Children's home run by Northumberland County Council in Northumberland

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059203 1 SC059203 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 owned and managed by a local authority. It provides short breaks for up to six children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2011.

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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: 20 January 2023

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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: SC059203 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/01/2023 Full Good 10/12/2021 Full Good 14/02/2020 Full Outstanding 07/03/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC059203 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are sensitively introduced to this short-break service. They are invited to visit and spend time with staff and other children before they have overnight stays. Staff work well with families and professionals to understand children’s individual needs. This ensures that children receive tailored care and that staff have the right skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported and cared for by experienced staff who know them well. Preparations for the arrival of children after school for their weekend stay are carefully organised. This ensures that both the home and individual bedrooms are welcoming and meet the needs of each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Families value the service and support that both they and their children receive from staff. One grandparent said that communication with staff is excellent. Staff contact families before each child’s stay to make themselves aware of any changes to children’s care, such as their medication, and also to provide updates after their stay. This helps families to feel assured about leaving children in the care of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are important to staff. Children’s meetings are a regular event and show how children are consulted about important subjects and contribute to their reviews and decision-making. Children’s voices are also present in their care plans and additional records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities. The staff support children to take part in activities in the community and the home. Children were seen and heard to arrive for their stay and were asked about what they would like to do that day. The staff take photos of children enjoying activities and these contribute to their memory books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff use baby monitors to keep watch on some children in their bedrooms at night. The procedure for when these are to be used is unclear. Children’s care plans and risk assessments lack detail as to why monitoring is necessary and proportionate, and therefore the use of this monitoring is not reviewed. Consent from parents is not evident on children’s files.

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

Children’s risk assessments and care plans are detailed and include their known vulnerabilities and behaviours. Strategies for staff to work with children and support them are clear. However, one child’s assessment did not provide information staff need about the child’s health. The manager has assured inspectors that this information will be added to the child’s record. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059203 4 Staff have conversations with children to help them develop new skills and work towards agreed goals. This helps to keep a focus on how to support children to develop skills for life, such as their social interactions and basic life skills .

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

There has been one incident where staff had to hold a child to keep everyone safe. Staff keep professionals and family informed following incidents. The manager reviewed the incident and had discussions with staff during a team meeting to reflect on the incident to improve learning.

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

Some of the children accessing the service have complex health needs and require support with medication. All staff have received appropriate medication training. The oversight of medicines is well established and effective.

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

Not all children have a personal evacuation escape plan to show staff how to help them leave the home in case of an emergency. Also, not all children who are introduced to the home have taken part in a fire drill. This could cause distress for the children and confusion for the staff in the event an evacuation is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from having an experienced registered manager. The manager has a good understanding of the staff’s strengths and areas for improvement. Staff said that the management team supports them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are committed to ensuring that children get the most out of their stay and enjoy their short break. The manager ensures that staff deliver good- quality care, and she builds effective relationships with the children’s families. This gives parents and carers confidence in the service and provides peace of mind during children’s stay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and reflective supervision that focuses on their responsibilities, safeguarding practice and the care of children. Actions and learning are identified to help inform staff’s development needs. All staff have completed the local authority’s mandatory training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and provide an opportunity for staff to have reflective discussion about the children’s progress and experiences. Training is a regular item in the team meeting to remind staff to attend. This helps to encourage staff to attend training to improve their knowledge and skills when caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals, such as the children’s social workers and teachers, is positive. Professionals commented on the valuable and new experiences that the staff provide for children and praised staff for their communication. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059203 5

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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 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)) 3 May 2024

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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

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) 3 May 2024

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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: SC059203 6

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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 NE61 2EF

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Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059203 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 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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