Children's home run by South Tyneside Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 1 Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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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 run by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. One child was spoken with during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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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: 27 February 2024

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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: 2718853 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 3

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improvement to be good

The progress that children make is limited. One professional said that they have seen a deterioration in the child they work with. Children have positive relationships with staff. One child said that they feel understood, and that staff want the best for them. However, this has not helped children to make progress from their starting points.

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improvement to be good

Staff engage children in regular, supportive key-work sessions and discuss a range of important topics. Records are written to the child and include their voice. However, these sessions are having limited impact on the children’s progress. For one child, concerns for their safety while missing from the home have escalated.

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improvement to be good

Children do not currently attend education. Staff communicate with schools and the virtual school staff to promote attendance. They work with education professionals to explore ways to overcome barriers to education. However, this does not include opportunities for informal learning when children do not attend school. Furthermore, children are not supported to complete age-appropriate independence tasks. This prevents children from acquiring important knowledge and skills.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff advocate effectively on behalf of children. Children trust staff to speak on their behalf in meetings and keep children informed about outcomes. This helps children to see the results of their views being listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote family time by welcoming the children’s family members to the home for meals and celebrations. For one child, this has led to an increase in spending quality time with their family. One parent said about staff members, ‘Every single one of them is approachable.’ This helps children to stay connected to their families and maintain their identity.

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improvement to be good

The children’s individual health needs are well met. Staff help children to understand their own needs and encourage them to make positive choices. When children are reluctant to access services, staff work with healthcare professionals to promote self-care. This helps children to get the right support to stay healthy.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not made sufficient changes to safeguarding arrangements in the home following a serious incident. This involved a child leaving the home through their bedroom window on two separate occasions. They did not respond proportionately to the significant level of risk that this placed the child at. During the inspection, managers highlighted urgent actions they would put in place to address the shortfall. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 4 Staff understand the children’s individual vulnerabilities and what they should do to respond to risk. Actions are recorded in clearly written safe care plans. Records are regularly reviewed and have management oversight. However, interventions are not having the desired effect to reduce risks. Concern for one child’s safety have continued to escalate.

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improvement to be good

Missing incidents have increased since the last inspection. When children go missing, staff follow the agreed procedures and make efforts to locate children and return them home. When children return, they are welcomed back and offered welfare checks and return home interviews.

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improvement to be good

The relationships that staff have with children mean they can speak with the children about worrying behaviours that could place them at risk of harm. Children give staff information about experiences outside the home, which is then shared with the team and relevant others to strengthen the collective understanding of risks.

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improvement to be good

Allegations about staff practice are effectively managed. The manager ensures that safeguarding procedures are followed. Records of actions and outcomes are clearly recorded and communicated with the children involved. This helps children to know that their voice is heard and their concerns are important to carers and will be taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He is supported by two deputies. The manager promotes the team’s caring ethos and wants the best for the children and staff. This approach is valued by staff, who said they feel well supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

One child moved into the home as an emergency admission. The manager’s assessment of the children’s suitability to live together identified a number of competing needs that would potentially impact on the children’s progress. However, insufficient action was taken to manage this, which has led to an escalation in concerns for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s monitoring systems identify the strengths of the home and areas that he wants to develop. However, the manager’s plans for development are not yet clearly defined. This prevents the manager from leading on any necessary improvements, and staff from understanding their role in making the changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers share any concerns they may have with relevant professionals. However, escalation is not always robust. It is not always clearly recorded whether their actions have positively affected outcomes for children, preventing the manager from evaluating the impact of their intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals praised the approach of staff to caring for the children. They said that they value the open communication from the home. One professional said, ‘What staff do really well is communicate with professionals and maintain relationships with family members.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 5 Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. The manager arranges for various professionals to attend to support the development of the team. All staff contribute to meetings and said they value the opportunity to discuss the children and current issues. This promotes a sense of accountability within the team to help develop a consistent approach to caring for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 6

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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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must take proportionate action to address any safeguarding concerns when they arise. 28 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 7 understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii) 28 February 2025

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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— 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 8 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should evidence what they have done to achieve engagement, including any actions taken to escalate concerns. This relates to the registered person promoting effective working with external partners to meet the individual needs of children, particularly in escalating concerns where effective working has not yet been achieved. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)

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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: 2718853 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall & Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear NE33 2RL

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Inspector

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2718853 10 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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