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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 1 SC035222 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

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The inspector spoke with the child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 13 November 2012. He was not present at the inspection.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/10/2021 Full Good 30/10/2019 Full Good 28/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress from their starting point, and they are more settled. This is because their care is well coordinated. Weekly multi-agency meetings, involving various experts, are held to review the child’s needs and reappraise actions. This means that the child receives personalised care and is well supported to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has developed trusting relationships with staff. This is because the staff know the child well, and they provide nurturing care. The staff consistently show that they are committed to the child, and that their well-being is the priority of staff. A professional spoke highly of the care provided to the child and said that ‘The staff empathise and see beyond the child’s behaviour. They know [child’s name] inside out. The staff are just brilliant’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to have positive family relationships and spend time with people who are important to them. The staff work in partnership with the child’s family, and they are flexible in supporting family time visits. This helps the child maintain important links to their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views are valued and consistently considered when planning the child’s care. The child is supported to express their opinion, including through an independent person. When staff cannot follow the child’s wishes, they help the child to understand why, and offer alternative suggestions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The homely environment is adapted according to the child’s needs. Rooms are cosy and well maintained. The refurbished garden has created a comfortable outdoor space with soft furnishings and comfortable seating for the child to enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to value learning and enjoy new experiences. The staff encourage the child to participate in community activities, which are tailored to the child’s needs. This helps the child to develop social skills and improve self- confidence.

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

The quality of risk assessments has improved, and they show the actions which staff should follow to protect the child. When strategies are less effective, the staff promptly review risks, in partnership with the child’s professional network. This helps ensure that staff have clear plans to follow which focus on reducing risks.

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

The staff are alert to factors which may increase risks to the child, and therefore they adapt their practice accordingly, for example through increased supervision of the child and additional safety checks. This includes searches of the child’s bedroom Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 4 to identify hidden items which could pose a risk. The child is informed when and why these additional safeguards are completed. This helps the child to be safer.

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

The child is supported to recognise danger and learn ways to keep themselves safer. The staff engage the child in regular conversations to discuss important matters affecting the child. Where appropriate, the staff use tools, such as information from the internet, to help the child to understand the advice that is provided to them.

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

Incidents where the child is missing from care have reduced. The staff follow the missing-from-home protocol and the child’s plan. They search for the child and take appropriate action to locate them as quickly as possible. When the child is found, they participate in a missing-from-care interview. This is used to help professionals understand the missing event and what could be changed to avoid recurrence.

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

Holds are used rarely and only to keep the child and staff safe. Staff are trained to use holds and they have clear plans to follow should a hold be necessary. After a hold, the child is supported by staff who were not involved in the event to talk about the experience and how the child felt.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership has significantly improved. Although the manager is responsible for two children’s homes, there are clear management arrangements in place to ensure appropriate leadership in the home. The manager is well supported by a deputy manager, who has introduced various effective systems that have enhanced management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The committed and dedicated staff work well together. They have a range of experience and knowledge that they use to meet the child’s needs. The staff say that they feel well supported and have confidence in their leaders. Through regular supervision and ad hoc discussions, the staff reflect on their practice and their development needs. This means that the staff are confident in their role and seek support when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The use of agency staff has continued. However, the frequency of agency cover is closely monitored and reviewed on a weekly basis. Staffing arrangements are made in accordance with the child’s needs and views. An effective system is in place to ensure that agency staff receive up-to-date information each time that they work in the home. This ensures that all staff understand how to respond to the child’s needs, which helps to promote consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Developments in the electronic system have helped the staff and the manager to create better written records. This enables the manager to find information more quickly. In some examples, although the staff recorded thorough details of events, management scrutiny is not well documented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff advocate well for the child. They use their insight and excellent understanding of the child’s needs when making recommendations at Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 5 meetings and contributing to the child’s assessments. However, in one example, the child has waited too long for the placing authority care plan. The manager did not escalate the matter and did not have an escalation policy to follow.

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that, where the placing authority does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs in preparation for leaving the home, the home challenges them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and scrutinising all aspects of children’s care. Management oversight and scrutiny should be well documented. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC035222 6

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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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Inspector

Catherine Heron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035222 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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