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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 1 SC442886 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 four children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been appointed but has not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2022 Full Outstanding 11/09/2019 Full Outstanding 22/01/2019 Full Outstanding 29/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 3

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improvement to be good

Some communal areas in the home have had furniture and items removed by staff in a response to unwanted behaviours from children. This includes items which are special to the children, such as mementos of holidays and the celebration tree which recognises the children’s achievements. As a result, the children’s sense of belonging to the home has lessened. Downstairs doors are regularly locked when behaviours become heightened. This prevents the other children from accessing all areas of their home.

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improvement to be good

On the day of the inspection, one child’s bedroom floor was covered in piles of clothes, and there were empty food containers and dirty cups lying around. Wardrobe doors in two of the children’s bedrooms are damaged as are all the bedroom light switches. Parts of the home are dirty. The downstairs shower, which the children frequently use, is in a particularly poor condition. This does not help children to feel cared for.

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improvement to be good

Measures used to help children learn that their actions have consequences have sometimes been overly punitive. Following one such consequence, a child went missing from home, which is something the child had never done before. As a result, the child was exposed to unnecessary risk. Consequences are still not consistently recorded as they should be. This prevents the manager from having effective oversight of this area of staff practice and does not allow the manager to consider whether children are treated fairly. This is a restated requirement.

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improvement to be good

Some records, such as risk assessments, contain stigmatising and blaming language. One child was frequently referred to as ‘putting herself at risk’. This supports negative attitudes to children and their care. Furthermore, writing in this way is not helpful for any children who may request to see their records either now or in the future.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to develop independent living skills in preparation for moving on from the home. However, for one child, the date of her move was brought forward with very little notice. This resulted in a rushed experience with minimal support from staff on the day of the move. The child felt unsupported at what was a very important time for her.

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improvement to be good

Most children make educational progress. For others, alternative arrangements are in place and supported by the staff team. One professional said, ‘The staff are trying hard to help [name of child]. They are doing work with her and encourage and support my work with her.’ It was further noted that, ‘[Name of child] has positive relationships with staff.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 4 Communication with family members has improved since the current manager came into post. Regular updates are provided by staff, which families appreciate. Staff and families work together to ensure that children have the same routines and boundaries in place. This means that children receive consistent care which helps them make progress in line with their care plans.

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improvement to be good

Staffing numbers are insufficient to meet the current needs of the children. There are often only two staff working to support the children. However, one child regularly requires two-to-one support in the home, while another requires oversight when out in the community. This shortfall leaves children and staff at risk of harm during periods of disruption in the home. In addition, one child is sometimes overlooked due to staff time being prioritised elsewhere.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff actively look for them. However, there is sometimes a delay in children being reported as missing, which is not in line with their risk assessments. This means that children are at an increased risk of harm by being missing for longer. Furthermore, children who are known to be at risk of going missing have not been adequately supervised by staff. This has resulted in very young and particularly vulnerable children going missing from the home.

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improvement to be good

Escalating behaviours have not always been responded to effectively by staff. This has led to one child being hurt in the home and running out of the home onto the busy road outside. Staff have suffered serious assaults from children which have not always been recorded or properly addressed. It is only since the current manager came into post that debriefs have consistently taken place with staff following a significant incident.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments provide staff with strategies to help de-escalate behaviours. However, these are not always up to date. Actions which are no longer necessary have not been removed from children’s records, such as daily room searches. Significant new behaviours have not been added to one child’s risk assessment, which resulted in another child and a member of staff being harmed. As a result, there has been no additional safeguarding measures put in place to reduce the risk of harm which was caused by this behaviour.

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improvement to be good

A ‘safe space’ in the home has been identified for one child. Within that space, the child is allowed to kick a radiator cover when distressed. This is unsafe care as the child could get hurt. The radiator cover is now damaged and loose and poses a further safety hazard.

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improvement to be good

When children’s risks increase, referrals are made to appropriate services. One-to- one sessions are also carried out by staff. This helps children to understand how their choices and behaviours can impact on themselves and others. Staff help children to understand why and how to make themselves safer. This means that children are better equipped to keep themselves safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 5 Bedroom searches are carried out when necessary. These have uncovered unsafe items, which have been disposed of appropriately. This helps to protect children from harm.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions take place as a last resort. Where necessary, they form part of the child’s risk assessment and care plan, including the technique to be used. This helps to ensure that any physical interventions are carried out appropriately and safely. Incidents are fully recorded and reviewed by the manager to determine the effectiveness.

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good

There have been significant staffing changes over recent months in the home. This includes two new managers, neither of whom have completed an application to register with Ofsted. The current manager, who has been in post for two months, is leaving in the coming weeks. As a result, it is unknown whether the recent improvements which have been made in the home will be sustained.

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good

Several experienced staff members have recently resigned and there have been frequent absences due to sickness. This has resulted in additional use of staff who the children are not familiar with. Professionals say that this has had a detrimental impact on the care provided to the children. Professionals also say that the quality of communication between the home has been poor, although has improved recently.

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good

Staff have felt unsure and unprepared about the direction which the home was being taken in by the manager following the last Ofsted inspection in March 2022. They were told to work therapeutically with the children; however, they have not received training on how to do this. This has resulted in staff being confused and children receiving inconsistent care.

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good

Training records are still not up to date. This limits the manager’s ability to track and monitor training. This will be a repeated recommendation. One casual staff member has not been trained in physical intervention. This places the children and staff at risk of harm.

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good

There has been a failure to notify Ofsted of several incidents over concerns around child sexual exploitation. This has prevented Ofsted from having a full understanding and oversight of these incidents. It has also prevented Ofsted from being assured that all the necessary actions have been taken to safeguard children.

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good

The management team has improved the monitoring systems in place so that they know what is happening in all aspects of the home regarding the children, staff and the building. However, the monthly auditing tool has not identified the shortfalls in the children’s risk assessments, which contain inaccurate and missing information. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 6 The manager’s six-monthly reports lack an evaluation of the quality of care provided to the children. There is also no consultation with the children about their home and the care they receive. This prevents improvements from taking place.

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good

For a period of time, staff have been told not to hold children when children were assaulting them. This led to staff being hurt and injured. As a result, staff have not felt supported by leaders and managers and therefore lack confidence in them. One staff member described the home as ‘chaotic’ when she first started working. Another said that the last eight months have been ‘tough’ due to a ‘lack of guidance’ from leaders and managers. The current manager is reported as having had a positive impact on the home. Routines and boundaries have been put in place and poor practice has been challenged. This has led to a reduction in incidents.

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good

Staff now receive monthly supervision. Outside of this, the manager regularly checks in with staff and asks about their well-being. Staff feel better supported and that the home is more settled. The manager has addressed difficulties in relationships between staff. The manager has put restorative interventions in place to support the repair of these relationships. This will help to create a better atmosphere in the home and therefore benefit the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(c)(i)) 16 February 2023

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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; 16 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 8 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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Requirement Due date

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)(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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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 16 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 9 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)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 16 February 2023

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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

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 16 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 10 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)) 16 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 16 February 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and provides a homely, domestic environment. In particular, ensure that children’s bedrooms are tidy, and that damaged items and furniture are swiftly repaired or replaced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. In particular, ensure that staff training records are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information about individual children in a

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Recommendations

non-stigmatising way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 11

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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: SC442886 12

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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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Inspectors

Emma Ridley, Social Care Inspector Joanne Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector (shadow) Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 13 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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