Children's home run by North Tyneside Council in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 1 SC038557 Registered provider: North Tyneside 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. It provides short-break stays for up to five children with a sensory impairment, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector met and observed five children who were accessing their short-break stay at the time of this 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2022

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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: SC038557 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2022 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Inadequate 02/08/2021 Full Outstanding 26/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s introduction to the home is carefully considered and planned. Children and their family members visit the home numerous times so that they can get to know staff. This helps children to feel prepared for their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy staying at the home and develop trusting relationships with staff, with most staff knowing the children for a long time. Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Children receive individualised care and staff carry out aspects of personal care with sensitivity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have a view and make choices in the home. A ‘communication station’ helps children to communicate their wishes and feelings. This includes choosing snacks and activities from the options available.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager implemented talking tiles at the request of a parent. This helps children to identify names of rooms in the home. Children who use electronic devices to communicate have these available to them. Staff communicate with children and follow the children’s gestures, for example, when they point to go to another room. This helps children to feel listened to and valued during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of home-based and community activities. Children have opportunities to socialise in their wider community to broaden their experiences. Activities are specific to children’s needs and interests. Children spend time together to build peer relationships. These opportunities enhance children’s life experiences and help to develop their social skills. Additionally, this provides parents with the confidence to take their children to community activities when they are back home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has benefited from a refresh which includes newly decorated bedrooms which have different themes. Children like the themed bedrooms and staff ensure bedrooms are personalised during a child’s stay. This provides children with familiarity and helps children to settle. Communal areas of the home are spacious and safe for children to enjoy spending time together. Colourful notice boards and photos of the children’s activities and achievements adorn the corridor walls. This gives a sense of the children’s experiences and helps to provide a homely atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress and targets are not always clear in their plans. The registered manager has introduced new recording systems to show children’s targets, however, these do not always include information from statutory plans. This is a missed opportunity to track and monitor how children’s needs are met or to identify other avenues of support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 4

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

Children are well cared for by staff who understand their complex needs. Staff know what causes children to become upset. Staff recognise changes in children’s behaviours and help to keep children calm when they struggle to manage their emotions. Staff rarely need to hold children to keep them safe, and when this happens, they are a last resort. This means that staff use their positive relationship and knowledge of children to keep them safe.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. The staffing ratio means that children are always supported in the home or when they are out in the community. Staff know that the children’s needs and vulnerabilities would require an urgent and immediate response if a child is out of sight. This gives reassurances that staff understand safeguarding procedures.

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

Staff teach children about risks to themselves and others. This includes educating them about internet safety. Children learn what constitutes a safe relationship to help to reduce the risk of them being vulnerable in society.

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

The leadership team takes any allegations or concerns around staff conduct seriously. Investigations and enquiries are completed promptly with safeguarding professionals. The registered manager adopts a reflective approach to identify areas for improvement. This helps to ensure that the adults caring for children are safe and capable of meeting the children’s needs.

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

Medication errors are responded to swiftly and strategies put in place to prevent future occurrences. This has included identifying medication champions and staff attending medication refresher training. Additionally, the leadership team completes daily monitoring of medication in the home. This helps to minimise the risk of medication errors that could be harmful to children.

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

The registered manager uses a colour co-ordinated tool to consider which children are compatible to stay at the home together. However, the tool does not provide any narrative rationale as to why the manager considers that children are compatible, for example, the child’s needs, likes or dislikes.

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

The home environment is a safe and protective one. Staff ensure that if children need specialist equipment, this is available in the home. Specialist equipment ensures children’s physical and health needs are met safely.

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good

The registered manager speaks enthusiastically about improving children’s outcomes and the role of adults at the home to achieve this. The manager is steadfast in promoting opportunities and experiences for children during their stay at this home and expects the same from staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 5 The registered manager is supported by two deputy managers. Some of the staff have worked at the home for a number of years and know the children well. Collectively, staff and the leadership have a good knowledge about the children and their needs. This helps to provide stability for children and builds trust with their families.

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good

The registered manager advocates on behalf of children; for example, in respect of the suitability of an education provision for a child. This resulted in a better outcome for them. Additionally, the registered manager advocates on behalf of families to improve their circumstances, such as providing solutions to an issue in a child’s garden that would increase the child’s safety. This demonstrates the registered manager is considerate of children’s needs beyond their stay at this home.

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good

The registered manager and staff develop positive relationships with family and professionals within the children’s network. Feedback is overwhelmingly positive about the service. Parents commented on improved communication with staff and enjoy receiving photos of their children enjoying activities.

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good

The registered manager’s auditing and oversight of the home has failed to address the shortfalls identified. The monitoring of children’s files has not ensured care plans are up to date to include statutory plans. Not all interventions with children are recorded. Although some children now have targets set, the manager has only recently introduced this. This means that children did not have identified targets that staff could use to help children to achieve.

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good

Some children who stay at the home have video and audio monitoring during the night due to their health conditions. Consent for at least one child has not been signed by a parent and the manager has not identified this during audits.

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good

Supervision of staff does not take place in line with the statement of purpose. The supervision matrix identified some staff do not receive supervision regularly. Some supervision is delegated to the deputy manager to complete; however, the manager has not identified the shortfall. This does not provide reassurance that the staff are able to regularly reflect and improve their practice.

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good

Staff receive mandatory and specialist training. Four staff members have completed competency training to care for a child with diabetes. The registered manager is awaiting dates for other staff to undertake this training. Additionally, some staff have not completed any basic awareness through the available eLearning programs available to them. The registered manager has not identified this or progressed this. This means that not all the staff are appropriately trained to care for the children that use the service.

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good

Furthermore, not all the staff members have completed a relevant qualification within the regulatory time. This could hinder the consistency and quality of care children receive. The manager is aware of this shortfall and acknowledges that this is necessary for staff knowledge. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 6 The statement of purpose is not up to date. It does not include information about the possible use of monitoring devices or fob systems on the door. Additionally, the statement of purpose does not contain information about all staff working at the home. This shortfall means that the document does not give parents and professionals full information about the home and those working there.

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good

The children’s guide is not up to date and does not include information on how the children or their parents can contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. This shortfall means that the children and their families do not have all the necessary information about the external agencies that can be used to support them when the children arrive at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 7

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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 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 1 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 1 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 8 This specifically relates to children’s statutory documents being reflected in children’s plans and targets, and care plans being kept updated.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to consent forms being signed and dated. 1 April 2024

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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

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 1 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 9 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32(1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children in their care understand their rights as a looked-after child, or child living in a children’s home. Children must be informed of how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for advice and assistance about their rights and entitlements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 23, paragraph 4.19)  The registered person should ensure that the short break service offers the chance for children to develop friendships, by carefully matching groups and, where possible, by arranging for children to frequently stay with the same group. In particular, the registered person should ensure that there is a clear rationale for the decision around which children access the service together. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 40, paragraph 8.20)  The registered person should ensure that the Statement of Purpose

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Recommendations

(regulation 16(3)(a)), is reviewed and updated as necessary, and make sure children are given an explanation of any changes. In particular, the registered person should ensure the statement of purpose includes information about Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 10 monitoring devices. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 24, paragraph 4.23)

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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: SC038557 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Tyneside council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Quadrant East, Cobalt Offices, 15b-15c The Silverlink North, North Tyneside NE27 0BY

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Inspector

Cat Makel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 12 regulates and inspects 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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