Children's home run by Northumberland County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 1 Registered provider: Northumberland 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 operated and managed by a local authority to provide 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 registered with Ofsted in May 2015.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2022 Full Good 25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 3

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improvement to be good

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection. One child moved in and subsequently moved on from the home. This was an unexpected change of care plan for the child. As a result, children’s overall experiences are not consistently positive.

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improvement to be good

Children and staff have experienced unsettled times in the home due to the high level of staff turnover. As a result, children have not been provided with a sense of stability and, therefore, their progress has been variable.

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improvement to be good

The children’s progress in education is varied. The manager has not challenged the local authority when there has been a delay in identifying and securing an appropriate placement for a child. As a result, one child is without a school place. Furthermore, the staff have not provided structured activities for the child to support their learning at home.

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improvement to be good

Most of the children’s health needs are well met; however, staff have not been effective in supporting all areas of health. Staff have not been able to encourage all children to complete self-care tasks, such as oral hygiene. This means that children are not learning the importance of caring for themselves, which may have an impact in later life.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of helping children to see their close family and friends. They support the children to keep in touch with those who are important to them. Staff proactively address any difficulties that arise so that the children can continue to have stable networks around them. This helps the children to maintain a sense of identity and connection to their loved ones.

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improvement to be good

The children have developed positive and trusting relationship with the staff. Staff speak about the children with enthusiasm, warmth and compassion. The staff demonstrate unwavering commitment to the children, and this is reflected in the feedback from multi-agency professionals.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to become more independent and develop new skills, depending on their age and understanding. They are encouraged to complete chores around the house and learn about budgeting. This helps the children to learn the skills they will need as they become adults.

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improvement to be good

The manager completes an assessment prior to children coming to live in the home. However, not all the risks were fully explored in one child’s risk assessment. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 4 did not have all the information needed to help manage the child’s risks and support all children living in the home. This contributed to the child moving out of the home without secure plans for where they should live.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff have a good understanding of what actions to take should a child go missing from the home. The record-keeping of missing-from-home episodes is often incomplete. As a result, it is unclear whether staff have taken appropriate steps to find children while they are missing.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that all staff complete medication training. Staff who are not trained have been involved in administering medication to children. This has resulted in errors that could put children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Children’s bedroom doors have an alarm system that operates at all times. This is used as standard practice and does not reflect children’s individual needs. This is an unnecessary intrusion into children’s movements around their home.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment process has not been followed. The manager did not explore the gaps in employment for one staff member. This has increased the risk of children being cared for by inappropriate adults.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical restraint as a last resort. When incidents take place, the manager and staff take time to reflect on what happened and consider what they could do differently to support children. This enables staff to improve the care provided to children. Staff consider ways that they can help to keep children safer. Staff help children to reflect on their behaviour and to understand why they may be struggling to manage their feelings.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that consequences for unwanted behaviour are proportionate and restorative. This has helped the children to make sense of their feelings and develop strategies to manage their emotions.

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good

The manager is child-focused and speaks about the children with warmth and enthusiasm. She is supported by a deputy manager and the responsible individual.

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good

The manager’s systems for monitoring and evaluating practice in the home are not effective. The current systems do not support the manager to identify and critically evaluate the home’s strengths and areas for development. This has hindered the manager’s ability to improve outcomes for children.

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good

New staff have yet to complete mandatory training, such as in first aid. The manager has not ensured that there is at least one person on duty at all times who has a suitable first aid qualification. This means the children may not be safeguarded effectively in the event of an emergency. Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 5 The independent person visits the home and produces a monthly report. However, Ofsted does not receive these reports in a timely manner. This hinders Ofsted’s oversight of the home.

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good

Staff said that they like working in the home and that morale is good. Staff value the support they receive from the manager. Staff receive formal supervision on a regular basis, which provides them with time to reflect on their practice and supports them with their ongoing development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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. (Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)) 24 November

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h)) 24 November

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 24 November Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 7 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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that there is suitable education provision in place for each child. 24 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have completed relevant medication training prior to administering medication to children. 24 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 24 November Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 8 The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made in the last inspection and is restated. 24 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made in the last inspection and is restated. 24 November

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. Where children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these, subject to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)

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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: 1155757 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northumberland County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 2EF

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Inspector

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 10 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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