Children's home run by ARRONBETH LTD

Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 1 SC000802 Registered provider: Arronbeth Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to four children or young people who have emotional and/or 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 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: 21 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 3

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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, 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 registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 12 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that private and confidential information about the children and young people, including their full names, are not recorded in generic documentation such as the home’s daily logbook. 06/07/2018

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Recommendations

 Some records may be kept electronically (Regulation 38), provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) In particular, transfer of records to electronic formats should be carried out in a timely manner to avoid any unnecessary impact upon case records

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) In particular, when return home interviews have not taken place, there should be a record of actions taken by the staff to request one. Records should explicitly refer to why interviews have not been undertaken. Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people, when discussing the home, say that it feels homely and that it is a nice place to live. The young people say that they feel supported by the adults around them. One young person commented, ‘They are fighting to get me back into mainstream school.’ Another said, ‘Just by sitting down and talking with me helps me sort my thoughts out.’ Some young people are making progress since their admission.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently been decorated and new furnishings have been purchased. Young people make good use of communal living areas and they like spending time with the staff and each other. One young person lives in an annexe, as he is learning to live independently, but has access to the main home. He has opportunities to integrate with staff and other young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are well supported to develop independence skills. Key-worker sessions have explored a range of subjects, including safeguarding, and understanding emotions and feelings, as well as radicalisation for one young person. Key-worker sessions are supported by individual placement plans. It is, however, difficult to follow which pieces of work have been completed and which are ongoing. A system to track key-worker sessions would strengthen practice in this area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is starting to think more creatively about how it can ensure that house meetings take place to consider the young people’s views. Consideration of the views of young people is likely to enhance the quality of care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have opportunities on a day-to-day basis to engage in fun activities. The staff team demonstrates a very good understanding of each of the young people’s likes, and together they design structured, well-planned activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people do not attend school, steps are taken to address this. One young person is currently being supported to reintegrate back into mainstream school. An alternative educational placement is in place. For another young person, attendance at further education is sporadic. Strategies are in place to encourage and engage that young person. The manager has consulted a clinical psychologist to look at alternative ways to understand the young person’s underlying behaviours and better support him to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been changes to the staff team. New members of staff have brought a high level of motivation and enthusiasm. This has had a positive impact for the young people. Relationships have developed quickly. One young person requested that a new worker be her key worker, and this was acted upon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some generic documentation, such as the home’s daily logbook, includes young people’s details, including their full names. This does not protect young people’s privacy. The manager should ensure that generic recordings anonymise young people to protect their Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 5 privacy.

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

Staff help young people to understand risk and how to stay safe. They understand the need for young people to develop the skills that will assist them to manage their behaviours and regulate their responses.

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

Young people report that they feel safe and have a trusting adult that they can confide in. Risk assessments are in place to ensure that young people are kept safe inside and outside the home. Some strategies to manage risk are responsive and could be strengthened by identifying more proactive ways to manage risk.

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

Collaborative working with a range of professionals demonstrates that the staff team understands the importance of following ‘Working Together’ protocols. One professional commented, ‘If it wasn’t for the staff we would have lost [name]. I thought we were going to have to look for a placement out of area to safeguard [name]. Thankfully this placement has prevented that happening.’

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

Missing episodes are not a current concern for young people living in the home. One young person has a history of being missing and at risk of exploitation. This has not been an issue since admission to the home. When young people have gone missing from the home, staff are proactive in their responses and follow relevant protocols. Some records do not indicate that return home interviews have taken place. Providing young people with an opportunity to speak with an independent visitor would allow the home to take account of information provided by such interviews. Risk assessments can then be updated to ensure that appropriate strategies are in place to mitigate risk of harm.

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

There have been no physical interventions to manage behaviours. Bullying has not been an issue in this home and young people settle quickly.

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

The home has a good safeguarding culture. Safeguarding is discussed as a stand-alone agenda item within team meetings and individual supervisions for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and appropriately qualified for the post held. He is supported in his role by a staff team which has various skills and experience. The manager can recognise strengths within the team and areas that require further development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been issues around the inequality of practice in the home. The manager volunteered this information to assure the inspector that appropriate plans are in place to manage this. There is no indication that this is having any adverse impact on the young people at his time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new electronic system is currently being introduced. It is in the early stages of being Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 6 developed. To ensure that there is minimal disruption for the transferring of records to electronic formats, it should be done in a timely manner to avoid any unnecessary impact upon case recordings. Additionally, there is not yet a system in place that will allow young people to access their electronic records should they wish to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager commented on the improvements in the home being supported by regular Regulation 44 reports that challenge practice. The manager states, ‘We are getting better at evidencing the work that they do.’ The quality of supervision records is good. They are regular and well recorded. Equally, key-worker sessions are recorded and reflect the direct work undertaken with young people to help them make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has demonstrated commitment to care for the young people, even when they have been difficult to engage and are making limited progress. He has drawn on the advice and support of other services and specialist services. He states that he wishes to exhaust every option to ensure that all the young people are given every opportunity to have stability and make good progress.

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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

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: SC000802 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington, County Durham DL2 2DA

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Inspector

Jacqueline Tate, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC000802 8 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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