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

Inspection report children's home: SC477031 1 SC477031 Registered provider: Spark of Genius North East LLP

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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: Declined in effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager has driven a change in the culture of the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The records are clear and show the involvement of young people in their plans. Inspection report children's home: SC477031 2  Young people are happy, relaxed and achieving.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There are strong levels of commitment from all staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 Develop positive relationships with the local police.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Ensure the manager’s own supervision is fit for purpose.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC477031 3

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Recommendations

 Beyond local authorities, there are other people, bodies and organisations that have responsibilities towards children in children’s homes. Many of these are referenced specifically in the Regulations and Guide. They might include health and education services, Local Safeguarding Children Boards, leaving care services, IROs, voluntary agencies, the police and youth offending teams. This list is not exhaustive. The important thing is that homes take the initiative in identifying others who must play a part for their children and engage with the relevant people proactively, advocating for the children in their care. In particular, develop a positive relationship with the police. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.7)

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Recommendations

 Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home, so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. In particular, add safeguarding as a standard item to staff meetings. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are settled and relaxed. They have caring, trusting relationships with the adults in the home and are achieving in all areas of their lives. A young person said: ‘The staff are great, we are like a family.’ The group of staff and young people have overall remained the same and this has contributed to the sense of stability felt by young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have developed ownership of their plans and can all talk about what Inspection report children's home: SC477031 4 they want to achieve in the future. There are weekly individual sessions held with each young person where they are able to reflect on past experiences and learn to address their own behaviours. This enables them to develop resilience, equipping them to address emotional issues in the future. A social worker said: ‘[Name] can now self- regulate.’ Their journey is mapped out in their action plans, which they actively contribute to and contain targets to work towards. They are also creating individualised memory books that detail their life stories to date. The visual result gives confidence and raises self-esteem in a safe and secure atmosphere. A parent said: ‘[Name] is progressing well, they try to help her and encourage her, they are doing everything they can do for her and she now knows this and recognises it.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is seen as important by the young people and the staff team. Most young people are in school, college or on apprenticeships and attendance is high. One young person is out of school. The staff have acted quickly in challenging authorities to address this issue. This has proved to be effective and this young person now has a start date for a new school in the near future. All young people are achieving their expected grades, which is rewarded as part of the overall proactive approach to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are healthy, eat well and attend routine or specific appointments either alone, where this is age appropriate, or with staff. There is a large amount of easily accessible information available in one of the communal rooms to help young people understand the benefits of good health choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained, comfortable and welcoming. The programme of refurbishment which was jointly undertaken between young people and staff is now complete. The cinema room is a lovely addition with its mood lighting, popcorn and reclining chairs. The young people continue to be consulted on a regular basis about their care prior to their reviews and in the key-worker sessions. In addition, the staff team records responses following events or activities to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the young people. The impact is that young people feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff understand the importance of contact with family and friends for young people. They promote and support contact well, either via transport or supervising the contact. Friends, family and professionals are welcomed in the home and on activities where appropriate. A social worker said: ‘The atmosphere in the house is very relaxed and I am always welcomed.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the staff and young people recently put on an event in the local area and invited neighbours, family, friends and professionals to join them in a Mad Hatter’s tea party. Young people and staff dressed up and cooked all of the food to be reminiscent of the story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The event proved a big success and is remembered through a file of photographs and comments from those who attended. An attendee commented: ‘Young people were well mannered and helpful throughout the day – it was a pleasure to be in their company.’ Inspection report children's home: SC477031 5

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

The young people are safe in the home and have developed positive strategies that enable them to keep safe in the community. Risk assessments clearly identify risk indicators and triggers as well as strategies for mitigating against the risk. Such assessments and care plans are updated regularly by staff, monitored by the management team and shared with other professionals.

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

Boundaries and expectations regarding the behaviour of young people are clear. Behaviour is well managed in the home and is balanced with open, physical demonstrations of love, such as hugs and lots of laughter. Where behaviour needs to be addressed, the use of a restorative approach continues to develop while the use of physical intervention and sanctions is reducing. A young person said: ‘The rules are good and you can ask to stretch them if you have something special on.’ This contributes to the feeling of trust, well-being and security of young people.

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

Episodes of absence or missing are reducing in frequency. Where they do still occur they are often in reality late returns. Staff have a clear process to follow, which involves making welfare calls to the mobile phones of young people, and they will go out and actively search known areas. This contributes to young people feeling cared for and safe.

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

The young people are aware of how to complain and can each identify a trusted adult in the home. There have been three complaints made by young people, all of which were investigated thoroughly. The relevant young people were informed of the outcome and their satisfaction was noted or advice was given about the next stage of the process.

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

Staff and the manager have positive relationships with other professionals who offer additional support to young people. A social worker said: ‘The staff are very proactive and follow plans, they keep me regularly updated.’ Relationships with the police need to be addressed as their involvement is limited to times of need, such as when young people are involved in incidents or are missing. As such occurrences are diminishing in frequency, a more proactive relationship needs to be developed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has been in post for nine months and is due to complete her level 5 qualification within three months. She has significant experience of working with children in residential care and is supported by a deputy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has shown strong leadership, which has made the largest improvement to the home and has a huge impact in the relatively short period of time she has been registered. She has taken ownership of the home and changed the culture of the team while managing to enable staff to share her passion and commitment to young people. A social worker, in discussing the manager’s influence, commented: ‘I think Sheila’s impact has been very impressive. They are going from strength to strength.’ Inspection report children's home: SC477031 6 The manager is clear about the home’s strengths. She is also aware of the areas that need development and has a plan of how to achieve these. She has used research to good effect in developing practice in the home and enabling staff to improve their individual effectiveness with young people. A social worker described the manager as a ‘calm and assured leader’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring of practice, systems and records is robust, helped by the addition of a competent deputy. This has enabled the manager to step back from day-to-day practice and undertake relevant development with the staff team. The result is that the changes in the home recognised by all young people and their families are not just attributed to the manager, but to the whole team. A young person said: ‘I wouldn’t change anything, it’s great here, much better than it was before.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The young people’s case files are excellent. It is evident that the manager has given direction and clear expectations to the staff, who have responded positively and creatively. The files are thorough, accurate and up to date. They create a very interactive record of what is happening in the young people’s lives and their ‘voice’ is evident throughout.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are robustly recruited and records of recruitment are complete. Induction is comprehensive and uses a variety of methods to check out the understanding of staff before the plan is signed off by the manager. Training for staff is ongoing, and is recorded via a matrix and in the workforce development plan. Records demonstrate that where practice falls short of expectations, this is addressed quickly and efficiently. However, the required description in the workforce development plan of actions that will be taken in the event of poor performance by a member of staff needs expanding. This will ensure that management practice is open and transparent in such circumstances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision of the staff team is shared between the manager and deputy. Records show that these take place regularly and address practice as well as the needs of young people. There is the opportunity for reflection and learning on each occasion; this is underpinned by a yearly appraisal that identifies targets for the following year. The manager’s own supervision, while regular, is not as in-depth or reflective as that given to staff and this needs to be addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home continues to achieve its aims and objectives as set out in the statement of purpose.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 Inspection report children's home: SC477031 7 children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children's home: SC477031 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Spark Of Genius North East LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: King Edwin School, Mill Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland TS20 1LG

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Inspector(s)

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor: social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC477031 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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