environment in which the children and young people are able to thrive and achieve.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC433451 6 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: SC433451 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Cuthbert’s House, West Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE15 7PY

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Inspector:

Dot McGough, ofsted inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC433451 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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