Children's home run by Together For Children Sunderland

Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 1 Registered provider: Together For Children Sunderland Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a limited company.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2018

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The experiences of young people in this home since the last inspection have been mixed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people have left the home and another has joined the group, with an additional young person joining in the near future. The transitions to and from the home have not always been positive, or planned in a way that ensures that the young people settle quickly into new routines. Improvement in a range of areas can be seen for some of the young people, but this has not been consistent across the group.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Education attendance has declined for all but one young person and academic progress against set grades could not be seen for any of the young people, as this information was not sufficiently detailed or known.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people are happy living at the home. However, their level of safety in the community is not clear. Risk assessments do not contain information that is recorded in documents supplied by social workers at the point of admission that would indicate a Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 2 level of risk. Therefore, there is no guidance for the staff about how to minimise or reduce the risks to the young people. The home’s care plans do not link to the information from the placement plans, and practice in the home, as detailed in the records, is reactive and not proactive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

As seen at the last inspection, staffing issues, due to long-term absence, continue. While the numbers of staff are adequate, a significant number are temporary. Although they are known to the young people, their role, in the main, appears to be to meet the physical needs of young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management oversight and monitoring continues to be lacking in effectiveness. This is in relation to the quality of the service provided to the young people, as the concerns picked up during this inspection were known, but had not been addressed by managers.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2018 Full Good 22/11/2017 Full Inadequate

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

* The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and help each child to understand and manage the impact of any 17/06/2018 Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 3 experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6(2)(b)(iv)(v)) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

registered person to ensure— that staff understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8(2)(iii)) 17/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; and an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans; and understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(ix)) 17/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(vi)) 17/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 17/06/2018 Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 4 registered person to— understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)) 17/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)) 17/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 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. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to

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Recommendations

understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 5 distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 differences 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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

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’. Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Together For Children Sunderland Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 102, Sunderland SR2 7DN

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Inspector

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, social care inspector Interim inspection report children's home: 1254837 7 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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