Children's Home run by A Significant Other Limited in Durham

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC429995 1 SC429995 Registered provider: A Significant Other Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private provider operates the home. The registered manager has been in post since July 2018.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and young people have made progress since the last inspection, which has improved their outcomes and experiences. Written residential care plans are more individualised, which informs the staff about the children and young people’s needs. This has improved the overall quality of the care and support.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and young people have developed positive, meaningful relationships with the staff. This creates good, positive emotional bonds and attachments. The registered manager and the staff have high aspirations for the children and young people, and they support the children and young people to achieve their full potential.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Outcomes for education are mixed. A young person has surpassed expectations, having Interim inspection report children’s home: SC429995 2 attained very good exam results and made a positive transition into further education. This has significantly improved the young person’s life-opportunities moving into adulthood. For other children and young people, their educational goals have not been fully met. One child was briefly placed in the children’s home without any arrangements for his education, and a young person is not being provided with educational support while he is temporarily not attending school. Any break in education can adversely affect children and young people’s life-long learning.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

How the staff safeguard the children and young people has improved since the last inspection. The staff have undertaken additional child protection training, which has enhanced their learning and safeguarding knowledge. Measures to improve risk management are effective, reducing incidents when young people have been at risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have focused on improving staffing, with good outcomes. The provider has recruited enough staff to meet the children and young people’s needs. Arrangements for suitable staff to cover the absence of the registered manager ensure that there is better oversight of the home. Staff training is up to date, and all the staff receive regular, effective supervision. Feedback from the staff at this inspection was extremely positive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and the provider have invested in a range of mandatory and additional staff training. Staff induction is focused on the needs of the children and young people and the home’s statement of purpose. New staff are being supported and enrolled on the level 3 diploma qualification, and the staff are undertaking additional level 2 awards to increase their skills and knowledge.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are, however, low numbers of staff who, at the time of the inspection, had attained a suitable level 3 diploma, or an equivalent, in caring for children and young people. The registered manager and the deputy manager are suitably qualified, but out of nine full-time residential staff, only one member of staff had a suitable level 3 diploma.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/12/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Interim inspection report children’s home: SC429995 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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The individual has the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32(2)(b)(3)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must continue to seek to employ suitably qualified staff and to support those staff who are currently employed to attain a relevant level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. 31/03/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that when commissioning a placement in a children’s home the placing authority must establish how the home will support the child’s educational needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.7)

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Recommendations

This includes arrangements for children and young people newly accommodated in the children’s home and for those who live in the children’s home but are not attending full-time education.

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Information about this inspection

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC429995 4 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Significant Other Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rouse House, Wyther Lane, Leeds LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Debbie White: social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC429995 5 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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