Children's home run by North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC in Northumberland

Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 1 SC488112 Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services Cic

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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 offers care and accommodation for children and young people who have been subject to childhood trauma, which has led to them experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. The children and young people are aged between seven and 14 years old. A private provider operates this home. The manager has been registered since 13 February 2015.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2018 Full Good 06/02/2018 Full Good 10/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children continue to make progress from their starting points in different areas of their development. Children moving into the home settle quickly and adapt to their new surroundings. This is due to the highly dedicated staff team that provides good, consistent and nurturing care. Staff have a good understanding of child development and attachment theory. Their insight and approach to reparenting children in line with specialist advice allows children to regress safely before making progress emotionally and developmentally. Staff place a great deal of importance on preparing home-cooked food and eating with children at mealtimes. They read to children at bedtime, which helps children build secure relationships with the adults in the home, who know them very well and are finely attuned to their needs. Staff promote and instil the importance of education. Children enjoy going to school and benefit from their excellent attendance. Their learning continues at home as children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

have access to many toys, books, games and activities. Staff also offer children opportunities to engage with hobbies and interests. This includes attending the local Boys’ Brigade and playing for a football team. Physical exercise is promoted, and this helps with children’s health and social development. Planning related to moving children into or on from the home is comprehensive and child-centred. Some children and young people have moved to the provider’s sister home. This offers a well-planned transition and the maintenance of important relationships and links in the community.

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

The high staffing levels provide the children with the supervision needed to keep them safe. Children do not go missing from home, they are not engaging in criminal activities and do not have any substance misuse issues. There is no evidence of them being at risk of exploitation. Risk assessments are clear and informative, with expectations and preventative actions. The children take part in developing their safety tool assessment. Staff use this child- friendly plan to educate children about the potential dangers and risks. Staff speak to children about their safety and regularly discuss strategies for how they can keep themselves safe. However, children’s care plans are lengthy and difficult for children to follow, making it hard for children to become involved in their planning and target- setting. The staff work closely with consultant psychotherapists, and meet with them regularly. This provides a forum for reflective discussions about the children. These meetings help

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

staff understand how children’s experiences of neglect and trauma affect their emotional responses and behaviour. Children’s positive behaviour, however small, is recognised and rewarded. Staff help Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 4 children manage their frustrations and emotions. The resilient staff team is united in its response so that children receive a consistent message about any negative behaviours. The children benefit from clear and strong boundaries and routines. Children are held in line with their behaviour management plans, and staff follow the guidance to keep them and others safe. The staff team is open and transparent and even low-level holds lasting for a few seconds are recorded. The manager reviews and monitors any physical intervention incidents. Staff meet to discuss their responses, which helps to identify triggers and patterns of behaviour. The staff team’s strategies and

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

approaches can be modified as children begin to learn how to regulate their emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced manager provides effective leadership to the close-knit staff team. Since the last inspection, he has made positive changes to the recording and monitoring systems and has met the requirement and recommendations made. The statement of purpose is now up to date, but further clarity about emergency admissions is still needed. The manager knows the children in his care very well. He maintains a thorough oversight of their behaviour, needs and progress. There is a strong focus on monitoring the quality of care and outcomes for children. However, some of the placing authority’s documentation was out of date for a newly admitted child who was placed in an emergency. New staff benefit from an improved induction programme which supports staff to gain the necessary skills to work safely and confidently with the children. Regular supervision, training and support empower the staff’s personal and professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new supervision format encourages a more reflective session for staff. Regular team meetings that include in-house training help make sure that there is a consistent team approach. The reflective space meetings also promote transparent practice and honesty within the staff team. Good leadership from the responsible individual provides further reliable scrutiny, together with the visits from the monthly independent visitor. The manager welcomes their opinions and input to make continuous improvements to the running of the home. He has a clear vision for the future. Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 5

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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 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that 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; that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)) This is specifically in respect of ensuring that children have an up-to-date care plan and placement plan from the placing authority. Also, develop a checklist of required documents from the placing authority when children are placed at the home. 12/07/2019

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Recommendations

 The information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. Emergency admissions should not be taken unless the home’s statement of purpose and its capacity and support systems mean that it has the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high quality care to children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6) In particular, include more information about emergency admissions in the statement of purpose.  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 6 reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19) Specifically, make care planning documents more child-friendly, especially given the age of the children living at the home.

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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: SC488112 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services Cic

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 34 Westbourne Road, Hartlepool TS25 5RE

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC488112 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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