Children's Home run by Gateshead Council in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 1 Registered provider: Gateshead Local Authority Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by the local authority. It provides care for up to six children who experience emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2020.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they feel supported by the staff, and professionals say that the children make good progress. One professional said that, if they could, they would choose to have all children looked after they work with living in this home, due to how satisfied they are with the level of care provided to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children say that the staff are like family to them rather than ‘staff’. Therefore, they feel protective towards them. The older children care about the younger children, who they deem to be more vulnerable than themselves. This can result in some conflict between the children, especially when a child behaves in a disrespectful way towards a member of staff or when a child encourages a more vulnerable child to behave in an unsafe way. Staff support the children appropriately when these situations arise, so that the children can safely manage their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are introduced to the home prior to moving in. Where a face-to-face visit is not possible, children are given a virtual tour of the home. Children personalise their rooms with the decor of their choice. All children have their own en-suite facilities, including a shower, and there is also a separate bathroom and toilet for general use. This toilet is occasionally kept locked by staff when they have used it. This was highlighted to the manager during the inspection, who took immediate steps to prevent this from happening again.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move out of the home are supported well by the staff. The home benefits from an on-site flat, which is available to those children who are preparing to move on. Staff help the children to learn the life skills that they need to live safely and independently. In some cases, this includes supporting them with parenthood. Children who have moved on stay in contact with the staff and visit them with their own children. These ongoing relationships enhance the children’s support network. Some children say that they feel so supported that they would like to remain living at the home after they have reached 18 years of age.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children achieve well in their education. Staff ensure that the children’s support is individualised. Staff take children to their exams, so that the child feels relaxed and supported. When staff believe education professionals have unrealistic expectations of a child, they challenge this and promote an approach which is more in line with the child’s abilities. This approach supports the child to succeed. Children are also supported to access training and employment. Staff encourage the children to trial different types of employment in line with their skills and capabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a children’s rights officer, as well as an advocate, who regularly seeks the views of the children. The children’s views are then shared with the staff and management team, who respond accordingly. The manager also encourages the children to share their views freely in the home. This means that children generally feel listened to. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 4 Children are experiencing some disruption to the stability of their home as the staff are experiencing some difficulties in managing one child’s behaviours. One child is upset that they missed some education due to being tired because of being kept awake throughout the night. Another child feels less comfortable in their home than they did previously. This is due to new staff being present during the night. A further child feels that the home is now too noisy and that this is contributing towards a deterioration in their mental health. The manager has a plan in place to address this

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improvement to be good

The senior management team is aware of the detailed history of a child who has moved into the home. However, this information has not been shared with the home’s manager. This oversight prevents the manager from completing a comprehensive risk assessment when considering whether it is safe for a child to move into the home. Consequently, the manager is unable to fully consider certain aspects of safeguarding, such as whether the location of the home is safe for the child and what impact the child’s behaviours may have on other children already living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children have individual risk assessments which are designed to inform the staff of the risks to the children. These assessments outline the strategies the staff must use to keep the children safe. While the staff apply the strategies outlined in these plans, these strategies are not consistently effective. This means that one child frequently goes missing from the home as the staff cannot consistently prevent the child from leaving the premises.

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improvement to be good

As a result of staff being unable to prevent one child from leaving the premises, the number of times that the children go missing from home is high. Staff follow the child’s agreed safety plan well when the child goes missing. The staff make attempts to locate the child, with the use of emergency services as required. However, the staff have failed to prevent one child from encouraging another child, who has not been reported missing from the home previously, to go missing. While missing from care, these children have stolen from a shop and, as a result, were arrested. The child who has not been reported missing from the home previously told staff that they felt afraid when they were out missing and that they did not like it.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour is promoted well by the staff. Sanctions are restorative in nature, such as helping out around the home. The infrequent need to hold children when they may be at risk of harming themselves or others indicates that the therapeutic approach taken by staff is often effective. The therapeutic team speaks highly of the staff’s commitment to meeting the emotional needs of the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support those children who smoke cigarettes, take drugs and drink alcohol to reduce their intake and, in some cases, stop their use. This helps children to understand that the staff care about them and want to promote their welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and the manager know the children well. They are reactive in their responses when they identify that the children’s needs are changing, and the manager escalates their concerns when a child faces significant risks. This has resulted in the senior management team implementing regular, strategic, multi-agency meetings to share information and develop strategies which are designed to reduce risks to a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a visible presence in the home, and the children know she is available to help them. The staff and the manager are aspirational when supporting the children into adulthood, which the children understand. One professional called the manager and her team ‘inspirational’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a stable staff team, which is testimony to the leadership of the home’s manager. Staff describe feeling supported by her and say that she has created a learning environment. The manager is well supported by two deputy managers, who are equally enthusiastic in their desire to promote positive outcomes for the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager responds well when additional staffing is required to help to keep the children safe. She ensures that the children have continuity of care by employing the same members of agency and sessional staff as part of the rota. Safer recruitment processes are in place for both sessional and agency staff members also. These staff experience the same induction as permanent members of staff. The manager understands the importance of children having a say over who works in their home and involves them in the interview process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds regular meetings for the staff, which allows the staff to be updated on the emerging needs of the children and any changes to their care arrangements. This also provides an opportunity for staff to voice their views. The manager arranges guest speakers to attend these meetings, in order to develop the practice of the staff. This includes members of the therapeutic team, who now also attend the home to have consultations with individual staff members. These consultations help the staff to improve their understanding of how to best meet the children’s needs through a trauma-informed approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a robust audit and tracking system in place. This means that all children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are regularly updated. All significant documents which the staff require to help them meet the needs of the children are comprehensive, up to date and easily available to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 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.

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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

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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 12 July 2022

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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 must be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and kept under regular review. In particular, the toilet should not be locked unless in use. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that restrictions of liberty of movement are recorded as restraint, particularly when the toilet is locked. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.2)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are

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Recommendations

satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 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 for children’s home: 2570947 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gateshead Local Authority

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Adults, Children and Families, Gateshead Council, Group Secretariat, 1st Floor, Regent Street, Gateshead NE8 1HH

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Inspector

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 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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