Children's Home run by Gateshead Council in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 1 Registered provider: Gateshead Local Authority Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and manages this home. The home provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties. The manager registered with Ofsted on 31 May 2023.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2022 Full Good 23/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children said that they are happy living at this home. Children are supported to build trusting relationships with staff. This is due to the stable and predictable staff team. When agency staff are required, the registered manager ensures that the same agency staff are used. This helps children receive continuity of care and they are comfortable to seek support from adults in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities and staff help them to pursue their individual interests. This includes sporting activities and going to local attractions. Children’s bedrooms are personalised with items of their choice. This helps to give children a sense of belonging and ownership of their personal space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s cultural identities and religious beliefs are respected. Children are supported to observe religious occasions that are important to them. This promotes the children’s identity and heritage. Additionally, this helps children to be tolerant of one another’s differences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have the opportunity to access external advocacy and support if needed. This is provided by an independent advocate and a ‘young ambassador’ who both visit the home. The young ambassador, who is a care-experienced young adult, speaks to the children. One child at the home commented that she likes to speak to the young ambassador because of their own personal experience. As a result, children feel listened to and valued because of a sense of shared understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use language in the children’s records that is sensitive and non-judgemental. Children who read case records can see that their experiences are important and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them, if it is deemed safe to do so. Parents of the children who live at the home say that they feel welcomed by staff when they visit. Parents also say that they feel involved in their child’s life and receive regular communication from staff. Children see that their relationships with others are important. This helps children to maintain relationships and increases the likelihood that these will continue in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend specialist and routine health appointments. However, one child has not attended routine health appointments to address their health needs. Staff have not supported this child to understand the long-term implications to their health of not attending appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend school on a regular basis and make satisfactory progress. Staff help children to explore employment, education and training opportunities. However, one child does not attend mainstream education. Additionally, informal education Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 4 opportunities provided by staff at the home are minimal. This restricts the child’s learning, development and social interaction with peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy having the use of large communal rooms in the home. They can spend time and socialise together. The home is comfortable and inviting. Most of the home is well maintained but some areas of the home need repair, such as doors and a wall. At the time of the inspection, the bathrooms needed cleaning to improve the standard of cleanliness of these rooms.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s characteristics and associated risks. Risk assessment documents outline children’s triggers and strategies to use. This means that staff know how to help children. These documents are updated when incidents occur. Children say that they feel safe at this home and can identify staff whom they trust to talk to. This increases the likelihood that children will seek out help from their carers.

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

The number of times children are missing from home has reduced. When children do go missing from home, there is a coordinated response to ensure that children return promptly. When children return home, staff respond in a caring and nurturing way. As a result, children are no longer regularly going to dangerous locations that put them at a greater risk of harm.

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

The staff team attends regular meetings with professionals to share information about the children’s presenting vulnerabilities and needs. This consistent approach from all professionals has reduced the risks to children. For one child, this has been important to keep them safe. Additionally, this child’s progress means that restrictions imposed by a court order have been removed.

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

Children receive specialist support from mental health services. The staff help the children to understand the importance of accessing help when they need it. Children learn to understand their own feelings and this helps to reduce incidents of high-risk behaviours.

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

Safe staff recruitment procedures are followed at the home. This means that staff caring for children have suitable checks and skills to care for the children. However, staff who are new to the home do not always complete mandatory training within their probationary period.

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

Staff do not check the home environment for any potential risks to children. Items found in children’s bedrooms could result in children suffering serious harm. The registered manager acknowledged the risks and made efforts to reduce the risks during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a stable staff team. Staff members work well together. There is a positive morale in the home. This helps children feel content at home and that they can approach staff for help.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision. Staff also have the benefit of having consultation sessions with therapeutic services to help them understand children’s needs and past traumas. This helps staff to think about how best to support children and meet their needs. As a result, children are cared for by adults who are invested in all areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager welcomes external scrutiny, such as the monthly visits from an independent person. The registered manager makes sure that any actions are addressed. Additionally, the registered manager uses audits and a review of documents to identify shortfalls in staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have opportunities to attend training using an online database. However, the registered manager does not have an effective system to monitor staff training. The current electronic system is ambiguous and not always accurate. For example, training can appear incomplete when it is not. The registered manager recognises that this limits the ability to monitor and ensure that trained staff are always supporting children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and leadership team communicate with professionals within the child’s network to share information. Professionals are complimentary of staff at the home due to the good levels of communication and the staff’s commitment to the children. Staff advocate on behalf of the children when necessary. However, the registered manager does not formally escalate concerns when children are not receiving a service that they are entitled to. This particularly relates to education provisions and an education, health and care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has oversight of safeguarding incidents at the home. However, the registered manager has not always notified Ofsted of these incidents in a timely way. This reduces the opportunities for external oversight by the regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 6

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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, The 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should use escalation procedures to challenge responses from a relevant person, such as the placing local authority. 31 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; 31 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 7 maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should support children to attend health appointments and help children understand the importance of participating in medical appointments. 31 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, staff should check the home environment, including the children’s bedrooms, for any items that could pose a potential risk to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the cleanliness of children’s bathrooms is maintained, and repairs completed promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff training records are kept up to date. In particular, the registered person should ensure that they have sufficient monitoring of staff training records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that for staff to achieve induction or probation, core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications) is completed. In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff complete mandatory first-aid training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 9

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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: 2570947 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gateshead Local Authority

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Adults, Children and Families, Gateshead Council, Group Secretariat, 1st Floor, Regent Street, Gateshead NE8 1HH

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Inspector

Cat Makel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2570947 11 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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