Children's Home run by Redcar and Cleveland Council in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2699377 1 Registered provider: Redcar and Cleveland Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to six children who may have social, emotional or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home also provides outreach services to children who live with their families or in other placements.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with two of the children.

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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 outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2699377 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/06/2024 Full Good 16/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2699377 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from trusted and secure relationships. Children feel loved by staff, who provide the support they need during emotionally difficult times. Children are helped to understand their situation and have a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted on plans that are designed to encourage and motivate them to engage in education. Children agree to small targets that are achievable and make progress over time. Staff liaise closely with schools and the local authority to agree these plans. Effective joint working is successful in helping children to return to school and engage in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend their routine health appointments regularly and engage with services including their annual health review. When children struggle to engage with health professionals, staff speak to them about the issue and seek to overcome barriers to their attendance. Children who experience difficult emotions and present with behaviour that puts their health at risk are supported to access specialist services. Children rely on staff to keep them safe and are encouraged to access emergency health services, when needed. This supports good physical and mental health care for children who have complex needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to continue their involvement in team sports and to try new experiences. Staff take the children who play in multiple sports teams to their training sessions and matches. One child is a qualified referee in the local football league and a member of a county pool team, along with the manager. Children take part in community events to raise money for their chosen charities. This focus on participation and enjoyment increases children’s self-esteem and strengthens the bond between them and the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with children and their families with a view to children being able to return home. Staff try to address any issues and improve the quality of relationships and the time that children spend with their family. Parents are appreciative of the support they receive from outreach workers and have improved relationships with their children.

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

Children are supported to understand the risks associated with issues such as substance misuse. Children are consistently given the message that staff care about them and worry about their safety. Staff provide information that enables children to learn about risk and make informed choices. These discussions are reviewed to assess when a child can make the changes they need so that interventions can be more effective. Staff persevere with direct work and stay committed to the child’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699377 4 Staff help children to understand complex risks related to issues in the local community. This includes the risk of exploitation, grooming and extremism. Staff are alert to children’s friendship networks and whom the children are in contact with. This allows them to have constructive discussions about the impact of friendships and the risks they may be exposed to.

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

Some children harm themselves when experiencing intense emotions. Staff support children, show empathy and try to understand their emotions. Children’s plans reflect how they are likely to respond in different situations and provide clear directions on how staff should respond when children are experiencing crisis. Following any incidents, this information is shared across the team, and plans are updated to improve the effectiveness of the support that children receive.

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

When children are missing from the home, staff act rapidly to help them return as quickly and as safely as possible. Immediate searches of the local area take place, and appropriate agencies are informed and kept up to date. Staff search known areas and make contact with children’s friends and family to gather any relevant information. Staff are familiar with the children’s behaviour and are vigilant to changes in their presentation that may indicate a concern. This helps keep children safe and decreases the time that children are missing and vulnerable.

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

When children are unhappy, they raise their concerns with staff, who listen and take them seriously. Complaints are recorded and the registered manager responds within an appropriate time frame. The manager meets with the child to understand their views and to discuss how they can resolve any issues. This helps to ensure that children feel listened to and that the manager and staff will act on their complaints.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are influential in improving children’s lives. The manager strongly advocates for children and has high aspirations for what children can achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has built highly effective working relationships with other professionals involved in the children’s lives. She ensures that all professionals are acting in the best interests of children and challenges appropriately when plans are not being progressed. One professional said, ‘They are absolutely amazing.’ The manager’s and staff’s communication with other professionals and children’s families is a particular strength. The persistence and drive of the manager have helped to achieve outcomes for children beyond what was anticipated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have a deep understanding of the needs of all children. They use learning from incident reports, debriefs and key discussions to reflect on, and improve, the care that children receive. They ensure that staff have a good understanding of the model of care used in the home. This means that staff provide consistent care and are persistent in building relationships with children. In turn, this Inspection report for children’s home: 2699377 5 gives children a sense of security and a safe base from where they can begin to make changes and progress that can be sustained over time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has good oversight of children, staff and the home. Daily checks take place between managers and senior staff to ensure important records are up to date and actions are complete. The manager uses data tracking tools to identify patterns or trends and responds to these quickly. As a result, the manager maintains good oversight of the home and is alert to the changing needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example when attending regular multidisciplinary team meetings. The manager shares creative ideas and is proactive in managing issues prior to these meetings. Professionals value the daily updates that support their own work with children and say, ‘There is rarely anything more the manager or staff can do to support children.’

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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: 2699377 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Redcar and Cleveland Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Department Of Social Services, Seafield House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar TS10 1SP

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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2699377 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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