Children's home run by North Tyneside Council in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 1 SC038557 Registered provider: North 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 operated and managed by a local authority. It provides short-break stays for up to five children with a sensory impairment, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector met and observed three children who were accessing their short-break stay at the time of this 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: SC038557 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2024 Full Good 05/12/2022 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Inadequate 02/08/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy their short breaks at this home. Children’s social, emotional and health needs are met by a stable staff team that knows the children well. Children develop positive, trusting relationships with staff. Consequently, parents and family members trust the staff and say they ‘could not live without the service.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home offers a divided service to support children who need to be cared for on their own. This does mean that there are times when some children cannot access all areas of the home, for example the sensory room. However, without dividing the service, some children would not be able to access this provision and receive important help. Most children experience short breaks in small, compatible groups, which means they can develop new friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of positive activities inside and outside of the home. Photos of children are proudly displayed throughout the home. Some photos show children taking part in new activities or achievements. Staff identify activities that are suitable for the children’s age and development to help them have fun and develop in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The vibrant home is decorated in various themes that are bright and colourful, which creates a fun environment. Toys and games in the home and garden help children to play together or independently. Children have access to a range of specialist equipment that they require to meet their needs. One item has been broken for several months. However, the management team is steadfast in securing a resolution.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s individual communication methods, ensuring that the children’s wishes and views are listened to. Communication tools around the home support children’s preferred method of communication. This includes talking tiles, picture exchange, objects of reference and Makaton. Communication stations include various communication tools. This helps children to independently make choices, for example with food or activities. Additionally, children contribute to the home, such as requesting new play equipment for the garden or more choice of DVDs. This helps children to understand that their opinions are important and taken seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are promoted. Staff support and advocate on behalf of children. In one example, this meant a child’s medical needs were met sooner than planned. Additionally, staff help to ensure that children attend health appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have a strong understanding of children’s needs. Children’s targets are realistic and understood by all. However, staff do not record meaningful direct work completed with children to help them achieve their targets. This is a missed opportunity to demonstrate how staff help children make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 4 Staff provide regular written updates to parents and professionals following children’s stay at the home. However, some records include institutionalised language. This is not helpful to children should they read their records now or in the future.

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

Risks to children are well understood. The manager and staff assess children’s vulnerabilities. Children’s care and support plans are reviewed regularly to ensure that staff know what action to take to help children. Strategies to reduce risks are in context to the child’s needs and stage of development. Staff complete mandatory and specialist training that helps them to gain the skills and knowledge to care for children.

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

High staffing ratios mean children are well supervised both inside the home and in the community. Staff follow safeguarding processes when children spend time in the community. This includes ensuring that children’s medication is prepared and that their specialist equipment is available. This enables children to have experience away from the home in a safe way.

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

Staff understand how to support children who may display self-injurious behaviours. Staff use effective strategies that minimise the risk of harm to the children. Information is shared with safeguarding professionals and family. This collaborative approach strengthens the scrutiny of incidents to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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

Medication procedures have been strengthened. The management team took appropriate action in response to three medication errors. This included a training refresher for staff and a safeguarding visit from a medical professional to review practice. Recommendations made following the safeguarding visit have been swiftly implemented to reduce the risk of future errors.

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

Incidents of physical intervention are rare. When they do happen, they are proportionate and necessary to keep children safe. However, records do not include details of steps taken to avoid the use of a physical hold. This does not support staff to reflect on their actions and consider any other strategies that may be helpful for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager who is supported by two deputies. There is a consistent staff team that provides stability in the home. Staff say they feel well supported and take pride in their role and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are systems to review the quality-of-care children receive. The management team regularly reviews the accuracy of children’s plans and their safety in the home. The manager welcomes feedback from professionals and family members to make improvements in the home. Family members are invited into the home for coffee mornings. This helps them feel included in decisions about the service and develop support networks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 5 The management team has developed an effective assessment tool to consider which children can stay at the home together. The management team considers the risks and vulnerabilities for each child. The arrangements are continuously reviewed to ensure that the children’s stays are safe and enjoyable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings enable staff to share information to support the efficient running of the home. Child-focused discussions ensure that staff have up-to-date knowledge about the children’s care. The meetings focus on safeguarding procedures. The management team uses safeguarding scenarios to test staff’s understanding. This practice helps staff to develop their safeguarding knowledge. Additionally, staff receive regular supervision. However, supervision is not practice related and does not help staff to reflect and learn from their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are introduced to the home in a planned way. The management team gathers information from professionals and family members who know the children well. Staff visit children in school where appropriate. Children visit the home and become familiar with staff and the home’s surroundings. The length of each transition is individualised to help children prepare at their pace to reduce potential anxieties of staying in a different home. Information about transitions is recorded on children’s files. However, the manager does not record their oversight to agree that it is appropriate for the child to use the service. Although this has not had a detrimental effect on children, this undermines the quality of management oversight about important decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some children have moved into the home in an emergency. On two occasions, senior leaders made decisions about which children should live in the home, rather the home’s manager. The management team amended the statement of purpose to reflect the changes in the provision. However, the decisions made affected other children’s planned stays at the home. This does not help children and families to feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff members have completed a relevant qualification within the regulatory time frame. This was a shortfall at the last inspection. The manager has provided support to the two members of staff who have still not completed the qualification. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 30 May 2025

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Recommendations

 T he registered person should ensure that records of restraint enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline, and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. Records should include details of staff action to prevent the hold. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that staff are undertaking and recording direct work with the children to help them to develop and make progress. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 16, paragraph 3.14) Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 7  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact,

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Recommendations

opinion, and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that when emergency admissions happen, the capacity and support systems mean staff have the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice, while continuing to offer high-quality care to children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph

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Recommendations

13.2)  The registered person should ensure that there are procedures in place for welcoming and introducing each child to the home. In particular, the registered person should ensure that there is management oversight of decisions to admit children to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 57, paragraph 11.7)

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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: SC038557 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Quadrant East, Cobalt Offices, 15b-15c The Silverlink North, North Tyneside NE27 0BY

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Inspector

Cat Makel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038557 9 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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