Children's Home run by Hartlepool Borough Council in Hartlepool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2490894 1 Registered provider: Hartlepool Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of 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

Date of last inspection: 11 October 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: 2490894 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/10/2022 Full Good 25/05/2021 Full Good 25/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2490894 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The property is decorated and furnished to a good standard, making it feel warm and welcoming. Photos of the child are displayed throughout the home, and their bedroom is personalised. Staff are swift to repair any damage that is caused to the home, which maintains the homely feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves to and from the home are well considered and well planned to ensure that the child feels as safe and as comfortable as they can. When a child moves to a new home, staff who are known to the child move with them. This provides the child with continuity of care and familiar faces. Staff know and understand the child well, which means the child has been able to make positive relationships with those who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently attending their education setting, but staff are working tirelessly with education colleagues to make sure the child continues to learn while at home. Staff, the virtual school and care team are working in partnership to identify an alternative provision that can meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to attend their routine health checks and more specialist appointments. Staff provide key-work sessions to explore all areas of the child’s health, including areas such as sexual health and emotional well-being. This helps the child to develop the skills needed to keep themselves healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child understands how to share their views and make a complaint. Staff respond quickly and sensitively to complaints. This means that the child’s voice is heard, and their feedback brings about change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s relationships with their family and important people. Staff work directly with the family to ensure that these relationships are safe. Staff organise activities for the child and their family, both inside and outside of the home. This supports the child to maintain those important links.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk with pride about the child’s achievements and make sure that this is shared with them. These achievements and other special moments and events are captured in a memory book, which will give the child a permanent reminder of their time at the home.

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

Staff know the child and their risks well. When new risks are identified, staff take robust action to try to understand each situation and what they can do to reduce the risk in the future. This helps to keep the child safer. Inspection report for children’s home: 2490894 4 Staff know what to do when a child goes missing from the home. They follow the child’s risk assessment and the missing-from-home procedures. Staff try to locate the child and look for them at known addresses and locations. When they return, staff check on their well-being and provide comfort and care.

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

Staff have a good understanding of child exploitation and contextual safeguarding. They work collaboratively with multi-agency professionals to share information about risks in the local community. This means that the child in the home and other children in the wider community are better protected .

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

Staff will safely hold a child only when they pose a risk to themselves or others. The manager reviews all records to ensure that staff practice is proportionate and effective. This helps to ensure that the child is only held to make sure they are safe and protected.

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

The home’s fire risk assessment contained recommendations regarding fire doors being changed. This action remains outstanding, which means that the fire doors do not meet the required safety standards in order to protect the child in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is enthusiastic and passionate about providing care to children and supporting the staff team. Staff talk positively about working in the home and feel greatly supported by leaders and managers. Staff are committed to making a positive difference in the child’s life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are recruited using a robust process that ensures that new staff are safe to work in the home. Once recruited, all staff undergo a robust induction and mandatory training programme. This means the child is cared for by staff who have the necessary skills to provide good-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision takes place each month. Staff say that they value the opportunity to reflect on what they are doing and how they can improve. Team meetings and development sessions help staff to build on their existing knowledge. As a result, staff practice continues to develop, driving up the quality of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is proactive in establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with professionals, who speak highly of the care provided to the child. This ensures that there is a joint approach to care planning which meets the child’s evolving needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes decisions about who lives in the home from a child-centred perspective and considering the impact of change. The manager has currently assessed that it is best for the child to be the only child living in the home. This ensures that staff give the child the best possible opportunity to make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2490894 5

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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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must —

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the recommendations made in the fire risk assessment must be addressed promptly. 10 May 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed, or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency. It must be age-appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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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: 2490894 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hartlepool Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Victoria Road, Hartlepool TS24 8AY

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2490894 7 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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