Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC449096 1 SC449096 Registered provider: Durham County 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 run by a local authority. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home. All children were spoken with during 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 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: SC449096 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2025 Full Good 06/08/2024 Full Good 21/08/2023 Full Outstanding 02/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC449096 3

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Summary of findings

Staff are led by a highly experienced manager who ensures that children get the support they need to make progress, including in their education and preparation for independence. Children have positive relationships with staff and express their wishes and feelings to them confidently. Staff manage the children’s risks and incidents confidently with support from leaders and managers. However, restorative practice is not fully embedded in their practice when helping children to learn from their experiences to make better choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Plans for children moving into the home are well coordinated and supportive of their needs. Staff speak with children already living in the home to prepare them for a new peer arriving, supporting them with any anxieties this may cause. This helps early relationships to develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children are well-prepared for independence and children actively contribute to their plans for moving on from the home. Children who have left the home stay in touch and contact the staff for help and advice. This helps to maintain important relationships and assists children with their transition to independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress and achieve in their education. Staff advocate well for them, and this helps to secure additional support in school for children when needed. Children have had positive endings to their time in education including attending the school prom, leaving school with aspirations to attend college and university.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their health needs, encouraging dental hygiene, healthy eating and regular exercise. Children’s mental health needs are well supported through access to clinical psychologists and therapeutic workers. Staff have completed additional training to help them better support the children around safe relationships. Furthermore, the manager has worked with the nurse and therapist to develop a bespoke emotional wellbeing plan for one child to reduce the need for unnecessary medical appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy regular, well-planned time with people who are important to them. Staff actively support and maintain family relationships through shared activities, visits and overnight stays, helping to reduce anxiety and improve relationships. As a result, children often return to family or choose accommodation close to family when they move on from the home.

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

Children said they feel safe and their risks have reduced due to the positive relationships they have with staff. Children can identify their most trusted staff with ease. All the Inspection report for children’s home: SC449096 4 children know how to complain and are confident in expressing their feelings. Furthermore, staff involve children in completing their individualised risk assessments. This contributes to the children’s sense of safety in knowing that they have a say in how staff will help them to be safe.

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

Managers and staff record incidents in detail including the follow up conversations they have with children. Chronologies of events are included in all incident records to show the actions staff take to keep children safe. Children engage well in conversations and staff help them to reflect and learn from any event.

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

Managers and staff support children calmly, creativity and with humour when children have had difficulties with one another. Supportive conversations with children are sensitive and reflective. Additionally, the manager has ensured that the appropriate measures are in place to help children to live together safely. The manager has created an illustrated story that explains to the children involved why adults are concerned and what they have done to keep the children safe.

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

Staff ensure that children are safe online with age-appropriate restrictions and they have regular conversations with children about keeping safe when using the internet. Staff have created social stories to help children understand risks and develop skills to confidently and safely engage with friends online. This helps children to be safer.

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

The manager has regular oversight of consequences given to the children and will challenge staff when they do not feel the consequence given is appropriate. However, the recording of consequences does not always state the rationale why they have been used. Furthermore, consequences are sometimes not restorative in nature and are unclear in how they help children to reflect on their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s monitoring and oversight is highly effective. They complete a detailed analysis of the team’s strengths and areas of development. This is helping the manager to make continuous improvements to staff practice and quality of care that children receive. Monitoring tasks are delegated to others in the team and this supports a shared understanding about why areas of development are prioritised. Communication between staff is detailed and clear, tasks are delegated and discussed at in-depth handover meetings. Staff all know what is expected of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager escalates concerns strongly when needed, ensuring that information shared about children is up to date and reflective of them as they are now. When the staff identify concerns with carers or staff from other settings these are passed on to the appropriate people to address any issues. This has ensured that problems are worked through and children have continued to have positive family time with their brothers and sisters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager prioritises learning and development ensuring that the staff have the tools that they need to carry out their roles to a high standard. Staff training is regular and up Inspection report for children’s home: SC449096 5 to date. There is additional training from external agencies completed in team meetings to ensure that staff skills remain responsive to meeting the children’s needs. The extensive support that staff receives helps them to feel valued and this motivates them to do their best for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff talk about the family feel in the home and the excellent support that they receive from managers and colleagues. New staff said they felt very welcome from the moment they started in role. They praise the induction process, especially the support that they receive from their mentor. Furthermore, staff are encouraged to share their experiences from previous roles to enhance the care and support given to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff develop memory books with the children that are beautifully curated and annotated with personalised messages throughout. Pictures capture important events like birthdays and the school prom, and photos of family members and former carers. The books make a significant contribution to the children’s understanding of their time living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC449096 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the effect their behaviour has on themselves and others. Staff should record the action taken in sufficient detail to enable other staff and managers to understand the rationale for the consequence given. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC449096 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fostering & Adoption Team, Spectrum 8, Spectrum Business Park, Seaham SR7 7TT

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Inspector

Kirstie Sutherland, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC449096 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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