Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034686 1 SC034686 Registered provider: Durham County Council 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 a local authority. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties and 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 has been no registered manager since September 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been in post since November 2022 and has not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The quality assurance manager has provided leadership and management of the home since the last monitoring visit in October 2022.

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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 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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Six compliance notices were issued following the full inspection on 30 and 31 August 2022. They related to regulation 11 (the positive relationships standard), regulation Inspection report for children’s home: SC034686 2 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard), regulation 14 (the care planning standard), regulation 20 (restraint and deprivation of liberty) and regulation 21 (privacy and access).

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 24 October 2022. This visit confirmed that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet four of the compliance notices. Two compliance notices under regulations 13 and 14 were reissued. These two notices were monitored as part of this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034686 3

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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: SC034686 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, and following a review of three children’s care plans, three children have been supported to move on from the home in a planned way. As a result, the child who remains in the home is now making good progress because they are in a settled and safe environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff now prioritise children’s education. A personalised educational timetable, along with the encouragement and enthusiasm from staff, has enabled the child to re- engage with their education and begin to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked consistently to promote structured routines for the child. The positive evening routine, which involves spending time with the staff, means that the child’s sleeping pattern has improved. One professional said, ‘The staff have been really creative with [name of child], getting him comfortable so that he can sleep. This has improved his overall well-being and lifted their mood.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff now have a better understanding of the child’s emotional well-being and behaviour, as they now receive support from the local authority therapeutic worker. Consequently, the child has developed trusting relationships with the staff so that they can share their thoughts and feelings more openly. One professional said:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘The staff are more attune and have a better understanding of [name of child]. They are now seeing [name of child] as an individual child, rather than the behaviours. The staff have started reflecting and linking behaviours to previous trauma and lived experiences.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family relationships for some children have vastly improved as there is good communication between the staff and the child’s family members. One family member said, ‘The communication is excellent. I know there is always somebody there if I need help.’ This helps children to maintain key family relationships, which supports their sense of identity and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend their medical appointments. The quality assurance manager advocates well for children to ensure that the appropriate support services are accessed. This includes specialist services, such as child and adolescent mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to take part in a range of activities, such as shopping, visits to the arcades to play snooker and basketball. Staff have started to capture these moments for the child through photos. These shared activities also help the children to develop positive relationships with staff. One family member said: Inspection report for children’s home: SC034686 5 ‘I am in no doubt that [name of child] is well cared for. Seeing the smile on [name of child]’s face when they see staff says it all for me. I know [name of child] is absolutely fine.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is now maintained to a good standard. It has been redecorated and new furniture has been purchased. One professional said:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘It feels much better now walking in, it feels warm and homely. It was tired before and did not feel like a home where children would live. I can see a big difference, it’s certainly better.’

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

Children’s safety plans provide the staff with the guidance that they need to keep children safe. Children’s changing needs and emerging risks are discussed during team meetings so that the staff can constantly develop new strategies to help to keep the children safe. Reviews and debriefs with the staff following serious or significant incidents ensure that children receive better care and support.

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

Children’s care plans and safety plans inform key-work sessions. Targeted key-work sessions support the children to learn how to keep themselves safe. As a result, for one child, there has been a reduction in their exposure to risks, such as fire-setting and the use of illegal substance.

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

There has been a reduction in the duration and intensity of physical holds, which are used appropriately to manage the children’s behaviour. Key-work sessions are held promptly to ensure that the child’s well-being is maintained and to help the child to identify the potential triggers for their behaviour. The records of this practice are reviewed promptly so that patterns are identified and new strategies, which are less restrictive for the child, are identified quickly.

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

Staff clearly understand their role when children go missing from the home. Children have a personalised missing-from-home protocol and the staff have developed good links with the local police force. The quality assurance manager advocates for children well and is confident to challenge agencies to improve the coordinated response to children. As a result, the time that the children are away from the home and may be at risk of harm has reduced significantly.

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

The adults who care for the children are suitably vetted as safe recruitment practice is followed. New staff receive a suitable induction and training programme so that they can meet the individual needs of the child quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality assurance manager has taken time to ensure that positive changes are made in the home. No children have moved into the home since the last full inspection. As a result, staff now have a unified approach and there is a renewed enthusiasm for providing the child with the best level of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034686 6 The quality assurance manager has worked hard to ensure that consistent care is provided to the child. She advocates well on their behalf, and she challenges other agencies when children do not receive the support that they require. The quality assurance manager ensures that the children have a voice to express their views. This helps children feel valued and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have increased confidence and resilience. Bespoke training ensures that the individual needs of the child are well met, and the emphasis that has been placed on changing the staff’s language has improved the child’s records. As a result, children’s records are more personalised, and children benefit from the knowledge and skills of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are committed to the child and speak about the child with warmth. One professional said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘I hear a lot of staff speaking about [name of child] with a lot of love and nurture. It’s difficult at times to recognise [name of child]’s trauma when there is aggression, but there is a lot of warmth from the staff, and a lot of playfulness with interactions. The staff are overwhelmingly positive about [name of child] and get frustrated at times as they can’t do more. They understand now, small steps are key.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality assurance manager has effective monitoring systems in place to evaluate the quality of care that the children receive. Her monitoring of the service identifies shortfalls quickly so that action can be taken to avoid any negative impact for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced, enthusiastic manager has been appointed. He works closely with the quality assurance manager to ensure continuity of care for the child. The managers have a clear plan in place to drive improvements forward as they use their management monitoring systems well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Both the compliance notices and all the requirements made at the last inspection have been met. No requirements or recommendations have been made at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034686 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: 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

Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 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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