Minutes:
The Head of Early Help, Inclusion and Vulnerable Children updated the Panel on the outcome of the Ofsted inspection of Aycliffe Secure Centre which was graded ‘good’ overall.
The inspection found education and learning is good, the young people are provided with good help and protection, leadership and management is effective and health is outstanding. The Head of Early Help, Inclusion and Vulnerable Children read an extract from the report which praised the interaction between the staff and young people, how the staff help the young people to manage their feelings and the way staff work together, to encourage young people to make progress and celebrate their achievements. Ofsted found the health team to be excellent and commended the way practitioners encourage the young people to look after their health. The Panel noted the inspection covered activity over the past 17 months, during the gradual return to normal following the pandemic, and acknowledged the inspection framework could not take that into account. The Panel recognised the outcome of the inspection should be considered within the full context of the post-covid period and praised the continued hard work and commitment of the staff and young people at the centre.
Laura Caunce, Service Manager, informed the Panel that a number of compliance notices had been issued in respect of Newton Drive Children’s Home which had been judged inadequate in August. As a result, an action plan had been put in place. A monitoring visit by Ofsted held in October found that 4 of the 6 compliance notices issued had been met.
One of the notices could not be met as no further admissions had taken place and the outstanding notice related to a training exercise which was taking place that day. The Panel would be updated on the outcome of the full inspection in due course.
The outcome of the full inspection of Coxhoe Children’s Home was good overall, findings included that the young people are provided with good help and protection and outstanding leadership and management.
During the period, a further two full inspections took place and information on those would be shared with the Panel on publication of the reports.