Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2624251 1 Registered provider: Durham County Council

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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. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home registered with Ofsted in March 2021. The manager has been absent from the home for more than 28 days. An interim manager is in post but is not registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 1 November 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624251 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Staff have cared for three children since the last inspection. One child has moved on into their semi-independent living home in a planned way.

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The care of children

Children have made progress with their education. One child continues to attend college, and they have high aspirations. One child who has not attended education for a considerable time is making progress, taking into account their starting point. Staff have implemented a structured timetable and introduced positive reinforcement through an incentive programme. This is preparing the child to get ready for work and develop their independence.

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The care of children

The interim manager has implemented effective communication systems within the staff team. This helps to ensure that the staff are equipped with the important information they need. The staff understand the children’s current needs and the day-to-day arrangements in place that prioritise the children’s safety and well-being.

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The care of children

Staff are reminded in team meetings about the importance of providing a consistent approach to the children. Consistency from the staff ensures that the children receive a clear message and that they understand the routines and boundaries of the home. This helps the children to form trusting relationships and feel safe.

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The care of children

Leaders have increased the staffing levels in the home to meet the children’s individual needs. Children now benefit from the quality time that they spend with the staff, including going out in the community and participating in activities. As a result, children’s emotional well-being has improved, and they feel valued and safer in the home.

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The care of children

Areas of the home are showing signs of wear and tear. Some areas of the home are waiting to be repaired, and some carpets are waiting to be replaced. The interim manager and leaders acknowledged this and shared their plans to make the necessary improvements.

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The safety of children

Safety plans for children have been reviewed and are well written. Information is streamlined and provides the staff with clear strategies to follow. This helps to better protect children from potential harm.

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The safety of children

The staff understand the children’s needs and the action that they should take if there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. The staff have received additional Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624251 3 advice and guidance during team meetings, and through improved handover systems, to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities for the protection of children. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in incidents of self-harm and substance use.

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The safety of children

One child has learned to manage their emotional responses more effectively, resulting in far fewer significant incidents occurring. When incidents do occur, the staff use a restorative approach with the children to agree a way forward. This helps the children to repair their relationships with staff and to build trust in knowing staff will support them to work things through.

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The safety of children

There continues to be a strong multi-agency approach to reviewing and evaluating the concerns for children and their associated high-risk behaviours. Risks to the children in the community are well known, and regular information-sharing between the staff and other safeguarding professionals ensures that the children’s plans are up to date. This assists senior managers to make decisions about children’s care plans and their future care needs. Therefore, the children benefit from carefully planned and supported transitions.

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The safety of children

Children have positive relationships with the interim manager and staff. Children know how to make a complaint. When they do, these are taken seriously, and they are investigated and addressed fully. One child said, ‘The [interim manager] listened. She cared, and I felt listened to. She couldn’t have done anything more.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The interim manager provides strong leadership to the team. The supportive culture that she has developed has helped to galvanise the staff relationships. This has had a positive impact on staff’s behaviour management practice and has enhanced their confidence when responding to the children’s challenging behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff feel well supported by the management team, and they speak highly of the supportive culture that has been established. Staff are helped to reflect on their practice and consider the impact that they have on the children. One staff member said, ‘I cannot fault the support. The changes have happened for the better. [Name of interim manager] has been brilliant.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The interim manager and senior leaders have shown strong leadership in meeting all the requirements issued at the last inspection. This demonstrates good learning from inspection activity. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624251 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624251 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624251 6

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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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Inspector

Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2624251 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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