Children's home run by Roseberry Specialist Care Centres Ltd in Sunderland

SC430002 Registered provider: Roseberry Specialist Care Centres Ltd

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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 is registered to accommodate up to six children who have learning and/or physical disabilities. It is owned and operated by an independent provider.

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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 Good

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Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Good

Date of last inspection: 27 October 2016

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 A development plan is now in place. There are clear plans in place for staffing, and improvements to the home. As a result of this, significant and necessary change has been achieved to improve better outcomes for young people.  The new manager is aspirational for all young people to be safe, happy and to achieve to their best ability.  Young people attend full-time education. They make good progress and achieve 100% attendance.  A stable permanent staff team provides young people with continuity of care.  Robust risk assessments and care plans that are regularly reviewed are now in place and promote consistent care.  Significant improvements have been made to the physical appearance of the home, and young people benefit from a warm and welcoming environment.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/10/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 03/12/2015 Full Good 23/07/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

 The home should work in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Sufficient staff means a home having enough suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all

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Recommendations

children in the home, and that those staff are able to respond to emergency placements, where accepted. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Substantial improvements to permanent staffing since the last inspection show that outcomes for young people have significantly progressed. The newly appointed manager is child focused and has driven change in all areas. Because of this, young people now have a stable and permanent staff team providing good-quality, consistent care. Young people enjoy living in a spacious detached house located on the edge of a rural village. Extensive changes to the property mean it is now decorated to a high standard. Young people benefit from large bedrooms that are individualised in line with the young people’s personal preference. Young people choose the décor themselves and are actively involved in plans for the home. This gives young people a sense of belonging. Photographs of the young people’s activities and pursuits adorn the walls. Young people have an ‘achievement tree’ in their dining room, where they can collect leaves detailing

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

their positive successes. All young people attend an education provision suitable to their needs. Collaborative working ensure young people maintain their placements and receive good-quality experiences at school. Regular meetings review young people’s education plans, ensuring that their progress is measured. Staff advocate well for the young people and encourage them to achieve. As a result, young people are developing some independence skills for their future. Improved care planning documents ensure that young people’s diverse needs are met. A new ‘This is me’ file supports official paperwork, enabling young people to understand their care plans and risks. Young people have a better knowledge and insight into their plans for the future. It also ensures that staff have a clear awareness of the changing needs of young people. Young people develop good relationships with their key workers. Further development

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

work with the staff team means that key-worker sessions become dynamic and are based on ability and understanding. Improved recording of interactions ensures that accurate information is documented. Consequently, young people benefit from consistent care and boundaries. Young people have differing levels of communication and comprehension and would benefit further from a larger variety of consultation tools. The limited use of communication tools means that not all young people are consulted according to their needs. The home forges good connections with family members. This allows young people to maintain strong bonds and improve relationships. Where necessary, the sensitive supervision of contact arrangements allows all concerned to enjoy themselves. Staff make clear efforts to restore trust with families following a period of instability in the staff team. A parent said, ‘There was a high staff turnover and this really worried me.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The use of agency staff, different faces all the time, this really unsettled [name]. However, things are much better now. I feel comfortable talking about my worries and they always have time to listen to me.’ Young people feel settled, having lived at the home for a considerable period. One young person has successfully moved on to adult provision. Strong advocacy on his behalf ensured a smooth transition into the right placement in line with his needs. A professional said, ‘Since the new manager came in, there has been a marked difference in transitions work. They fight hard to get the best outcomes.’

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

A generic locality risk assessment is in place. The home would benefit from a more specific assessment related to the current young people and their individual risks. This would ensure that risk assessments for young people remain current and under constant review. Skilled and well-trained staff ensure that the approach to challenging behaviour is consistent. Good practice in de-escalation techniques means that physical intervention is kept to a minimum and only used when necessary. Consequently, young people are kept safe and protected. Comprehensive and individualised risk assessments highlight the potential risk to young people while allowing them the opportunity to enjoy activities and pastimes. This level of flexibility has led to a significant reduction in young people going missing, with only one incident in this inspection period. Effective management of the situation by staff meant that the young person was located within an hour and safely returned home.

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

Consistent use of restorative practice empowers young people to develop better strategies to manage behaviour and self-regulate. In addition, they thoroughly enjoy rewards for positive behaviours. One young person said, ‘I really like the tree (achievement tree) in the dining room. I like to collect leaves to show how well I’m doing.’ There have been no complaints in this inspection period. The clear and detailed complaints procedure means that any information about complaints is readily available and visible in the home for young people. Access to independent advocates is available and young people are supported by staff to voice their views and concerns. A young person said, ‘I like it here. Staff are really nice, caring and support me. I can have fun with them and I feel safe. They [staff] take care of me. I tell them if I’m upset or worried.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspirational manager is motivated for all the young people in his care to achieve the best they can in life. He is experienced in residential care and holds previous registered manager status at another home. Since his appointment in January 2017, the manager has significantly improved the home and outcomes for young people. The manager holds leadership and management award NVQ level 4. His registration is in progress. A professional said, ‘I’ve seen massive changes since the new manager came into post. Staff now make excellent challenges when services are not forthcoming and are strong advocates. Young people’s views are promoted and listened to.’ The requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection have been met. This demonstrates the home’s capacity to improve quickly and promote the safety and well-being of young people. Since his appointment, the new manager has developed a systematic and thorough

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

recruitment process and has established a permanent staff team. Young people receive consistent care from a stable staff team that is no longer reliant on agency staff. The manager is supportive of the staff’s need for ongoing training to enhance their existing skills and knowledge. Continuation of team building has significantly boosted staff morale, leading to a marked improvement to the quality of care young people receive. A member of staff said, ‘Since the new manager has been in post, there have been massive changes. It is so much more positive now. Young people are thriving.’ Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision. This enables them to continually reflect on their practice. They feel well supported by their manager. Good, daily shift handovers and regular team meetings enhance this. Staff are committed and resolute to provide good care for young people. They work in an environment where good practice is

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

promoted and young people are at the core of everything they do. As a result, young people benefit from a stable placement. Close partnership working with generic and specialist agencies ensures that young people receive consistent and safe care. Bespoke and specialist training is accessed quickly where needed in order to meet the changing needs of young people. This means young people’s individual health needs are met and staff are proficient at providing treatment safely. Robust external monitoring systems ensure that young people remain safe and protected. The manager uses these systems to effectively appraise the care provided and achieve continuous advancement. The manager’s purposeful internal and systematic audit processes are detailed and evaluative. This further adds to the enhancement of better outcomes for young people. A detailed and researched development plan is in place, which the manager reviews regularly in consultation with the staff team, with a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

view to achieving ongoing improvements for the young people.

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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 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Roseberry Specialist Care Centres Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Roseberry Specialist Care Centres, 1st Floor Valley View Care Centre, Back Lane, Penshaw, Houghton Le Spring DH4 7ER

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Inspector

Abby Maspero, social care inspector 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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