Children's home run by Stockton on Tees Borough Council in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC040583 1 SC040583 Registered provider: Stockton-on-Tees Borough 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

This home is operated by a local authority. It provides short- to medium-term care for up to three children who may experience social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since September 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were 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: 26 February 2024

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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: SC040583 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2024 Full Good 17/01/2023 Full Outstanding 02/11/2021 Full Outstanding 22/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC040583 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke to two children during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed following planned introductions to the home, the staff and the other children. This supports children to start developing relationships and to become familiar with their new home before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, staff always support them to have positive endings. Staff develop and maintain relationships with family members and foster carers. Staff worked closely with one child’s foster family so that they could build a relationship and understand the child’s routines and boundaries. This enabled carers to maintain continuity of care for the child. One professional said: ‘Staff have gone over and above what their role was. Without their involvement, I don’t think we would have been able to find a foster family for her.’ This helped the child to successfully move into an appropriate foster home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build trusting relationships with people caring for them. Staff understand the children well and support them when they are struggling with their emotions. The direct work undertaken with the children is educational and creative, which helps children to reflect on their behaviours and emotions. This helps children to feel listened to and share their worries and concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive relationships with people who are important to children. Staff go above and beyond to build relationships with families and include them in children’s lives. For one child, this has had a positive impact on his relationship with his mother since moving to the home. His parent said, ‘Moving here has been the best thing that has ever happened to him. They help us as a unit and because [name of child] sees this, it is nice and more like a family than anything else.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do well in education and are making good progress. This is because staff support the children to attend their education provisions regularly and are enthusiastic about children’s achievements and progress. An education professional for two children said: ‘The communication is exemplary. They keep us up to date about what could be considered quite small but could add to a bigger picture. This helps us problem-solve together.’ This has a positive impact on children’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and well-being are a priority for staff. The children are registered with local dentists, doctors and opticians. Staff quickly refer children to specialist external services when additional support is needed. Staff have worked closely with external agencies to support one child with their medication and emotions. This has included supporting the child through direct work to help them understand their diagnosis and identity. This means that children receive timely support tailored to their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040583 4 The home is warm and welcoming, with photos of the children and their achievements celebrated throughout. However, there are areas of the home, such as the bathroom and flooring, that have not been repaired in a timely manner.

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

Children are better protected because staff understand their individual risks and ensure that their safety plans are updated when any changes occur. A therapeutic approach is used to help staff understand the reasons for children’s behaviour. This includes the children’s views of what they feel will help them and provides the children with information about what actions staff will take to manage and reduce risks. This helps children to feel safer.

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

Staff are creative with direct work they complete with children to help them to learn about their risks and encourage them to be kind to each other. When there are concerns about children, the staff help children to access the necessary services in a timely way. This safeguards children and helps them understand their risks.

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

Staff know how to respond to children who are angry or upset and can use effective de- escalation strategies. When children are held, this is only used as a last resort to keep children and others safe. When children have been held, staff support them to reflect on their emotions and encourage them to learn new strategies to manage their feelings. This means there has been a reduction in holds being used.

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

Positive behaviour is promoted in the home through staff celebrating children’s achievements and using achievable incentives. Consequences have not been used since the last inspection. Instead, staff carry out direct work with children to help them to understand and reflect on the impact of their behaviour. For example, one child has supported staff to repair parts of the home that he has damaged. This has led to a reduction in incidents in the home. This helps children to reflect and learn from their behaviour.

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

Staff are appropriately vetted before working in the home. Checks are carried out before staff start work in the home. Staff then follow an induction programme to help them understand the children’s needs and learn what is expected of them. This helps staff to gain the skills they need to care for children safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The deputy manager has been acting as the interim manager in the home since September 2024. She is suitably experienced and knows the children well. She is ambitious for the children, and she fosters a positive culture of achievement that is embedded in the ethos of the home. This provides a consistent, nurturing approach for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040583 5 Staff say that they feel supported by managers. Staff benefit from regular, reflective supervision sessions and team meetings. This provides them with the opportunity to discuss their practice and how this may impact on children. There is a learning culture in the home which means that staff continue to develop and gain the skills they need to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers actively monitor the quality of care provided. The manager has a clear process in place for auditing and monitoring the home. She is aware of the strengths and areas for development in the home. When actions are identified from audits, they are followed through effectively in team meetings and supervision sessions. The manager also invites outside agencies into team meetings. This helps to further develop staff’s knowledge and skills, contributing to more consistent care that better meets children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have developed strong working relationships with multi-agency partners and the children’s parents. Feedback from all family and professionals has been overwhelmingly positive about their communication from the manager and staff. A social worker said: ‘They are brilliant, they communicate everything. I was never unaware of what was going on in the home.’ This helps improve outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040583 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children and is a homely, domestic environment. In particular, maintenance to the home must be actioned in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC040583 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Municipal Buildings, Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1TW

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Inspector

Natalie Clark, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC040583 8 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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