Children's home run by Stockton on Tees Borough Council

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a local authority. It was registered in March 2020 to provide short breaks and edge of care services to children and their families.

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Information about this children’s home

In April 2020, the provider applied to vary the conditions of registration to provide longer-term care for up to five children and/or young people. This was a response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this assurance visit, two children were receiving longer-term care under these temporary conditions. Several families continue to receive edge of care services.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: not previously inspected

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19, Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred Assurance visit report: 2568244 2 practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance visit:

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Findings from the visit

 Children’s risks are not always identified, understood and managed effectively.  Staff do not receive the training they need to manage challenging situations and children’s behaviour effectively.  Leaders and managers do not evaluate findings from quality assurance audits effectively to improve children’s safety and experiences.

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The care of children

Children who live in the home are frustrated and unhappy. They know this is a short- break home and not their long-term home. They do not consistently build trusting relationships with members of staff. One child said, ‘Others come and go, I just get left behind.’

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The care of children

Children engage in educational activities and have continued to do so throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some children are making progress from their starting points despite not participating in education for a long time. Members of staff help these children to reflect on this. As a result, the children begin to develop aspirations for their futures.

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The care of children

A range of multi-agency support is available to children. This includes specialist mental health professionals and youth justice workers. This input has been available throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These professionals also provide guidance to the staff team to help them to support children. As well as children receiving direct help, members of staff learn more about the issues that most affect children.

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The care of children

Children receiving edge of care support services enjoy their experiences of this home. They provide very positive feedback, even when they were initially nervous to attend. Families report that these children make positive progress. This means that this aspect of the service meets the needs of these children and families well.

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The safety of children

Members of staff do not always understand and manage the risks to children who live in the home on a longer-term basis, despite support being provided. Responses to some children are ineffective when they are at risk from substance misuse or criminal behaviour. As a result, some children come to harm. Other children are not learning about their own vulnerability, or that adults have a responsibility to help them to be safe. This does not encourage children to trust their carers. Assurance visit report: 2568244 3 Members of staff cannot manage the behaviour of some children. These behaviours include children causing damage to the home and assaulting members of staff. On occasion, members of staff lock themselves in the office for their own protection. This leaves children without supervision and they are at risk of harm. Children develop an unhealthy view that they are beyond adult care. As well as being unsafe,

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The safety of children

this has a damaging impact on children’s self-worth.

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The safety of children

Members of staff prepare risk management plans. These are clear, with suitable strategies identified to manage risks in the community and behaviour in the home. However, members of staff do not have the confidence to follow the plans consistently. As a result, children continue to be at risk, including in the home.

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The safety of children

When children are missing, members of staff follow the home’s missing-from-home protocol. Members of staff look for children in the community. Children speak to someone independent, often their social worker, on their return. Over time, some children reduce how often and for how long they are missing. This shows progress for some children.

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The safety of children

Children involved in the edge of care service respond well to the support they receive. Feedback from families indicates that their children are safer because of the work the whole family undertakes. This is a positive reflection on this aspect of the service.

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Leaders and managers

Inadequate arrangements were made when the day-to-day support offered by the home was changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff team did not receive training to help them move from providing edge of care services, to looking after children in the longer term. In particular, members of staff were not equipped to safeguard children whose behaviour was challenging. As a result, children’s needs have not been fully met and some have not been kept safe.

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Leaders and managers

The management arrangements during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic were not adequate. For a period of two months, none of the usual managers could work in the home. Although alternative management cover was arranged, this was not consistent. As a result, members of staff felt unsupported. This affected their ability to care for the children.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager does not undertake evaluative monitoring of the service. Although she quality assures all processes in the home, she does not assess the impact on children of the care they receive. This means that some practice continues, even when it does not keep children safe.

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Leaders and managers

Managers do not ensure that members of staff know children’s risks when they are admitted to the home for longer-term care. Risk assessments to understand the impact that children have on each other are not effective. As a result, some children receive care that is not based on their needs and this places them at risk of harm. Assurance visit report: 2568244 4 Members of staff receive supervision of their practice. The registered manager is responsive if members of her team report significant difficulties. She arranges training to help the staff team to carry out their roles. However, due to the lack of evaluative oversight, the impact on children of this training is limited.

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Leaders and managers

The decision to admit children to this home on a longer-term basis was a response to the exceptional circumstances at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In maintaining the edge of care service, the home has continued its valuable and well- established support for families.

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(ix)(xi)) 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 2568244 5 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(b)) 31/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 31/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 2568244 6 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Municipal Buildings, Church Road, Stockton-on- Tees TS18 1LD

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Inspector

Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2568244 7 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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