Children's Home run by Middlesbrough Borough Council in Middlesbrough

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 1 SC472374 Registered provider: Middlesbrough Borough Council

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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 care for children who may have physical disabilities and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in post. An interim manager is overseeing the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection carried out on 20 and 21 February 2024 compliance notices were issued under regulations 12 and 13. A monitoring visit took place on 9 April 2024. Insufficient progress had been made to meet the compliance notices and consequently they were reissued. This visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s response to the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has increased the staffing levels in the home to enable staff to meet the needs of children. Staff said that their ability to supervise the children in their care has improved. The number of children currently living in the home has also reduced. Therefore, staff are able to spend quality time with children.

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This monitoring visit

The overall quality of children’s safety plans has improved. However, the manager’s monitoring system has not identified some inaccuracies in assessments and plans. Two children’s safety plans held inconsistent and inaccurate information. This led to staff being unclear on the actions they should take, resulting in an incident which may have been avoided.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not maintain timely oversight of safeguarding records involving children. This relates to a body map of injuries to a child which was not reviewed by the manager for a week. This could delay urgent actions needed to address poor practice and safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 2 The manager arranged a development day to train staff in the home’s therapeutic approach. This supports staff to understand how to respond to the needs of the children. There are also additional plans for training in behaviour management and communication with children.

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This monitoring visit

Consequences used in the home are not effective. The consequences are not aligned to the home’s stated aim of building therapeutic relationships with children and some are punitive in nature. They are not individual to the children’s level of understanding or assessed as part of a planned response. This prevents children from learning and understanding the impact that their behaviour has on others.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 16 May 2024, where it was agreed that the compliance notices had been met. However, due to shortfalls remaining under regulations 12 and 13, they have been reissued as requirements. The remaining requirements and recommendation raised at the full inspection were not reviewed as part of this visit. These will be assessed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2024 Full Inadequate 26/10/2022 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Good 28/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 4

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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 with 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 18 June 2024

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; 18 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 5 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(f)(h))

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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

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d)) 18 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 18 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 6 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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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 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 31 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 18 June 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 (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 18 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19 (1)) 18 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Middlesbrough Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Middlesbrough House, 50 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RH

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Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC472374 8 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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Inspectors

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