Children's Home run by Ashdown Care Homes Limited in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2632726 1 Registered provider: Ashdown Care Homes Limited 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 an independent provider. The home provides care for up to three children who may have learning difficulties and/or associated behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The only child that has lived in this home since the home and manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021 was spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2632726 2

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outstanding

The child has developed excellent relationships with the staff who provide a warm and welcoming home. The staff work in partnership with parents, health and educational professionals to ensure that the child’s care plans are highly individualised. This commitment to the child has led to exceptional progress being made in all aspects of the child’s life.

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outstanding

Staff work tirelessly to ensure that the child’s voice is heard. Weekly ‘Chatterbox’ sessions enable the child, who is supported by the staff, to organise and plan the week ahead. This involves reviewing the previous week and what has gone well and what could have gone better. In addition, meal planning, activities and the child’s feelings are explored. The child is at the centre of diligent care planning and the staff ensure that everything is seen as an opportunity to learn. This enables the child to build their confidence and boost their self-esteem.

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outstanding

The staff are innovative and creative. They have supported the child to produce a visual, audio recording of their views so that the child remained at the centre of their looked after children’s review. Through sensitive and simple probing questions, based on the wishes and aspirations for the child’s future, the staff were able to elicit the child’s views. This empowering approach supported the child to feel at ease in sharing their views and opinions, and enabled them to be involved in the important decisions that affect their life.

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outstanding

The manager and the staff use their extensive knowledge from research to promote the child’s family time. This learning has developed the staff’s practice, which has improved the child’s relationships with their family. This has improved the child’s emotional well-being enormously. In addition, the staff organise invitations to tea and several celebrations which involve themed nights and birthday parties. These positive experiences support the child’s trust in familiar adults and improve their sense of identity.

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outstanding

The child, who was heard singing joyfully, feels comfortable and safe in a warm and familiar environment. The home is exceptionally well maintained and has been individualised to the child’s leisure and learning needs. A ‘chill out’ room with the child’s games in, and a room set aside for relaxing, provide the child with safe and enjoyable spaces to relax and enjoy when they return home from school.

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outstanding

The manager and staff prioritise the child’s education. The staff escort the child on their daily journey to school via a taxi. The staff and educational professionals share information daily through a home-school diary and through direct communication. This consistent continuity of care, alongside daily praise and encouragement, enables the child to do exceptionally well in their school environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2632726 3 The child’s positive experiences are displayed throughout the home and in personalised memory books. The child’s well-being and personal development are always promoted.

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outstanding

The planning and preparation to support the child’s transition to the home were thoroughly explored and planned meticulously. This enabled the staff to build up positive relationships with the professionals and the child. This detailed step-by-step process ensured that all of the child’s known behaviours and risks were shared, considered and planned for, in the child’s well-written and highly supportive care plans. The staff built on this knowledge, and provide a safe environment for the child to flourish.

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outstanding

The staff use creative ideas in exploring the child’s feelings and emotions. The staff used the introduction of pictorial thermometers around the home to explore how the child is feeling. This generates a conversation and encourages the child to learn and explore their feelings. This supports the staff to be proactive in recognising the potential triggers for the child and to establish the strategies that they must use to support the child. As a result, the number of significant incidents have reduced as the child can now approach the staff when they are feeling anxious.

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outstanding

Staff are attuned to the child’s needs and they use social stories with the child exceptionally well. A visual story takes the child through the activity, and the staff sensitively explain to the child the rules and the expectations and boundaries. This helps the child to prepare for new experiences well. As a result, the child has been exposed to new experiences and enjoys more opportunities to have fun and learn.

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outstanding

Due to the exceptional support of the staff, the child has been able to develop trust in their carers. The staff ensure that the child’s supervision is constant and that the communication with the child is a consistent learning experience. The staff and the child complete numerous one-to-one key-work sessions, which cover a range of topics. These topics include stranger danger, being aware of others, and personal space. This supports the child to feel safe through their increased understanding of appropriate behaviours and expectations.

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outstanding

‘[Child’s name] is happy and content. Staff have been absolutely outstanding. I have done announced and unannounced visits, they are really just like a family, they know [child’s name] inside and out, they can anticipate behaviours, he can now recognise when he feels anxious.’

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outstanding

The staff and the manager supported the child to attend a simulated environment that involved the police and the fire service. This helped the child to understand the positive roles that the emergency services play. This experience was captured Inspection report for children’s home: 2632726 4 through memorable photos and helped the child to see that uniformed services are there to protect and help to keep us safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is passionate and an exceptional role model for the staff. She is a hands-on manager who shows a commitment to providing high-quality care to the children, which is shared by the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides a learning environment that is based on achieving the best possible outcomes for the children. This is a vision shared by the staff, who collectively speak extremely positively about the support that they receive from the management team and from each other. This positivity ensures that the child lives in an environment that helps them to make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

‘[Name of the home] is a great place to work and we have a great team. It has been an experience working with [child] and on their journey, but one I have thoroughly enjoyed so far! I truly believe that the home is the most suited place for [child] and is a place where they are thriving, feel safe and are happy.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides regular supervision that effectively covers the needs of the child and the developmental needs of the dedicated staff team. The manager ensures that the team meetings are an opportunity to learn from research and she encourages the staff to reflect on their practice. This enables the staff to feel supported, valued and motivated to achieve the best possible outcomes for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager understands the progress the child is making in all aspects of their life. This is recognised in the highly effective monitoring and audit systems in place. All work carried out with the child is carefully monitored in line with their individualised care plans. The feedback from the manager on monthly care plans and targets for the child ensures that the staff practice is maintained to a high standard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2632726 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the records of restraint record clearly the duration of the use of force necessary was for the shortest possible time. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.50)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review report is signed and dated to enable Ofsted to evaluate that the report has been sent to them within the regulatory time period. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 for children’s home: 2632726 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ashdown Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Ladyrigg, Darras Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland NE20 9QS

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Inspector

Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2632726 7 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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