Children's Home run by Highfield North East Limited in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 1 SC476512 Registered provider: Highfield (North East) Limited 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 private provider. It provides care for up to five children who may have social, emotional or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021. She is undertaking the required management qualification.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/06/2019 Full Good 21/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress when they live in this home. For some, the changes they make are remarkable. Children are invested in their home and are proud of where they live. They develop good relationships with staff, whom they talk to about the things that matter to them most. Over time, children learn that staff do not give up on them and this is essential for their sense of self-worth. Children experience stability, and this helps them to feel secure, even when difficulties occur.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s attendance at school is excellent. For some, this represents significant improvements on their earlier experiences. Staff ensure that work is provided for children who are not in school. This means that these children do not fall too far behind their peers and that they can quickly catch up when they return to the classroom. Regular school attendance means that children are meeting academic targets. They are also developing positive social relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical health needs are met. Children regularly attend routine, as well as urgent health appointments. Staff help children to follow medical advice, even when it is not welcome. Staff undertake creative work with children about issues such as smoking. This work is well received by children. Rates of smoking in the home have reduced significantly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported with their emotional health and well-being. When waiting lists for statutory intervention are too long, staff find other forms of useful help, for example from the charity sector. This means that children get the support that they need in good time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children provide their views about their home. They attend monthly meetings in which they talk about preferred activities and meal options. Managers and staff listen to their wishes and respond positively when possible. Children learn that their views matter and that they have the right to influence their world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in activities that provide them with new and interesting experiences. Some take part in community groups. This means they spend time with children they would otherwise not meet. Staff encourage children to take part in events such as trips away from home, even when children are anxious about whether they will cope. As a result, children have wonderful adventures and are learning about the scope of their own potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children keep in touch with members of their family. For some children, this means staff helping them to reunite with relatives they have not seen for some time. This helps promote children’s sense of identity. Children and their families value the efforts that staff make to preserve these important relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 4 Staff help older children to be ready for life as young adults. Staff talk to children about their hopes and aspirations and help them to become increasingly independent. Staff advocate on children’s behalf, to ensure that the right options are available to them. As a result, children move to their new homes, where the right support is available and with the skills they need to succeed.

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

Children become safer in this home. The risks from being missing reduce and children do not use drugs or drink alcohol. Children do not become involved in antisocial behaviour in the community. For some children, this is significant progress.

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

Staff help children’s risks from self-harm to reduce. Children become increasingly likely to talk to staff about any feelings of distress. Children tell staff if they have done something to harm themselves. This means that staff can respond quickly, providing first aid when necessary. Children respond well to this input and begin to feel pride in their own progress.

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

Staff talk to children about their safety and well-being. Staff help children to think about issues such as exploitation and the impact of knife crime. Children learn about being safe when using the internet, through work with local police officers. This support provides children with invaluable education. It also gives a strong message to children that staff care about them and want them to be safe.

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

Staff prepare individualised risk assessments for children. These identify specific support that children need to be safe. Staff regularly review and amend the assessments as children’s risks change. Staff discuss children’s risks in supervision and team meetings, to ensure that they understand what is expected of them. The quality and use of these risk assessments is much improved from the time of the last full inspection.

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

Staff do not consistently support children’s behaviour effectively. Behaviour support plans do not always give staff adequate guidance about how to respond well to individual children. Staff become overwhelmed on occasion. This prevents them from understanding the impact on children of these difficulties. This includes when some children are bullied. Although staff and managers try different strategies to improve children’s experiences, these are not yet effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations for children and the home. She responded well to the shortfalls identified at the last full inspection. The registered manager understands what works well in the home and where further improvements are needed. She is well supported by an experienced and effective deputy manager. This means that the registered manager has time to focus on the overall development of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 5 The registered manager’s understanding of individual children’s progress is generally good. She advocates on behalf of children when she identifies gaps in provision. For example, children receive support for their emotional well-being quickly and return to school without delay after periods of exclusion. The registered manager is an effective role model for the staff team and children receive optimal support from the wider professional network.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s evaluation of the ability of staff to manage behavioural difficulties is not always effective. She does not identify patterns of behaviour or when staff need more support. This means that these issues continue for longer than is appropriate. The registered manager accepts this and is making changes to bring about improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager undertakes regular monitoring of the home. This oversight is extensive. For example, it includes a focus on staff practice, as well as health and safety tasks. Greater evaluation of the impact on children would make this monitoring more effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is large enough that agency staff are not used. The registered manager understands the pressures relating to staff recruitment. She ensures that new staff have the attributes to work well with children, including when they have little previous experience. Effective recruitment is supported by good-quality induction processes. This approach is effective. It means that the staff team is large enough to ensure that children are always cared for by staff whom they know well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff value the support provided by managers, who are approachable and available. This is particularly important to staff when they are dealing with difficulties. Staff receive regular supervision of their practice. Supervision is provided by senior staff with the experience and training to do so effectively. Staff also undertake a wide range of training that is pertinent to their roles. Management oversight ensures that training is updated when necessary. This input means that children are cared for by staff who have the skills and support that they need. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 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 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

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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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

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(xi)(xii)) 31 August 2022

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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 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 7 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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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 for children’s home: SC476512 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Highfield (North East) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 37 Emerald Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea TS12 1EE

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Inspector

Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476512 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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