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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 1 SC035380 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 operated by a local authority. It provides care and support for children with physical and learning disabilities. The home offers short-break care for up to five children, and one longer-term placement.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2023

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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: SC035380 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2023 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Good 26/02/2020 Full Good 12/11/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 3

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improvement to be good

The shortfalls in practice related to the leadership and management of the home and how children are helped and protected have impacted on the children’s overall experiences of living in, and visiting, the home.

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improvement to be good

The home provides short-break care for children and has provided longer-term care for one child. Children’s access to short breaks was disrupted when the home provided longer-term care for a child. The child has now moved out, increasing the home’s capacity for short breaks. Furthermore, the restrictions in place for that child had impacted on other children’s access to shared areas of the home.

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improvement to be good

The property is furnished and equipped to meet the needs of children who stay in the home. Children have access to a large soft-play area, games room and a large garden. However, parts of the garden are not safe for children to use, and bathrooms need some repairs. These repairs form part of the manager’s development plan.

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improvement to be good

The home provides a valuable service to children and their families. One parent stated, ‘It has been brilliant for us as a family.’ Staff welcome children and support them to feel comfortable before an overnight stay takes place. Children and their families benefit from the support staff provide.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children, including those who communicate nonverbally, to share their views and wishes. Children choose the bedroom they would like to sleep in, what they would like to eat and activities they would like to do. Children are helped to contribute to their care by staff who communicate with them in a way they can understand.

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improvement to be good

Staff take photographs to capture children’s experiences and their time in the home well. Staff share these photos with parents so they can see what their child has been achieving. This supports families to understand how their child is cared for and supported when they stay at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff develop positive relationships with parents so they can feel confident leaving their child for their stay. Staff translate information for families when English is not their first language. This helps all families to understand how their child is being cared for.

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improvement to be good

Children’s transition from the home is managed well by staff. One child was supported through a planned move to a home that better met their changing needs. This means that children have positive endings to their time in the home. This helps children feel valued. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 4

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments provide information about their behaviours and vulnerabilities. Managers do not ensure that risk assessments set out consistent actions staff should take to help manage risks. This means that some children’s plans lack accurate details about how staff will safeguard children from harm.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff have completed all the mandatory training required to meet the needs of the children. On one occasion, there were no staff with a first-aid qualification working in the home. Some children have complex health needs and medical conditions, and this places children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff sometimes hold children, but only when this is intended to keep them and others safe. Not all records capture the voice of children or document that they have been seen following being held. This does not give children the opportunity to share their views or raise concerns about their care.

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improvement to be good

All staff have completed the necessary training to administer medicine to the children. Staff keep accurate records and ensure safe practice in the management of children’s medication.

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good

The manager did not challenge the local authority effectively when a child’s court order was allowed to expire. This resulted in the child’s liberty continuing to be restricted for two months without the authorisation of the court. This was later addressed, and the order was restored by the court. In this instance, managers failed to advocate for the child or help them to access an independent advocate.

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good

The manager has not followed the organisation’s policy for the use of monitoring and surveillance in the home. Bedroom door alarms, audio monitors and cameras are in use in some children’s bedrooms because of their complex needs. However, the children’s care plans do not document why these practices are necessary to safeguard children. This does not ensure that the use of monitoring or surveillance practices has been properly assessed or that the necessary consents are in place.

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good

The manager and her team are dedicated to improving the care to children, and the feedback from both professionals and family has been positive. The manager maintains those positive relationships and enables parents to feel involved in the service.

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good

Managers and staff receive regular and reflective supervision. Staff said that they feel well supported and enjoy working in the home. Managers focus on individuals’ strengths, and this helps staff develop their practice. Staff are named ‘champions’ in their area of expertise, for example in communicating with children. They share their Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 5 knowledge with colleagues and this helps improve how the staff understand children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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 (a)(c)) 13 December

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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)) 13 December

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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)) 13 December

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (2) (3)) 13 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 7 In particular, the manager must ensure that any deprivation of a child’s liberty has the authorisation and oversight of the court.

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Requirement Due date

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 for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 13 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access advocacy support to help them with this . (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60) Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 8

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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: SC035380 9

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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

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Jessica Elliott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035380 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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