Children's Home run by North East Autism Society in Durham

Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 1 SC458415 Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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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 run by a private provider. It offers short breaks for up to six children with learning disabilities, specialising in caring for children with autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were staying at the setting. The inspector spent time with all three 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 good

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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 a children’s home: SC458415 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good 14/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/10/2022 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusted relationships with the staff who look after them during their stays. Support is provided to meet children’s needs but is usually on a one-to-one basis. This ensures that children’s needs are well supported during their stays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are equipped with the individual skills required to meet each child’s communication needs. There are different resources that staff use to communicate with children in addition to the spoken word, such as Makaton, storyboards and symbols. This helps children to give their views and opinions and enables staff to promote children in making choices for themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good relationships between staff and professionals from education. Communication flows about any issues or barriers to children’s learning. This ensures continuity in meeting the children’s needs. Children have targets that they work towards to help with life skills, such as taking care of their own personal care or eating independently. The staff help children with these life skills during their stays. Progress can take time, but staff support children to be as independent as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For those with complex health conditions, there is appropriate support and resources in place. Some children have plans in place due to specific health needs. These plans ensure that staff know how to respond in an emergency. Staff make accurate observations and recordings in relation to children’s health needs. This ensures a full picture is available to children’s families and any involved health professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in activities in the local community. Staff often take them to places they might not ordinarily be able to go to. This allows them to have everyday experiences irrespective of their needs, while promoting variety, culture and supporting links to the local area. Recently, staff and the children took part in an autism awareness walk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships with families are positive. Families feel included in decision-making for their children and well supported by staff. Families are reassured that care is consistent between home and the setting. This is essential for the children, who often find change difficult to cope with.

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

All the children who stay at the setting have complex needs and learning disabilities. Each child’s needs are well understood by staff, who know each child’s individual behaviours, including nuances such as gestures and noises children display. Staff take the time to understand what children are trying to express in the moment. This helps children to be understood. Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 4 There is a thorough process in place for children’s medication and there have been no errors in this period. Sometimes, children are given medication in food or drink to help them take it. This is overseen by the community nursing team. When a child or young person does not want to take the medication, they can refuse, preserving their right to choice.

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

When children struggle to manage feelings and emotions, staff use strategies to help them remain calm. This is successful most of the time. When it is not, staff use other techniques to help keep children safe, such as holds. These methods are only used as a last resort and when necessary to keep everyone safe. The manager has oversight of any incidents for the children. However, some minor recording issues have not been picked up through the manager’s monitoring and oversight systems.

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

Staff work with children during their stays to support issues such as online safety. However, the records do not detail how this is being done. This is important given the varying communication needs of the children. Also, the description of the child’s response is not always helpful in equipping staff with the skills they need to effectively support each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced manager in place. She is knowledgeable about the children and their needs. She is also supportive of the staff team. The manager involves herself in the day-to-day care of the children to help support at busy times.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s moves out of the home are well planned. The child-centred, multi-agency approach allows children to move on at a pace suited to individual needs. This manages anxieties, helping children feel reassured and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite some staff vacancies, there are enough staff to support the children during their stays. Staff like working at the setting, saying they get a lot out of the role. Staff are committed to the children and support each other. Communication between staff and professionals is good. Sharing information, ensuring that any changes in routines, medication or care are shared. Professionals spoken to are confident that the manager and staff know the children very well, respond to their needs and ensure that they make the most of the children’s stays.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by leaders and managers, describing them as approachable. Training is relevant to children’s needs, ensuring that staff have the skills and knowledge to care for the children to a good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When children spend over 75 nights at short breaks, they become a looked-after child by their local authority. This affects one child who stays at the setting. There has been a misunderstanding about what needs to be in place for this child. This relates to documents such as health assessments or personal education plans and not the quality of care the child receives. The staff have excellent relationships with the nursing team and the child’s school, ensuring that they have the right plans in place. Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 5 There was also an issue identified with the setting’s registration conditions. These need to be varied by the organisation with the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some shortfalls in the manager’s oversight of records. The manager has not identified some errors in recording or gone back to staff when the information needs to be clearer. The records for children should be consistent and reflective of their stays. Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 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 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

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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)) 10 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(iii)(iv)(vii)) 10 October 2025 Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. 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)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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 a children’s home: SC458415 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester-le- Street, County Durham DH2 1AN

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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for a children’s home: SC458415 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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