Children's Home run by St Cuthbert’s Care in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report children's home: SC033467 1 SC033467 Registered provider: St Cuthbert’s Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a charitable organisation. It provides care for up to six children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2019.

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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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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: 29 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC033467 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2020 Full Good 07/08/2018 Full Good 05/09/2017 Full Good 15/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC033467 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently three children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from living in a warm, nurturing environment. They are cared for by highly supportive and committed staff that demonstrate a good insight into each child’s needs. Care practice is individualised, and staff support the children to make good progress, relative to their individual circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities. These have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The children and the staff have explored the local outdoors. The staff put together a memory book of the children enjoying a range of activities, including trips to the beach and adventurous walks. These positive experiences provide memories and show the progress that the children are making with their confidence and resilience in times of uncertainty.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to engage in their education and make clear progress. Educational achievement is particularly evident for the children who have previously had poor experiences of education. Children develop higher expectations of themselves and become more aspirational as they achieve success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support the children to attend their health appointments and maintain a balanced lifestyle. When necessary, the staff engage with specialist health professionals. This ensures that the children’s known, and emerging health needs are met. Staff support the children to follow government guidance on managing COVID-19.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The concept of family is high on the agenda for the manager and the staff. They have worked effectively with the children and their family members to rebuild and improve these relationships. This has enabled one child to achieve their overall goal of returning home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is suitable for the care of the children. Children’s bedrooms are comfortable, suitably equipped and furnished to meet their needs. However, one child’s bedroom and bathroom were found to be dirty. Furthermore, repair and redecoration are required for some parts of the home. This does not encourage children to have high aspirations for their future living environment. A plan has been actioned to address these shortfalls.

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

Staff understand the children’s complex behaviours and risks. Children’s behaviour management plans set out the strategies that the staff must use to help to de- escalate the children’s escalating behaviour. The staff complete the children’s risk assessments and identify appropriate strategies to minimise the risks. Staff rarely Inspection report children's home: SC033467 4 need to hold the children to manage their complex behaviour. If restraint is used, the action is necessary to prevent harm or injury to the children or others.

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

Staff speak to the children about their behaviour and the impact it can have on the other children in the home. Some of these discussions can be upsetting for the children. However, the staff know the children well, and approach these conversations with sensitivity. This prevents the children from becoming angry and enables them to listen, reflect and adapt their behaviour.

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

Staff support the children to learn how to keep themselves safe through regular key- working sessions. Topics covered include bullying behaviour, keeping safe online, achieving independence and maintaining positive relationships. This work enables the children to become more social and increasingly safe.

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

Staff respond appropriately when the children go missing from the home. The staff work in collaboration with the police when children are at an increased risk of harm. Good communication with other agencies is in place to help manage the risks associated with the children. As a result, the children are better protected because of the partnerships that the staff have with other professionals.

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

Children know how to complain. When children do complain, this is taken seriously. The manager investigates the complaints and addresses any identified actions thoroughly. However, the manager has failed to provide the outcome of her investigation to one child. This oversight prevents the child from understanding if their complaint has been upheld or not.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a qualified and experienced manager. She is supported by senior staff, and together they lead a stable, enthusiastic and committed staff team. Collectively, they provide children with a good standard of care that promotes the children’s individual progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, which gives them an opportunity to reflect on their practice. They feel supported in their role, and they work consistently to implement boundaries for the children. This enables the children to live in a calm environment and allows them to experience routine and structure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and family members speak highly of the registered manager and the staff. Feedback from the professionals and family members about the children is positive. They all say that the children are kept safe, that they are settled and that they have good relationships with the staff. This allows the children to develop trusting relationships with the adults around them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are detailed and provide a comprehensive picture of each child’s needs, experience and progress. Internal documents, such as care plans and risk assessments, are frequently reviewed and updated. However, supporting documentation from external agencies, such as looked after review minutes from Inspection report children's home: SC033467 5 the placing local authority, have not been acquired in a timely manner. This means that the children’s records are incomplete. Inspection report children's home: SC033467 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i)) 15 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 15 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal 15 March 2022 Inspection report children's home: SC033467 7 resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (2) (3))

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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: SC033467 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St. Cuthbert’s House, West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE15 7PY

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Inspector

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC033467 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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