“children's homes in Gateshead”

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Information about this children's home

This privately run children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Three young people were in residence at the time of the inspection.

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Inadequate

Two young people say they feel safe living in the home but one does not, due to bullying from another young person. The children’s guide to the home still does not contain information that young people may need in order to obtain external help and guidance when they are worried about things such as bullying, for example about how to contact the Children’s Commissioner.

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that, just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of the home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. This is with specific reference to reviewing locking doors in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

are safe in the building. The inspector brought the shortfalls to the attention of staff, with repairs carried out during the inspection. Not all children have been involved in a fire drill.  There is poor monitoring of the home. Management does not supply internal monitoring reports to Ofsted as required. Management does not always notify Ofsted of serious incidents, which prevents a timely regulatory response. Monitoring by the independent visitor is not effective, as the home does not always take action in response to their recommendations; this limits progress.

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

The children's home strengths

 Some young people say that they like living in the home. They like their rooms, the building and some of the staff members. One young person appreciates the responsible individual bringing them a take-away breakfast as a treat.  Some staff have formed positive relationships with young people. In these instances there is good humour and positive interaction. One young person said that they like their one-to-one worker and find them more like ‘another teenager’ to get on with, and enjoy spending time with them. Another said that they like the staff, particularly the responsible individual and the interim manager.  Young people appreciate some members of staff’s cooking skills. One young person invites their friends to the home when they know a certain meal will be available to share, for example a Sunday roast.  Staff encourage young people to prepare some meals with them so that they learn cooking skills for independent living. This includes foods to reflect

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Inadequate

young people receive. The home’s statement of purpose does not include all the information required by regulation. Therefore, staff and others do not receive all the information they need about the home. For example, the statement of purpose is not child-focused, lacks details of staff experience and arrangements for the supervision of staff. Some policy statements do not explain how the home will support those with special needs, promote educational achievement or support young people’s linguistic needs. Crucially, it contains confusing information on who to contact if there is a complaint, and there is a confusing and incorrect definition of when restraint is used, which could lead to inappropriate actions by staff. Management has not met a requirement to improve the statement of purpose made at the last inspection. The children’s guide is easy to read and provides young people with some useful information about what they can expect during their time in the home. However, it

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Recommendations

 Plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Recommendations

 Plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Inadequate

The progress of young people is inconsistent and often poor. They live in an unsettled atmosphere and experience disruption and uncertainty. Although some young people say they feel safe in the home others state they do not want to live there. They say they are scared of threats from other young people and do not feel safe. Witnessing challenging behaviour has affected their emotional well-being. They hear noise from other young people at night which disturbs their sleep and leaves them tired during the day. The young person guide does not contain information on how to obtain advocacy services or to contact the Children’s Commissioner. This means young people do not have information of how to access independent support, advice or guidance. Management does not keep specific information to evidence young people’s progress and experiences. Such a lack of insight means they are unable to understand whether the home is making a difference to the lives of young people.

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

the home to have the third highest rate of young people going missing or absent out of 11 local authorities in London.  There is insufficient training and understanding for staff in how to protect young people. Some staff have not received any specific training in relation to self-harm or the risk of suicide, despite caring for a young person who has these risks. In addition, not all staff are clear about the action they should take when a young person raises a safeguarding concern.  One young person said they do not feel safe in the home. They feel bullied by another young person and do not feel that staff address this. Staff demonstrate a poor understanding of bullying and its effects, regarding it as ‘low level’ and therefore not significant. This allows the bullying to continue and the young person to feel under threat and not safe.  Management monitoring of the home is poor.  Two young people have tuition in the home. However, attendance,

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Recommendations

 Make sure that, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 The home has been without a registered manager for over two years. The interim manager has commenced the registration process with Ofsted but this is not complete. The provider has not given Ofsted evidence that they find the proposed responsible individual fit for the post. This means that Ofsted has been unable to determine whether those running the home are suitable.  Record keeping is poor overall. Many recording systems and records, required by regulation, are either not in place, are incomplete or are not fit for purpose. Staff describe not having enough time to complete records during their shifts. In one case, no healthcare plan is available for staff to follow in relation to a child with complex health needs, which is of great concern.  The response to health and safety places young people at risk of harm. There are shortfalls in the safe maintenance of the premises. Repairs to damage have not always been swift enough to ensure that young people

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Inadequate

A chronic lack of stable and effective leadership and management results in a service that provides young people with poor, unsafe and inconsistent care. The home has been without a registered manager since 2014. Ofsted had received an application for the interim manager to be registered, but this is incomplete. Similarly, the provider has not sent Ofsted information to confirm their suitability checks on the proposed responsible individual. Therefore, Ofsted is unable to confirm either person’s fitness to manage, or be responsible for, a children’s home. This is of concern as decisions made by the acting responsible individual, such as to allow unsuitable admissions, have had a considerable impact on the home, adding to its decline. The approach to monitoring the quality of care is weak and ineffective. Management does not monitor what takes place in the home, so is not identifying shortfalls or helping the home to improve, despite previous inspection reports

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

The children’s home strengths

 Staff want to do their best for the young people. Some are frustrated at the recent disruption, the loss of staff and the lack of time to complete records. Most young people enjoy warm relationships with some staff. They value the time they spend together and share good humour. One young person appreciates the boundaries that a staff member sets. Another appreciates staff making them feel welcome.  In the evenings, young people are encouraged to enjoy home-cooked food by sitting round the kitchen table and sharing a meal with staff. Some help staff to prepare the meal or assist with clearing away afterwards. It is a good opportunity for young people to gather and share a meal as well as learning about good manners and how to eat at a table. Young people express a wish to learn to cook food to reflect their ethnic backgrounds and receive staff support to do so.  Some young people are now receiving limited tuition in the home. One is in

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Recommendations

 Make sure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Help children to understand in the children’s guide: ― the statement of purpose of the home ― how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible ― how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

Gateshead · NE11 0RU

The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

lack of impact risk assessments has resulted in the admission of some young people whose behaviour has had a considerably disruptive effect on the existing residents, staff and neighbours.  The management of the home is particularly poor. The inaction of managers to resolve local issues has culminated in difficult neighbourhood relationships. This is having a detrimental effect on young people’s lives and exacerbates their anxiety. Staff have not been equipped to manage some very challenging behaviour. As a result, management gave notice on some placements, becoming yet another placement breakdown for those young people involved. Some staff left the home because of the challenging behaviour.  Staff do not always receive training to support young people’s individual needs. It is difficult to assess staff training and qualifications due to poor record keeping and the lack of a workforce development plan.