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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 1 SC035222 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 for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 12 October 2021 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Good 30/10/2019 Full Good 28/01/2019 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 3

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improvement to be good

Children say that they are happy living here. Staff are caring and supportive and this helps children to settle. The manager and staff focus on nurturing the children which one professional described as being provided ‘by the bucketload’. This helps children to develop close relationships with staff who they trust, turn to, and share their worries with. One child said, ‘Staff care about me, and I can talk to them.’

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improvement to be good

Staff work hard to promote children’s health and well-being. They put routines and boundaries in place and children respond positively. Staff ensure that children receive intervention from specialist services in line with their needs and behaviours. As a result, children have access to the collaborative support they need.

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improvement to be good

Despite one child making significant progress and having formed strong attachments to staff, leaders made the decision to move him from the home. This is likely to have resulted in feelings of rejection and loss and is a highly concerning practice.

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improvement to be good

Children read and contribute to their care plans. This means they have a greater understanding of the decisions which are made about them and have a voice in their care. This helps children to feel valued. However, the manager does not know if agency staff have read children’s care plans. Therefore, children may receive inconsistent care which does not meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk to children after serious incidents, and when this is done quickly it has a positive impact on children. They reflect and learn. It enables children to apologise, which helps repair important relationships. However, when there is a delay in staff speaking to children, this has had a negative impact on children.

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improvement to be good

Sanctions are imposed to help children learn that there are consequences to their actions. However, children are not consistently given the opportunity to make amends and earn back what they have lost. There is delay in management oversight of sanctions. This means the manager is not able to identify inappropriate sanctions in a timely way.

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improvement to be good

The home has been awaiting refurbishment for a significant period of time. It looks tired and furniture is damaged. This does not provide a pleasant or comfortable environment for children to live in. The garden is unkept and uninviting. Given that space is very limited in the home, this is a missed opportunity to have an area which the children would want to spend time in. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 4

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improvement to be good

Managers and leaders do not assess all of the competing risks of children prior to children moving into the home. As a result, there are no strategies identified for staff to follow in the event of a known risk increasing.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are poor. Children’s risks are sometimes not included, even when they are significant, and risk ratings do not always reflect children’s behaviours. Plans completed by professionals which provide clear strategies on how to understand, manage and reduce risks are not incorporated or referenced within risk assessments. The manager is unsure whether agency staff have read these crucial documents. As a result, children may not be properly safeguarded and are at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

In addition, risk assessments do not detail why preventative measures have been taken, for example why cupboard doors are missing or locked. This also means that these decisions are not properly reviewed as they may not always be necessary. Risk assessments do not evidence why restrictions allowed within court orders to protect children have not been taken by staff.

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improvement to be good

Restraints undertaken have prevented serious harm to children. However, they are not always recorded. This limits the opportunity for the manager to monitor this practice and assure himself that it is safe, effective and that the child’s needs are met. Furthermore, agency staff have undertaken different restraint training to permanent staff. This could result in situations of confusion and inconsistent approaches to children. Children are at greater risk of being hurt or experiencing holds which do not meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Some staff are skilled in obtaining harmful items from children during incidents, and undertake room searches when there is an increased risk of self-harming. Items are found and removed, and this helps to protect children. However, it is not clear whether children are informed of room searches. This does not help children to feel valued. Records are also not consistently viewed by the manager. This means the manager does not know if correct procedures have taken place and is unable to identify any trends or emerging risk issues.

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improvement to be good

Police are frequently called out to help manage children’s behaviours. This has resulted in children being arrested, placed in handcuffs and, on one recent occasion, in police cells overnight. This practice is detrimental to children’s emotional well- being and there is significant danger of children being criminalised.

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improvement to be good

The location risk assessment does not contain current information about prevalent offences in the local area. As a result, there are no strategies identified for reducing these risks to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 5

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good

The running of the home is dependent on agency staff. This is particularly the case overnight, when more than 50% of staff are from an agency. While the manager has ensured the same agency staff are used to provide consistency and familiarity for the children, this arrangement has had a detrimental impact on the children and resulted in serious incidents.

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good

The manager did not know whether agency had been recruited safely, or that they were sufficiently trained prior to their involvement with the children. This does not ensure children are adequately safeguarded.

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good

The manager ensures children’s transitions into the home run as smoothly as possible. Children and staff get to know each other well in advance. Comprehensive training is provided so that staff understand children’s experiences, behaviours and risk issues. Advice and strategies are obtained from professionals. This means that, from day one, staff are prepared and can better safeguard children and meet their needs.

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good

Staff like working here and feel supported by the team and their manager. Staff receive debriefs after incidents which enable them to reflect and learn. Training needs are identified to improve staff responses to children and avoid behaviours escalating and incidents occurring.

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good

The children and any safeguarding issues are central to staff supervision, team meetings, handovers and the daily records. This means that staff have up-to-date information and can respond appropriately.

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good

The manager has auditing processes in place. However, they have not been completed properly for a number of months. As a result, they have failed to identify the shortfalls raised. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure children’s impact risk assessments identify the competing risks of all children and strategies to reduce them.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure children’s risk assessments identify their risks, triggers, early signs of anxiety and distress, and strategies to deescalate.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments identify and review any restrictions in place. 17 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— 17 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 7 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure all staff receive the same restraint training.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure agency staff are provided with children’s risk assessments and care plans.

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 17 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 17 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 8 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 17 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is well presented, well equipped and well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 16, paragraph 3.19)  The registered person should ensure that a child’s bedroom is not generally entered without their permission, although it may be necessary to establish routines to allow for rooms to be cleaned regularly. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of

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Recommendations

their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should agree with their local police force, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. Children should not be charged with offences resulting from behaviour within a children’s home that would not similarly lead to police involvement if it occurred in a family home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 47, paragraph 9.40)  The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home, should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards,’

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Recommendations

page 54, paragraph 10.17)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC035222 10

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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 for children’s home: SC035222 11 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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Inspector

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