Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 1 SC034686

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of this visit.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager at this home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to the serious and widespread failings identified at the full inspection on 30 and 31 August 2022, a judgement of inadequate was given. Shortfalls were identified in how well children were helped and protected, the leadership and management arrangements of the home, and the care planning arrangements for children. In response to these failings, Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulations 11, 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21.

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Information about this children’s home

This monitoring visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s response to meeting the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership team submitted an action plan to Ofsted following the last inspection. However, this has not yet been fully implemented.

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This monitoring visit

The quality assurance manager has spent a considerable amount of time in the home since the last inspection to work with the staff. It is clear that progress has been made and some compliance notices have been met. However, further work is required to meet all of the steps identified in the compliance notices that were issued under regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not received the necessary training so that they can fulfil the ethos that is outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. In addition, the provider failed to ensure that the staff received the specific training that they required to meet the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 2 individual needs of one child, who has since left the home. The staff were unable to engage this child in positive relationships that create change. This hampered this child’s progress.

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This monitoring visit

There has been an improvement in the staffing levels. This ensures that the needs of the child who remains in the home are met in accordance with their care plan. Additionally, when further staff are required, staff who are known to the child are used. This has improved the continuity of care that the child receives and enables them to form relationships with the staff.

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This monitoring visit

A detailed review of the child’s relevant files, including their care plan and behaviour support plan, has been carried out. The child’s plans are individualised and easier for the staff to read and follow. The child’s targets are simple, and they are monitored by the staff. This progress helps the child to experience improved care.

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This monitoring visit

The staff ensure that planned and unplanned key-work sessions with the child are purposeful. The child is helped to understand appropriate and supportive relationships as the expectations and boundaries are made clear. The staff receive additional time and guidance in team meetings to reflect on their use of positive language in their recordings. This has led to an improvement in the quality of the child’s records.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s individual safety plans are well written and reviewed regularly. The staff identify, analyse and evaluate the child’s individual risks, behaviours and potential triggers. Staff put in place and follow effective strategies. This has led to a reduction in incidents that require the use of physical intervention and in the child going missing from the home. This helps the child to experience consistent care and helps to keep them safe from potential harm.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the provider’s preferred choice of de-escalation and physical intervention practice. Consequently, parents and commissioners are now informed about the practice that is used by the staff.

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This monitoring visit

The child has privacy and can now access all areas of their home. The practice of locking external and internal doors is now only used when there is a specific safeguarding reason. When this is required, this practice is recorded and reviewed as soon as possible by the management and the staff.

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This monitoring visit

The gaps that were identified in the staff’s first-aid training records have now been appropriately addressed. All staff are now trained, and there is always a member of staff on duty with the relevant skills to support the immediate health needs of the child.

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This monitoring visit

The child is not provided with a warm, nurturing and safe home environment. The staff have failed to identify potential hazards in the bathrooms and the children’s bedrooms, and the home looks tired and unkempt. The responsible individual has a plan in place to redecorate the home and upgrade the kitchen. The provider has Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 3 indicated that they do not intend to admit any other children into the home until this work has been completed.

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This monitoring visit

Although no new children have moved in to the home, the provider has failed to review their processes on how they assess and match the competing needs of children before they move in. This oversight prevents the provider from being assured that the manager and staff can meet all of the children’s needs safely.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, the inspectors have amended and reissued the compliance notices under regulations 13 and 14. The requirement under regulation 36 that was issued at the last inspection has not been fully reviewed at this visit. Therefore, this has also been reissued. Two new requirements under regulations 6 and 12 have also been raised. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/08/2022 Full Inadequate 24/05/2022 Full Inadequate 16/11/2021 Full Good 05/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 5

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 27 November 2022

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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 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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that any potential ligature points are identified and then made safe. 27 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, and inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 27 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 6 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 have the experiences, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that they have a system in place that enables only children whose needs match those of children already living in the home are admitted.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 7 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need for staff to accurately record in children’s safety plans details pertaining to the individual child. Also, records in relation to any physical intervention are cross-referenced with both the restrictions record and the incident logbook, as per the provider’s process.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27/11/2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Durham County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Durham DH1 5UJ

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Inspectors

Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034686 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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