Children's home run by Invested Childcare Ltd

Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 1 Registered provider: Invested Childcare Limited

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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 run by a private organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to three children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager currently in post.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: 30 October 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In the period since the previous inspection, there have been a number of changes at the home. The registered manager has left their post. A new manager has been appointed and is in the process of applying to be registered. Three members of staff have left, and three new members of staff have started. The responsible individual has worked hard in the home to ensure that the changes have not had an impact on the care of the children and young people. Relationships between all the children and young people and the staff have been good throughout.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The progress and experience of the children and young people at the home has been mixed. One young person has continued to make very good progress throughout this period. Two children have left the home, after staff were unable to meet their needs. Two other children and young people have been admitted to the home and have made good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people currently living in the home are settled and are doing well with their education and training. One young person has made excellent progress at school from a very low starting point. One other young person has been supported to participate in various training and work experience placements and has very positive plans in place for this to continue. One child has started to engage very well in education after having difficulties prior to moving to this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been some excellent individualised work carried out with all the children and young people and this addresses the relevant issues identified in their care plans. This has been particularly good around supporting the children and young people to develop independence skills. The staff have also brought in specialist external workers, as required, to meet identified needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people play a big part in the day-to-day running of the home. They are regularly consulted and make lots of choices about what they do. They are fully involved in their care planning and are encouraged to take part in activities, trips and holidays. Two young people are planning a foreign holiday with staff and one young person is looking forward to taking driving lessons.

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improvement to be good

One of the children who moved on from the home did so because of safeguarding concerns. Although the move was not planned, it was necessary and the registered manager‟s decision about this move was appropriate.

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improvement to be good

The staff have dealt with other less serious safeguarding issues well and have reported these appropriately when required. This has included one concern about a young person putting themselves at risk of child sexual exploitation. There have been some incidents Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 3 where children and young people have annoyed or upset each other and have bickered. The staff deal with these situations well and have prevented any bullying from developing. There have been no missing-from-home incidents in the period since the previous inspection.

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improvement to be good

There have been some lapses in leadership and management which have caused some safeguarding concerns. The administration and recording of medication given to children and young people have been poor at times. This has resulted in incomplete records which are unsafe. No harm has come to any child or young person because of this, but the situation requires attention and a requirement has been made to tighten up care practices.

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improvement to be good

The staff have used a few physical interventions and sanctions, but these have been minimal and have been appropriate. The manager has dealt appropriately with one allegation, which was made against a member of staff, and there was no need for further action to be taken. There have been no complaints made by any of the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been some shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. Some of these occurred prior to the registered manager leaving, and some since. The home has been registered for less than a year. The leaders and managers have been keen to get the home running at full capacity and have rushed into this, making some errors and omissions in the process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The location risk assessment does not include a clear assessment of a nearby main road and therefore does not give any guidance on how this will be mitigated against, to keep children safe. Some staff have not carried out safeguarding refresher training and have not discussed safeguarding in their formal supervision sessions. A recommendation has been made to improve the opportunities for staff to learn about and discuss safeguarding issues and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current management team has yet to complete work that has been started. For example, some practical refurbishment tasks have not been completed. A new recording system has not been fully embedded into practice. Most importantly, insufficient time was taken to fully consider some of the admissions to the home and this resulted in two children being moved on in unplanned ways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The organisation has now employed a psychologist to support and advise the staff, and this is a good addition to the staff team. A previous requirement to recruit staff safely has been met and the staff team is now complete. There is a good deal of experience and skill within the team, and its members remain positive and enthusiastic to offer a high-quality service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The leaders and managers have formed some good professional relationships with external workers and services and there has been some good joint work. Of particular Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 4 note is the way the staff have worked with education and training providers to ensure a good service for the older young people at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A new manager has been in post since the beginning of April 2019 and has quickly understood what is needed to improve the service that the home offers. This is a positive development, as well.

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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 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; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (a)(b)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, finish the conservatory refurbishment and make other repairs to the building as necessary; finish the perimeter fence and tidy the grounds; and repair the office fire door. 31/05/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular ensure that all medication records are fully completed, signed and dated and ensure that records are clear about why non-prescribed medication is administered. 30/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 5 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure placement are ended positively in the way described in the statement of purpose. 31/05/2019

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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; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff and managers have sufficient information about the child prior to an admission decision and to ensure managers and staff have sufficient skill to meet the needs of children admitted. 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a) and (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff have adequate safeguarding training and that all staff have regular and in-depth supervision. Also, to ensure that induction records are fully completed. 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; 31/05/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 6 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, identify risks associated with the nearby main road and ensure that appropriate controls are put in place to address these risks. 31/05/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home‟s workforce plan. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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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: 1276421 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invested Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Acklam Hall, Middlesbrough TS5 7DY

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Inspector(s)

Colin Imrie, social care inspector Mark Proffitt, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1276421 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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