Children's home run by North Tyneside Council in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 1 SC038557 Registered provider: North Tyneside Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated and managed by a local authority and provides short breaks for up to five children, who have a sensory impairment, learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There are four children currently accessing short breaks and one child living in the home for an extended period. The responsible individual is in the process of applying to Ofsted to vary the conditions of registration, to include the arrangement for the child living in the home. The inspectors spoke to all the children during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager, but a manager is in day-to-day control of the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2021 Full Outstanding 26/11/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good 06/03/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 3

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inadequate

This inspection was brought forward due to Ofsted receiving several complaints, in quick succession, that reported a recent decline in the quality of care that the children receive. The concerns shared include information about incidents in which it is alleged that children have either experienced or been exposed to a potential risk of harm.

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inadequate

There are widespread concerns relating to poor communication, both between staff on shift and with parents. Several parents report that they make persistent attempts to gain information regarding their children, yet receive little or no response. There is often no record made of communication with parents. This leads to a lack of follow-up of any requests or concerns that parents share.

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inadequate

No medical attention was given to a child following a display of self-injurious behaviour. While body maps include marks seen on the child, some records minimise the incident, and fail to record potential unseen injuries. This poor practice leaves children at risk of harm.

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inadequate

There has been one occasion when staff have not allowed a child to bring their own toys to the home, breaking the child’s well-established routine. Consequently, the child experienced unnecessary and avoidable anxiety and distress during their stay.

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inadequate

Children are insufficiently supported by staff to learn about socially acceptable and appropriate behaviour. Key-work sessions are not recorded. This is a missed opportunity to explore children’s experiences or to identify support they may need.

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inadequate

Children present as happy and relaxed in the company of staff, and are well occupied with enjoyable activities that appeal to their individual interests. Staff support and encourage the children to develop self-care skills. This increases the children’s independence and confidence, which boosts their self-esteem.

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

Not all safeguarding incidents are recognised by staff, which means that safeguarding processes are not always followed. There has been no escalation or investigation following one safeguarding concern. This demonstrates that the safety and protection of children are not always prioritised.

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

There is an inconsistent approach to dealing with complaints, as some are not responded to and some are not recorded. One parent said, in relation to a lack of response to their complaint: ‘I don’t have the confidence I used to in the service. It’s gone from an amazing service to the opposite. I don’t feel heard.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 4 Risk assessments do not always include correct or current information regarding children’s vulnerabilities. One child’s risk assessment does not identify a known serious risk, and another has conflicting and outdated information that minimises a prevalent risk.

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

The area of the home used to administer medication is chaotic and disorganised. Checks on medication are regularly missed. Staff have no immediate access to current information about the health and medication needs of children when administering medication. These arrangements compromise the children’s safety.

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

There is equipment stored in one child’s bedroom that is not required for their needs. There is no risk assessment in place to help to determine whether the presence of this equipment poses risks to the child, or how any risks should be managed to help to ensure that the child is safe.

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

Staff hold children, when appropriate, to help to keep children safe during displays of crisis behaviour. Records of this practice lack details, such as when incidents have occurred. This reduces the possibility of managers tracking effectively when any injuries may have been sustained by children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The former registered manager resigned from the post in July 2022 and an interim manager commenced in August 2022. Severe staffing shortages have resulted in a period when there was a rapid increase in the use of agency staff. This has created a period of unsettlement, with children often being cared for by adults who are not familiar to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders have failed to implement effective communication systems among the staff team. This means that staff are not always equipped with important information to help them to understand the children’s current needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When new staff join the service, and when staff return to work following an extensive period of absence, they do not have an effective induction to help them to understand their roles, responsibilities, or the bespoke needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff development is not prioritised. Numerous staff have either not completed aspects of the local authority’s mandatory training, or it has expired. Staff have not received any training to help them to develop skills and knowledge to support children who inappropriately touch others, despite there being repeat incidents of this nature.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Most supervision records are brief and are often not signed. There are large gaps between supervision, which means that there is a significant delay to review whether staff have completed tasks they are given. This leads to drift, and an insufficient focus on raising the standard of care that the children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 5 Leaders have failed to ensure that the statement of purpose includes the current management arrangements. This hinders the possibility for contact to be made with those in charge of the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager shared a plan with the inspectors, which includes a two-week period, beginning 30 August 2022, when the home will offer a dramatically reduced number of stays for children. The manager’s action plan for this period includes focusing on some key issues and delivering intensive training to staff. However, the action plan does not address all the shortfalls raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following this visit, two compliance notices were issued under regulations 12 and 13, to address serious shortfalls relating to children’s safety, and widespread issues relating to the leadership and management of the home. A further six requirements were issued to address the other shortfalls raised. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 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 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)) 16 October 2022

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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

that staff— 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 7 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(ix))

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 8 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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 designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

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

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;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 16 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 16 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 9 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b)) 16 October 2022

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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

the date, time and location of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)) 16 October 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

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) (3)) 16 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC038557 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Quadrant, Cobalt Business Park, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear NE27 0BY

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Inspectors

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Louise Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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