Children's Home run by Spark of Genius North East LLP in Stockton-on-Tees

Unique reference number SC477031 Inspector Julie Rimington Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Spark of Genius North East LLP Registered person address Unit A, Trojan House Phoenix Business Park PAISLEY Renfrewshire PA1 2BH Responsible individual Zak John McIlhargey Registered manager Michael Joseph MacDermott Date of last inspection N/A 2 of 9 Inspection date 24/11/2014

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Previous inspection N/A Enforcement action since last inspection This is the first full Inspection following registration. There has been no enforcement action since registration.

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care adequate Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

The outcomes for young people living at the home are good.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team provide a good, personalised service and standard of care to young people. While the risk taking behaviours of some young people are presenting challenges, other young people have made excellent progress from their starting points.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team develop relationships with the young people that are supportive and genuine. Practice is child-focused and helps young people to develop their skills, make choices, and gain in confidence. Records show the involvement of young people in their care through regular key work sessions and meetings.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team are confident advocates for young people. Young people are safe living in the home and, overall, their risk-taking behaviours have reduced significantly since the point of admission.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager has extensive experience of meeting young people’s needs 3 of 9 in a residential setting. Consultation with them is an ongoing process that serves to shape the staff’s practice and approach. As a result, records show that they strive to respond to young people’s suggestions irrespective of the challenges this may present.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager is highly motivated to remedy any deficits in service delivery, to provide best practice and bring about change. Such arrangements strongly support the work with the young people and deliver purposeful child- centred practice.

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Overall effectiveness

There are some shortfalls in practice but the impact on the young people is minimal. These relate to the need for the Registered Manager to receive adequate supervision and to rationalise the paperwork to ensure records are concise and accessible. Recommendations have been made accordingly. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This home accommodates up to 5 young people, who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is provided by a private company.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure entries in records are legible, clearly expressed, non-stigmatising and distinguish as far as possible between fact, opinion and third party information. These records should be clear and concise. A review to rationalise the paperwork is required.  Ensure all staff, and the registered person, are properly managed, supported and understand to whom they are accountable. Specifically, the Registered Manager requires regular supervision (19.2)  Ensure a written or electronic record is kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, this recording should be consistent across the staff team .The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision (19.5) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make significant progress from the point of their admission. They develop in confidence and become more able to take responsibility for their own actions. Their competence and self-esteem improves, helping them to establish relationships that are more constructive.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people become more self-aware about their behaviours and access the support on offer to help them manage their feelings. They begin to gain insight into their behaviour, and to make choices that are more positive. They are supported by the staff team and external specialist agencies. One young person with complex needs has made exceptional progress is developing ways to manage behaviour which previously has resulted in frequent placement moves. These changes have allowed the young person to improve attendance at school and reduce risk taking behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s educational outcomes are good. They achieve from the point of their admission, developing particular interests and a motivation to realise their potential. Those young people who have started the transition to adulthood are supported by the staff team. They have the opportunity to try different career choices and explore their interests. Clear and robust care plans help to identify and monitor their achievements.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy an active lifestyle and make good progress in developing an understanding of their own health needs. They participate in the general outdoor activities including using local leisure facilities and parks. This improves their physical and emotional health.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from staff’s efforts to facilitate contact with their birth families. Relationships have improved for some young people and they enjoy more frequent contact with their family. The young people are supported in maintaining contact with other people who are important to them. This contact helps to maintain their social networks and develops their social competence, which is particularly relevant for those moving on to independent living.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people are well cared for by a motivated staff team who demonstrate respect and positive regard for them. Young people have good relationships with staff despite episodes of challenging behaviour. Young people feel understood and secure due to the staff’s consistency of response towards them. One young person said ‘it’s not just about money, they care’. 6 of 9 The general health care needs of young people are met. Staff register them with community health care services and they attend routine appointments.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff listen to the young people and consider their views in a range of different ways. There are regular monthly meetings. The agenda for these meetings covers a range of different subjects such as activities and e-safety. The influence of these meetings is evident in different ways including the decoration of the home, what is on the menu and the activities on offer. Key working sessions show that staff help the young people deal with the issues that are ‘live’ for them with sensitivity and care. These sessions are clearly recorded and respond to the issues that are significant for that young person.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people are encouraged to behave positively via the use of incentives. However this system relies too heavily on monetary rewards. The staff team need to achieve a better balance between providing opportunities for young people to earn rewards alongside focused support and praise. Strategies are in place to reinforce expectations and provide a coordinated response from the staff team. For example, key workers hold structured discussions on the young people’s individual needs in team meetings. Additionally, the key worker sessions revisit incidences where particular risk taking behaviours are discussed with concern and sensitivity for the young person. As a result, the staff team deliver a coordinated, consistent response to young people and professionals. This enhances young people’s feelings of stability, safety and security and informs care planning.

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Quality of care adequate

Records show communication with agencies involved in the care of young people is good. The staff attend team meetings and prepare detailed monthly reports for social workers. The home’s care plans are individualised and comprehensive, describing in detail the needs and behaviours of the young people. A review of files and recording systems is required as they are cumbersome and take considerable time to complete. They way information is gathered and used needs to be reviewed. The complexities of the recording system can mean too much time is needed to record information which reduces the time staff have available to spend time with the young people.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people know how to make a complaint and feel the staff are available to share their concerns if they have any. This means the young people help to shape life in the home and believe their views matter.

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Quality of care adequate

The material standards of the home are good. It provides a very comfortable environment for young people to live in, with sufficient space for group and individual activities. The communal areas of the home reflect a similar commitment on the part of the staff to involve young people and listen to what they have to say although this is still work in progress. Attention to the physical environment with the involvement of the young people ensures a high standard of maintenance. It also encourages the young people to invest emotionally in their home. 7 of 9

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people say they feel safe living in the home and are able to identify who they would turn to if they had a concern or a complaint. They are also confident in the Registered Manager’s ability to address their concerns and take them forward.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Missing from care incidents have reduced in recent months. Young people who go missing are supported and helped by the home’s missing from care protocols and individual strategies. The action plans created to address missing from care episodes are very detailed and ensures all staff are clear about what is required. Members of staff work proactively and effectively with the police to promptly notify them of missing events. Staff also search for young people in the community and contact them on their mobile phones to encourage their safe return. These actions give young people a clear message that the staff team care about them and are concerned for their welfare when they do not return home at the agreed time.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people admitted have a robust pre-admission assessment to ensure their needs can be met alongside those young people already living in the home. They have introductory visits on a gradually increasing basis including overnight stays before they move in. As a result, young people are admitted safely, they know what to expect, and this increases the likelihood that their placement will be safe and sustainable.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The arrangements for the recruitment of new staff are safe and appropriate and clear records are maintained. The Registered Manager is able to give a detailed account of the steps taken to ensure new staff members are suitable to work with children. These safe arrangements provide assurance that those who care for the young people are appropriately qualified and sufficiently trained to meet the young people’s needs.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The environment is also physically safe for young people. Fire drills occur regularly and with increased frequency if there are new young people admitted to the home. The Registered Manager also organises the drills to take place at specific intervals to ensure all members of staff team are familiar with the evacuation process. This ensures both young people and staff know how to respond safely in the event of a fire.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are trained in safeguarding children and young people, which enhances their awareness about their safeguarding responsibilities. This protects young people’s significant vulnerabilities and effectively keeps them safe.

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Leadership and management good

8 of 9 The Registered Manager has been in post since registration of the home in May 2014. He has the necessary experience and qualifications to carry out the role. He has extensive experience working with young people in a residential setting. The Registered Manager has a strong and confident leadership style, with an obvious commitment to deliver a good standard of care to the young people.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager’s approach to creating a caring and protective environment is mirrored in the staff’s enthusiasm for their role. One member of staff said, ‘If you have any suggestions you’re listened to’. Team meetings provide regular structured opportunities to discuss information about the young people and their particular challenges. The Registered Manager keeps abreast of regulatory changes and developments in practice. The Registered Manager and senior management team utilise team meetings to share this information and consider ways to improve practice in line with new developments.

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Leadership and management good

The staff team feel supported in their formal supervision. These sessions happen regularly. The recording of these sessions is not consistent across supervisors who have not had sufficient training. The Registered Manager’s access to supervision is limited and irregular. These minor shortfalls require action. They have minimal impact on the wellbeing of the young people.

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Leadership and management good

Quality assurance, evaluation, and providing a better service to young people are priorities. Significant events relating to the protection of the young people are appropriately notified. The Registered Manager and senior management team also swiftly addresses the recommendations from independent monitoring visits and any suggestions for change form part of the team meeting agenda.

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Leadership and management good

The home has an informative Statement of Purpose that provides clear information about the services that young people can expect to receive. The children’s guide provides excellent information in a child-friendly format that is accessible to young people. The document informs young people about the complaints procedure and comprehensively describes the role of the regulator, Ofsted. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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