Children's home run by Right-Trak Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report children’s home: SC465475 1 SC465475 Registered provider: Right-Trak Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC465475 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2018 Full Outstanding 12/07/2017 Full Outstanding 02/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/08/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC465475 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 complete a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months; and

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

Any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for the children.

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Requirement Due date

The quality of care review must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45(1)(2)(b)(c)(5)) 26/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b) and (c)) 26/09/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships between staff and children are very good. Staff show genuine warmth and affection toward the children. Children build trusting and meaningful relationships with staff. This helps children to develop the confidence they need to achieve their full potential. Staff create a therapeutic environment where children can flourish. Training, Inspection report children’s home: SC465475 4 support and supervision from an experienced clinical psychologist ensures well planned therapeutic care. One professional spoken to said, ‘I feel over the last year in particular young people’s attachments to staff have improved and as such their esteem has improved, as well as outcomes in education and socially.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

School attendance is good. Staff work hard to ensure that children regularly attend school. For one child this means that staff travel a significant distance from the home with the child to ensure that the child receives the support they need to attend school. When children are not in school or have reduced school provision, staff ensure that children have access to alternative education. This will help the children to gain the confidence they need to access full-time education placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to spend time in the community playing with friends or attending local activity clubs. This enables children to develop skills for independence as well as a sense of belonging. Additionally, the staff team plans trips and outings with the children. The experience of these trips is captured in photographs and memorabilia, which enables children to reflect on the experiences and evoke memories of when they have spent quality time with the adults who care for them.

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

Highly effective plans to address the behaviours of children help them to learn to self- manage their behaviour and mitigate the risk of harm. Children are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks, and these are well managed. For one child who enjoys playing out in the community, the purchase of a talking watch will enable him to spend time with his friends without the need for constant supervision which makes him feel different.

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

Practice in the home is underpinned by a therapeutic approach to behavioural issues. The manager and the staff team regularly consult with a psychologist to consider ways of responding to behaviour linked to attachment trauma and anxiety. Staff are skilled at being curious about why children are behaving in a particular way, and respond with support, not sanction. Such strategies support and develop children’s emotional well- being.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. The manager has high expectations of what steps her staff team should take if a child goes missing. Regular training ensures that staff understand the procedures to follow when a child goes missing, and when incidents occur these procedures are followed.

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

Children know how to complain. Allegations made against staff are dealt with swiftly and information is passed to the appropriate agencies. Staff have recently received safeguarding training from the designated officer. This ensures that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC465475 5 The manager is passionate and inspirational. She is highly motivated to improve outcomes for children. She leads a staff team which shares her high aspirations for children. The manager and staff consistently challenge and advocate for services that support children. This ensures that children are having their needs met effectively. Staff escalate concerns in a professional and assertive manner, when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is supported weekly by a psychologist and two trainee psychologists who provide case consultation, group supervision and training. This support enables staff to feel more confident around meeting the needs of individual children effectively. However, staff, including the manager, are not always receiving supervision and annual appraisal of their performance in line with regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and their staff team. However, this is not recorded in monitoring and review systems to ensure that improvements in the quality of care provided by the home are continuous.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Transitional arrangements for children moving into the home and moving out of the home are excellent. The manager undertakes thorough assessments of the impact of admissions to the home, taking into account the views of professionals, previous carers and children. Children already living in the home had sent welcoming messages to a child moving in. This ensures that children feel supported and are welcomed into 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: SC465475 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Winovation, Houghtons Yard, Shields Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE6 2YP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Melanie Spriddell

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Inspector

Mark Proffitt, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC465475 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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Inspector

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