Children's home run by North Yorkshire Council

Inspection report children's home: 1256500 1 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 profound learning disabilities including autistic spectrum disorder and complex health needs. Some of the children and young people receive palliative care. The home also offers extended and bespoke packages of care. The manager has been registered since June 2017, when the home was first registered with the local authority.

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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: 5 February 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: 1256500 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2019 Full Outstanding 21/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 3

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Recommendations

 The design of the home should include any necessary adaptation to meet the needs of children with disabilities or specific health issues. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.24). This is with particular reference to the development of a wheelchair storage area, as identified within the fire safety action plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people are involved in and enjoy a variety of activities. The staff ensure that the children and young people are visible within the community and are not excluded from the mainstream of life. This means that with some meticulous planning, they routinely get the opportunity to do things that other children and young people take for granted. For example, eating at restaurants, using public transport, and going swimming. A professional reported: ‘The staff transform the children’s lives. [Child’s name] has had so many new experiences. Previously he was confined to the four walls of home and school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people experience a fun filled time during their short breaks. Their days are planned to enable the children and young people to spend time with their friends and take part in activities that bring them joy. The staff’s active engagement with the children and young people sees them happily singing and dancing, filling the home with joy and laughter. Staff work endlessly to make the dreams and wishes for those children and young people with life-limiting conditions become a reality. For one child, this meant he got to go on a train journey, and he was very happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Innovative ways of consulting with the children and young people have led to a better understanding of their views. The staff routinely adapt their approach with individual children and young people to enable responsive communication. In consultation with speech and language therapists, the manager has chosen specific songs that are played at particular times of the day, helping the children and young people to understand and adjust to activities. For example, upbeat music is associated with dinner time and something soothing for bedtime.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people are making measurable progress. This progress is making a significant difference to their lives, helping them become more independent. For example, one child is being helped to strengthen their hands, as this will enable them to independently move their wheelchair. Other children and young people are now able to manage some of their own personal care. This promotes their dignity and self-respect as well as their independence. Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 4 The children and young people experience a very thorough and planned admission into the home. As they start their short breaks, the staff have the knowledge and plans in place to provide safe and consistent care. The excellent planning and preparation from the staff means that the children and young people can concentrate on having fun and enjoy their break.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is personalised, comfortable and reflects the children and young people’s differing needs. The resources in the home are continually developing and the investment in a relaxation room, outside road track and a new mini bus brings further enjoyment and opportunities for the children and young people.

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

Personal care is respectfully provided to the children and young people. The staff actively engage and talk to the children and young people when they are delivering any form of care. This provides the children and young people with clear reasoning, reassurance and opportunity for them to take control. Importantly, the staff have a thorough understanding about safeguarding, and this means that they record any marks or bruises on the children and young people clearly and transparently. This practice enables further investigation and protection for all children and young people.

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

Appropriately high staffing levels ensure that children and young people are supported and supervised. This also reduces the risk of the children and young people going missing from this home. If there was such an incident, each child and young person has a clear plan and the staff know their responsibilities and the correct procedures to follow.

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

The staff are good at managing the risks through their ability to recognise and respond if the children and young people are unhappy or distressed. The calm and patient staff respond consistently to challenging behaviours, and are confident in using de-escalation strategies. This reduces the need for physical intervention. When it is used, this is as a last resort to keep the children and young people safe.

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

The skilled staff comply with the procedures involved with administration and recording of medication. Medication errors are quickly identified and addressed, therefore reducing the impact on the children and young people. The staff work and communicate closely and effectively with parents to ensure medication is correct prior to any short break stays. For example, the parents of one child were able to rectify their child’s prescription when staff recognised that an error had been made by the dispensing pharmacy.

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

The manager knows all the children and young people exceptionally well. She supports each child or young person on their first overnight visit, helping to integrate them into the home smoothly. Highly effective matching is based on the children and young people’s individual vulnerabilities and risks. As a result, the children and young people receive their short break at the same time as those who are suitably compatible. When a Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 5 child or young person is a risk to others, or themselves, there are good staffing levels and clear strategies to maintain the safety of all.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The zealous manager alongside her deputy have embedded a culture of inclusiveness at the home. Together, they are creatively developing the home and ensuring that the children and young people are continually gaining new experiences and achieving life impacting outcomes. The service is supporting an increasing number of vulnerable families, providing them with the much-needed support and respite.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is very proud of the service that they provide to the children and young people. The resources that the staff use to communicate and engage with the children and young people have been shared with other providers. This includes the initiative ‘time to try’, which was created to provide the children and young people with a range of wonderful experiences that they are unlikely to have at home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is highly effective and there is regular consultation with parents, carers and professionals to seek their views about further improvements. There is a high level of parental satisfaction. The manager advocates for the children and young people and challenges professionals, families and carers when decisions are made that impact negatively on the children and young people’s plans and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures the safe recruitment of staff. In addition, staff benefit from a thorough induction and training package which means that they have the knowledge and skills to meet the complex care needs of the children and young people. The manager’s hands-on approach and comprehensive monitoring arrangements continue to ensure that the children and young people enjoy a good standard of care. When the manager has identified deficits in practice, she takes immediate action to implement positive change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is aware of the strengths and developments within the home, and she will escalate issues when they are not being addressed. However, the current fire risk assessment identifies the issues around limited wheelchair storage, and this is an action that has not been progressed.

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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: 1256500 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: 1256500 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256500 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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