Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes North East Limited in Gateshead

Inspection report children’s home: 1232649 1 Registered provider: Artemis Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The suitably qualified and experienced manager registered with Ofsted in 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 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 outstanding

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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: 18 September 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: 1232649 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Full Good 22/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1232649 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are happy in this home. Many live in the home for a long time and make progress in all areas of their development. When they leave, they often keep in touch with their former carers. Children and young people view this home as their home, and gain stability and security from living there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people develop strong relationships with members of staff. This is a real strength of this home, and underpins the care that staff provide. Children and young people trust their carers and respond well to them. They feel valued by staff members, which helps them to settle in the home and feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children and young people attend school, college or work-based placements. If they are not in full-time education, members of staff work with professionals to find the right school or college. Because of this approach, children and young people benefit from improved learning and from good daily routines. For some, this is evidence of significant progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are physically healthy. They attend routine and urgent appointments. The home’s psychologist educates members of staff on the emotional health needs of children and young people. As a result, the overall well-being of children and young people improves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people live in a clean, warm home. It is decorated and furnished to a high standard, according to their wishes. Members of staff lock the kitchen at night to manage the behaviour of some children and young people. However, this practice has not been reviewed regularly. The registered manager is taking steps to review this practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people take part in a wide range of activities. They enjoy new experiences and challenge their own expectations of themselves. Children and young people are making positive memories of their lives in the home. They are developing new skills and are improving their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Members of staff help children and young people to maintain relationships with family members, when it is safe to do so. Some children and young people have been helped to rebuild family relationships. This has been of particular value when they have moved on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people contribute to the home’s development plan, as well as giving their views on menus and activities. Members of staff educate children and young people on their rights within society. Children and young people are learning that they can influence their world and have a right to be heard. Inspection report children’s home: 1232649 4

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

Children and young people feel safe and are safe in the home. Members of staff are skilled in encouraging positive behaviour. They provide consistent boundaries and talk to children and young people about expectations. Children and young people generally behave well. This is evidence of significant progress for some children and young people.

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

Members of staff use their positive relationships to help children and young people reduce their risk-taking behaviours. Children and young people know that their carers are committed to them and want them to be safe. For some children and young people, this has a positive impact on their decision-making.

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

Members of staff carry out a variety of educative sessions with children and young people. Members of the professional network support this work with additional learning. Topics include substance misuse, gang activity and different forms of exploitation. As a result of this work, children and young people have improved knowledge of these risks. This helps them to make safer decisions about their own well-being.

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

Some children and young people have engaged in high levels of risk-taking behaviour, including substance misuse and going missing from home, despite the staff team’s efforts to prevent this. When all attempts to care for them have been exhausted, the registered manager agrees on a plan with the placing authorities. Some children and young people cannot remain in the home and they move to more appropriate placements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is extremely skilled. Feedback from children and young people, families, members of staff and members of the professional network was exceptionally positive. The registered manager leads by example. Members of staff reported that they learn a great deal from their manager. As a result, the workforce is increasingly competent in the care it provides for children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for children and young people. They make creative use of additional resources, including health, education and safeguarding professionals. Children and young people take part in charity events. As a result, leaders and managers help to improve the experiences of the children and young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has very effective arrangements in place for the monitoring and review of the home. The registered manager has a good understanding of the progress made by children and young people’, and knows when changes are required to improve outcomes. As a result, children and young people make steady improvements from their starting points.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager challenges professionals if they do not meet the needs of Inspection report children’s home: 1232649 5 children and young people. Such action is effective. It brings about immediate and long- term benefits for children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Members of staff receive training that enables them to recognise and understand a wide range of issues that are pertinent to the care of the children and young people’. Training is increasingly delivered face to face rather than online, as members of staff think this is more effective. As a result, children and young people are looked after by carers who work well together and who understand how to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager supervises members of staff regularly. Issues regarding performance or capability are dealt with efficiently. This means that poor practice does not develop. Members of staff feel that they are supported and valued by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager encourages staff who have appropriate experience to apply for senior positions within the home’. Members of staff stay working in the home for a long time and sickness rates are low. This means that children and young people grow up in a home with carers who get to know them well over a long period. Inspection report children’s home: 1232649 6

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. Information on restraint and deprivation of liberty is contained in the protection of children section of the Guide from paragraph 9.41. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) In particular, the decision to lock the kitchen at night should be reviewed and

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Recommendations

only continued for safeguarding reasons.

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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: 1232649 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Artemis Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coburg House, 1 Coburg Street, Gateshead NE8 1NS

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Inspector:

Jane Titley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1232649 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:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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