Children's Home run by North East Autism Society in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC458754 1 SC458754 Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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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 privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to eight children and/or young people who have a learning disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 23 July 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 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: 12 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC458754 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good 21/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC458754 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress. The staff recognise the uniqueness of each child with complex needs. Multi-agency work ensures that the sensory needs of children contribute to providing bespoke living environments. Children have self-contained, single-occupancy apartments, fully equipped with a kitchen, a lounge, a bedroom and a bathroom. Communal areas enable children to engage with each other socially. This supportive and child-centred living space helps children to flourish and be kept safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff develop their knowledge of children with additional health needs through the completion of research. This informs their knowledge, practice and individual care- planning. As a result, children receive care from skilled staff who are proactive and attentive to individual needs. Children’s well-being is central to daily living and contributes to the exceptional progress made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children attend education and make good progress. Communication between educational professionals and staff is positive and proactive. Children attend a variety of school placements on-site, off-site and at colleges. Resources available to children on- site include a swimming pool, sports hall and gym. These bespoke packages of education support children’s health and well-being

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s independence is encouraged and supported through the highly effective ‘skills for life’ programme. Children choose individual targets with support from their staff. These include basic shopping, managing finances and whether they are able to take part in administering their own medication safely. All children, regardless of ability, are working along the shopping pathway and making positive progress. A range of communication aids support step-by-step plans, which are recorded meticulously and regularly reviewed. This helps children see the progress they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are provided with fantastic experiences. Since the last full inspection, they have enjoyed a range of holidays, some of which involved air travel, and visits to Wembley Stadium and London. Children’s interests are explored and promoted. They all have memory books, which are often looked at by the children. This promotes their well-being and self-esteem in addition to promoting visual communication for children with different needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Transitions for the children are managed and extremely well planned. Children are helped in accordance with their level of ability and needs during any transition and this is always at their pace. A social worker commented, ‘[Name’s] progress has been absolutely fantastic since his move; he is so settled, we have very few incidents now and he is very accepted. His behaviour is seen as part of him. The staff see the child first not his disability. He has everything that he needs and he is doing things that we knew he could but have not seen him do.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC458754 4

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

Risk assessments and proactive support plans are thorough. Detail in plans is well written and to the point. Children’s sensory impairments and behaviours are well known and understood by staff who review and monitor children’s behaviour in collaboration with a multi-agency team. This ensures that research informs the practice of the very skilled staff. Children become increasingly safe as a result.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the risks for the children. For example, shopping trips include children entering busy and confusing environments. However, staff plan accordingly and will visit at less busy times and be close by, firstly to develop independence and secondly to be available to support when and if required. This step- by-step planning and a knowledge of intervention strategies to support children help to manage risk effectively. This helps children develop a sense of achievement and builds identity.

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

Children who are able to spend time in the community independently are supported to do so. This can be in the form of innovative electronic systems, which enable children to be able to alert staff when feeling vulnerable or at risk. This helps children to spend time in the community independently and safely.

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

Staff undertake regular safeguarding training. This supports their awareness of child protection procedures. Management oversight and regular reference to safeguarding practice in team meetings and staff supervision promote children’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is innovative, confident and ambitious for the children. He leads by example and is supported by three assistant managers. They share his enthusiasm and passion for achieving the best outcomes for children who have challenging and additional needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Highly effective weekly team meetings enable staff to share knowledge gained through research. Staff know their responsibilities and share information in a supportive, educative environment. Innovative and creative ideas are generated, such as an emotions and pain symbol book to enable children to express how they are feeling. This not only promotes the children’s voice but enables shared ownership of practice and accountability. This helps to enhance children’s experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and assistant managers provide staff with regular and effective supervision and appraisals. Newly appointed staff are thoroughly supported through shadowing experiences, excellent inductions and performance reviews. This creates an efficient and supportive working environment. Staff feel valued and respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The internal and external monitoring and audits are completed by every level of management. The registered manager ensures that his reports not only identify strengths and areas for improvement, but also evidence the continuous progress children Inspection report children’s home: SC458754 5 make. Reports are shared with the trustees, who provide an additional level of scrutiny. Standards of care are high, as are expectations from management. This ensures that children flourish and develop new skills and confidence in a positive environment.

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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: SC458754 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester-le- Street, County Durham DH2 1AN

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Inspector

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458754 7 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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