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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the full inspection this home was judged as requiring improvement across all areas. There were four requirements and four recommendations. All requirements and recommendations have been fully met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a significant change in the way this home has been managed since the last inspection. A new manager has addressed the difficulties the home has faced in the past and has successfully managed to improve the lives of the young people who live at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One of the most significant changes is in the confidence of the staff. Through a challenging but nurturing process the new manager has developed the staff team’s confidence and ability to work closely with the young people. They no longer rely on management to make decisions and feel they can deal with the here and now. This has resulted in a more consistent and effective response to young people. They have responded by running away less frequently and behaving better in and outside of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The work the manager and staff team have done inside the home has made it feel more homely and secure. Young people are spending more time with staff and developing trusting relationships with them. Some young people have been able to work with staff to try and understand the impact of their previous experiences. This is a strong indicator of the trust the young people have with the team.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements in recording and communication have also had an impact on the way the young people are looked after. Personalised plans are in place, including thorough risk assessments which allow staff to work confidently and consistently with the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has faced some complaints from the local community. These have been responded to and the young people and staff team are starting to build more positive relationships with the community. A recent email from a member of the community thanked the staff team for their communications and remarked on the improvements in the home. The manager is strong and compassionate. She is focusing on ensuring the young people who live at the home have all the opportunities they can to ensure they can live safely and independently. She was also proud of the progress young people had made and that she and her team had managed to change the views of those professionals who thought they could not improve.

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Information about this children's home

This children's home provides care and accommodation for children and young people with behaviour and emotional difficulties. It is registered for up to 5 young people. It is provided by a private provider.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. In particular, the monitoring should involve more evaluation and scrutiny rather than description. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 64 paragraph 15.2)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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