Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 1 SC441553 Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2019 Full Outstanding 07/11/2017 Full Outstanding 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people have formed secure relationships with the staff and each other, and together they identify as a family. Sometimes, the children and young people struggle to make the right choices, but the staff are a consistent source of support for them. One young person said: ‘The staff have helped me through some of the worst and best times in my life and I could not be more thankful for them having my back.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children and young people move into the home, they are made to feel welcome. The staff are well informed about the new children and young people’s histories, and they ensure that appropriate plans are in place that meet their needs. One young person has moved out of the home. This move occurred earlier than originally planned and was in response to safeguarding concerns. When young people move out of the home, ‘staying put’ arrangements provide them with a continuation of care and staff support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff ensure that the children and young people’s faith is respected. Together, the children, young people and the staff have developed their religious and cultural knowledge. When English is not a child’s first language, the staff use different means of communication to gain the child’s wishes and feelings. The children and young people are supported to embrace the diversity within the home. This ensures that everyone has a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Bespoke educational packages support the children and young people’s attendance and attainment. Children and young people make progress with their social and emotional skills even when academic progress is slow.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people’s self-esteem has developed and this has improved their confidence and ability to try new things. Over the summer, all of the children and young people were able to experience a holiday abroad together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are helped to live a healthy life. As a result of staff support and encouragement, one child’s personal care has improved. This child has also stopped smoking. The children and young people are advised by the staff about the dangers relating to the misuse of alcohol and drugs. When the children and young people return home under the influence of substances, the staff take appropriate action to monitor and ensure their safety. However, their actions are not consistently documented within records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is nicely decorated and has plenty of space for the children and young people to socialise and relax. The children and young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. One young person is planning a full redecoration, which will address the current damage to their bedroom walls. The home has a variety of window dressings, including blinds. The blinds fitted to the windows require the cords to be secured; this is to prevent associated ligature risk. Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 4

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

The staff understand the behaviours that place the children and young people at risk of harm. The staff regularly talk to the children and young people, and together they identify solutions and create safety plans. Talking around the dinner table is routinely used to create group discussions, and this provides further guidance about the risks and challenges that the children and young people face.

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

The number of children and young people that are missing from the home has reduced. The proactive staff go out and look for the children and young people until they return home safely. Once the child or young person is settled back into the home, the staff talk to them about the incident, and any identified safeguarding concerns are responded to and shared with relevant agencies.

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

The children and young people’s relationships with the staff are positive. The children and young people value the staff’s opinion and guidance, and as a result, most challenging incidents are resolved without the use of physical intervention. When physical intervention is used, this is as a last resort. The staff routinely complete thorough debriefs with the children and young people to ensure that they are not harmed in any way by their experience. However, the completed debriefs with staff are not recorded.

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

Incidents of verbal and physical aggression have escalated between two young people living in the home. The young people were initially responsive to staff guidance and teachings about healthy and positive relationships. As incidents become increasingly volatile, the manager reviewed the young people’s safety plans, but the implemented measures quickly became ineffective. The other children and young people have witnessed some of these incidents, but records do not identify the impact this may have had on them and neither do they include the manager’s overview.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and team are highly motivated in ensuring that the home provides long-term stability for the children and young people. They embed a culture that minimises change and this makes a difference to the children and young people’s lives, as the stability of the home enables them to trust the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff understand the effects of childhood trauma and how this can impact on the children and young people’s ability to maintain progress. The staff provide the children and young people with the nurture and encouragement they need to achieve their outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works collaboratively with the children and young people’s families. Parents are developing their understanding about their children’s needs as they are routinely involved in their care planning. Some of the children and young people’s Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 5 parents have shared happy times together, for example being invited to the home at Christmas to open presents and share the Christmas meal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All agencies work well together and this helps the children and young people to achieve their outcomes. The manager challenges others when there is delay in action or when decisions are made that impact negatively on the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the strengths of her team. She is confident in the staff’s decision-making, and their ability to manage the home in her absence. The manager’s monitoring systems ensure that all achievements are celebrated and any areas for development addressed. A professional said: ‘The staff provide high-quality reports about the children and young people. I use these as good practice examples for other children’s homes within the local authority.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 6

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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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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

records demonstrate the action taken to safeguard and support the children and young people when they return home under the influence of substances;

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Requirement Due date

records are reviewed to consider the impact on all the children and young people in the home following incidents of abuse within the home. 24/04/2020

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

15, paragraph 3.9) This is with particular reference to improving the standard of decoration in one young person’s bedroom and ensuring that all blind cords are securely fitted around the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC441553 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire DN35 8LN

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC441553 9 to 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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