Children's home run by Stockton on Tees Borough Council in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 1 SC040583 Registered provider: Stockton On Tees Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated and managed by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 22 January 2020 to carry out a full inspection. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: 22 January 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2020 Full Good 12/03/2019 Full Outstanding 10/08/2017 Full Outstanding 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 3

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outstanding

Children live in a home which is warm, inviting and nurturing. It is a family home with the children’s photographs and toys evident throughout. One child said, ‘I love living here, there is nothing I don’t like about living here.’ Children view staff as extended family members. They feel loved and cared for.

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outstanding

The excellent care and work which is carried out is reflective of the home’s statement of purpose. Children make significant emotional and behavioural progress and in a short space of time. Despite having experienced many, and often traumatic, placement breakdowns, children leave ready to live with a family. One professional described a child’s progress as ‘remarkable’ and that, ‘The team has turned her [the child] around.’ A family member said about their child, ‘Their progress is brilliant, there has been such a difference.’

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outstanding

Children have exceptionally good relationships with all staff. They trust them and talk openly with them about their worries. Children undertake direct work with staff which is based on their identified needs as part of their plan. They also undertake direct work as and when an issue arises. Staff are responsive and skilled in working with children. The team is creative and has accumulated many therapeutic resources. Consequently, the children are flourishing.

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outstanding

Positive behaviour is promoted. Children are praised and rewarded in a variety of ways. This makes children invest in positive behaviour and want to achieve.

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outstanding

Children are helped by staff who advocate for them. Since moving into the home, one child has been diagnosed with a medical condition. Following this diagnosis, the child’s confidence and self-esteem has improved considerably. For another child, the staff ensured that she had reading books from school which she could understand. This helped her make progress at school.

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outstanding

Staff are ambitious for the children. They support the children to attend, and do well in, their education. They help children learn at home, which has been noticed by professionals because of the progress children are making at school. This intervention will help children achieve their educational potential.

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outstanding

Children’s views are obtained in a variety of ways and inform their day-to-day care. They read and contribute to their care plan. This makes children feel valued. In line with his wishes, one child is now able to travel to and from school independently. This represents a significant area of progress for this child.

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outstanding

Children are aware of, and involved in, important decisions about their future. Relevant professionals and family members are also involved. This provides for a coordinated approach and one which the children are at the centre of. Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 4 Some rooms downstairs are locked overnight. The rationale is to ensure children’s safety. However, this practice has not been reviewed for some time. The manager took action to rectify this during the inspection.

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outstanding

The manager ensures that children’s risks and needs are fully understood before moving into the home. This means that accurate risk assessments can be put in place. Successful methods of communication mean that all staff are told immediately about any incidents or concerns. Risk assessments are updated, and an agreed approach is then taken by staff. This helps to ensure that children are protected.

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outstanding

Risk assessments are clear and comprehensive, and reviewed and updated whenever necessary. The manager has included hyperlinks which direct staff to additional information such as policies, research and guidance. This results in staff being better informed about risks.

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outstanding

Staff understand the triggers for negative behaviours because they know the children so well and understand their history. Staff are trained in de-escalation and will use this measure quickly and calmly. Restraints are rare, with the last occurring in January of this year. When restraints do occur, debriefs take place with the child and staff. They also take place with the other children if they have been affected. This shows that all children are considered and cared for.

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outstanding

The use of sanctions is minimal. When they are used, the child is consulted with. One child said sanctions are ‘fair’ and stop him repeating the behaviour.

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outstanding

Children will ask questions about risky behaviours such as drugs misuse and self- harming. Staff will help them understand why such behaviours are dangerous. Children know when they have done something which is harmful and, crucially, are able to tell staff about this. Staff respond in a caring and supportive way and this means that children are more likely to open up to staff again.

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outstanding

Staff are proactive in accessing support for the children from the in-house therapist and other relevant external services. The in-house therapist also works closely with the staff team offering advice and strategies to use to benefit the children. This intervention helps children come to terms with past traumas and move on with their lives.

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outstanding

Safer recruitment takes place in this home, which prevents unsuitable people from having the opportunity to harm children or place them at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is forward thinking, inspirational, creative and dedicated to meeting the individual needs of the children. He pushes himself to learn and Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 5 develop, to provide the children with the best possible care. He has high expectations of the staff and motivates them to be imaginative in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is diverse. It brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills to the children. One thing the staff have in common is their absolute care and commitment to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have regular reflective supervision and team meetings. They also attend training and development days as a whole staff team. This ensures that staff can collectively meet the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely positive about working at the home. One member of staff said, ‘I could go on for ages stating how proud I am to be part of this team.’ Another said, ‘I feel passionate about the home and privileged to work here.’ More than one spoke about this being ‘a second home’ and having ‘a second family’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel very supported by the registered manager and deputy manager, both at work and with personal issues. One member of staff said, ‘I feel massively supported.’ Another said, ‘The management is second to none.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager ensures that transitions in and out of the home are extremely well managed. Much planning, preparation and ongoing support goes into the transitions to ensure that they are successful. Family members and foster carers are fully involved in the process. Prospective carers spend time in the home with the child and observe how staff interact with the child. They are trained by the staff in managing the child’s risky and challenging behaviours. One foster carer said her experience was ‘absolutely brilliant’ and resulted in a far smoother experience for all concerned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Multi-agency working is a clear strength of the home. Staff and managers are in constant contact with other professionals. This ensures a good level of communication and joined-up care being delivered to the children. One professional said, ‘The staff team is so positive, and the staff’s interest in the child is like nothing I have experienced before.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent monitoring systems in place. This ensures that everything is completed and to a high standard. Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC040583 7

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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, Cleveland TS18 1LD

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Inspector

Emma Ridley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040583 8 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under

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Inspector

the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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