Children's Home run by Sunderland Care and Support Limited in Sunderland

Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 1 Registered provider: Sunderland Care and Support 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

This privately operated children’s home provides short breaks for up to eight children and/or young people who have physical and/or learning disabilities. The manager is suitably qualified and has been registered since October 2018.

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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: 27 November 2018

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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: 1183826 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2018 Full Good 10/10/2017 Full Good 23/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 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, 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 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; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) 06/10/2019

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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 -

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) 06/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to 06/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 4 use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person

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Requirement Due date

to do so ("the authorised person")— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii) and (e)) 06/10/2019

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Recommendations

 The importance of understanding who we are and where we come from is recognised in good social work practice, for example undertaking life story and other direct work. Staff in children’s homes should play a full role in work of this kind. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14) In particular, the staff team should take a consistent Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 5 approach to recording one-to-one sessions and linking them to each child and young person’s placement plan and risk assessment.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, when body maps are completed, ensure that the steps taken to understand the marks are made explicitly clear. There should also be an evaluation of the risks and any actions and outcomes.  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, ensure that a consistent approach is taken to sign and date written entries on documents demonstrating accountability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, spacious and nicely decorated. There are photographs of the children taking part in various experiences, which makes the home feel welcoming. This helps children to recognise that they are important and to develop a sense of belonging. Storyboards on display show children taking part in a range of educational and fun activities. They are learning through play and developing key skills. This helps to improve children’s confidence and self-esteem. The manager gives careful consideration when planning stays, so that children spend time with peers who have shared interests. This helps children to increase their social skills and to form relationships. For some, the friendships they have made are evidence of significant progress. Communication is a key strength of this service. Parents, carers and professionals gave consistent feedback that they are very well informed about the care children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Reports are produced after each child’s stay that include pictures and information about their visit. This enables children to share their experience with the people who are important to them. There is not a consistent approach to the setting of targets for children that link with their individual plans. This means that it is not always clear when or where progress is being made. Children do not always receive key-working sessions. Regular key-work sessions are important because they can be used to help children to understand the Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 6 progress they are making.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to be safe. Although bullying has not been a concern, this topic has been discussed with children in group sessions. This proactive approach helps children to understand how to share issues and worries. This means children are learning about keeping themselves safe. Risk assessments do not always accurately record the measures in place to keep children safe. This has not led to widespread failings, but it is an area in need of improvement so that children can become increasingly safe. The manager has introduced the use of body maps so that marks can be understood. However, this process does not include an evaluation of the risks. Without an evaluation, it is not clear how children are being helped and protected from their known vulnerabilities. Physical interventions are used only when in the best interests of children, to keep them and others safe. However, the recording system in place for these interventions does not

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improvement to be good

include all the information required. This means that the manager cannot evaluate the use of physical intervention effectively. This is a missed opportunity to learn from incidents and see how to further help and protect children.

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

The manager has faced a challenging time, merging two staff teams, but she has developed an action plan to drive improvements forward. Her staff say they feel supported, and they demonstrate that they share her vision. The care that the children receive has been the manager’s priority throughout this transition. This means that the impact upon the children has been minimal. There is no consistent approach to the management oversight of recording. This does not directly impact upon the children, but the development of systems to monitor and review would enable the manager to make continuous improvements and demonstrate accountability. When there have been safeguarding concerns, the manager has acted appropriately and followed procedures correctly. However, the manager has not always notified Ofsted; if the regulator is not notified, it cannot monitor the practice of safeguarding in the home. Inspectors found that when areas for improvement were brought to the manager’s

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

attention, she began immediately to put plans in place to address these shortfalls.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 7 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: 1183826 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunderland Care and Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Burdon Road, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR2 7DN

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Inspector(s)

Paula Kelly, social care inspector Jacqueline Tate, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183826 9 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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