Children's home run by Impact Childcare and Education

Inspection report children’s home: 2519081 1 Registered provider: Interactive Development Residential 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 operated by an independent provider. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and/or young people, who are aged between 11 and 17 years old on admission and who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 16 to 17 September 2019

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2519081 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are settled and relaxed. As a result, they quickly develop trusting and respectful relationships with the adults in the home. This has helped children to progress in a supportive environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The accommodation itself is of the highest standard. The children are supported to see this as their home and helped to personalise their bedrooms. They have access to ample space for privacy, individual meetings and play.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are supported to discuss their emotional health and well-being in regular informal conversations with staff. Staff take time to ensure that children are provided with guidance and advice on a range of topics linked to individual need and development. Education is seen as important by children and staff. However, not all children are attending regularly. The staff are taking steps to address this issue with education professionals and respective social workers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children were admitted to the home during the summer period. They chose and have enjoyed a range of seasonal activities. For example, a hot tub was hired which was thoroughly enjoyed, as seen in photos in the monthly reports to social workers. Two of the children also enjoyed a star-gazing experience with staff, and a short-break holiday is planned for later in the autumn. This enhances relationships with adults caring for them and the children’s involvement in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are developing self-care skills linked to their independence. Mealtimes are positive times when everyone can get together and catch up. A child’s social worker said, ‘The home itself is immaculate and [name of child] loves living there. She is very happy, settled and has a good relationship with the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide good support in maintaining important family relationships and friendships for children. Some children live a large distance from their family home and staff facilitate transport to and from their home area. This promotes children’s identity, individuality and maintains their participation in their local community.

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

The staff welcome children into the home and take time to get to know them. Staff follow well-written risk assessments and behaviour support plans. This gives a thorough and comprehensive approach to risk management which supports children’s safe care.

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

The staff have a good understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities, anxieties and risky behaviours. Children feel safe and develop trusting relationships with staff. This provides them with security and supports their well-being in a homely environment.

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

The staff ensure that when children go missing from the home they actively search for Inspection report children’s home: 2519081 3 them and contact known friends, family and associates. However, when children return they are not always provided with the opportunity to speak with a named independent person. This minimises the potential to reduce future risk and inform strategies to protect them.

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

The staff work with parents, families, carers and a range of professionals to manage risk and to understand children’s behaviour. Communication is proactive and respectful, ensuring that information shared helps to keep children safe. Children have shown a marked improvement in their social presentation since coming to the home. They are growing in confidence and developing attachments to staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since the home opened earlier this year. She is appropriately qualified and is supported by a deputy manager. She is passionate and enthusiastic about improving outcomes for children in her care. She is an active member of the team and is both visible to the staff and children. Relationships between staff and children are respectful and positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s and staff team’s morale is high. The manager’s passion and commitment are shared by a competent and effective staff group. The staff receive monthly supervision. The agenda offers lots of opportunity for reflection on practice and personal development. The children, as a result, receive good-quality care from an attentive staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager conducts regular audits of children’s care records. Any gaps are raised with respective key-workers. In response, she escalates concerns to social care professionals, ensuring that children’s care plans are up to date. This maintains good care planning and standards of practice. The children’s social workers who were contacted during the inspection commented on positive communication demonstrated by the manager and her team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children are encouraged by the manager and staff to engage in the running of the home, for example by planning meals and activities. A suggestions box has been put in the main lobby area so that children are able to put forward their ideas. Additionally, regular children’s meetings and one-to-one conversations with key-workers provide a range of opportunities to enable all children to be able to express their views. This supports the voice of the child in the planning of their care experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training provided to staff is appropriate to the needs of the children. The manager is keen to develop the competence and confidence of her team. The introduction of the role of champions, for example, among the staff, is intended to look at individual areas of practice and research that enhance children’s experience during their time at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2519081 4

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  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

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Recommendations

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)

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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: 2519081 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Interactive Development Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address : 3–5 Brenkley Way, Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear NE13 6DS

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Inspector

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2519081 6 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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