Children's Home run by Investing in Children CIC in Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2522240 1 Registered provider: Investing in Children CIC Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and/or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural issues. The home was registered in May 2019. The post of registered manager is currently vacant. The home is operated by a private provider.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home is subject to a restriction of accommodation order. There were concerns that regulations are breached areas of concern include whether risk management is effective, whether safeguarding policies are sufficiently established/understood and whether behaviour management plans are in place for children and young people. Additionally, two compliance notices were served to address significant shortfalls due to safe recruitment processes not always being followed and concern around whether the home is effectively managed.

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This monitoring visit

To evaluate the progress that has been made in addressing these concerns, a monitoring visit was undertaken on 19 November 2019. As a consequence of this visitthe restriction of accommodation order has been lifted and the two compliance notices are assessed to have been met.

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This monitoring visit

Since the previous inspection, significant progress has been made in addressing areas of concern. Behaviour management plans have been developed and implemented for all children. The information from these documents is now incorporated into children’s plans, which provide clear and concise guidance for staff on how to understand and help children.

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This monitoring visit

An interim manager has been appointed who has the necessary experience for the position held. Developing her team members has been one of her priorities, and she has sourced various training programmes to enhance their skills to meet the needs of children. Auditing tools have been created and are used to monitor and review Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2522240 2 key documents. The case records and files that were viewed during this inspection provide strong evidence that quality assurance processes are in place. An area for further development is to create an assessment documents that fully consider the impact to children during the admission process.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership team discussed the ongoing recruitment to fill the roles that are currently vacant and demonstrated an understanding of the importance of following safe-caring guidelines. The necessary checks are in place for current employees, which reduces the risk of children being exposed to potential harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive regular supervision to support them in their work. Topics such as policies and procedures are discussed, providing an opportunity to develop the knowledge required to fulfil the caring role. Additionally, team meetings are held with regularity and are used to further embed into the team’s practice an understanding of the processes that protect children.

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This monitoring visit

When children go missing from home, the correct procedures have been followed. There are policies to provide staff with guidance during such incidents yet no individual risk assessments for those children who may go missing. Similarly, the topic of bullying is discussed with children and key-working sessions capture how they are encouraged to voice any concerns that they may have, but what is absent are assessments that consider the risk of bullying. Risk assessments that contain information specific to each child are a necessary tool to manage and reduce risk.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership team demonstrated sound knowledge of how to address the areas that require further improvement and discussed with enthusiasm and motivation its vision to drive improvement forward.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2522240 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)) 22/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children–

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1), (2)(a)) 22/12/2019

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2522240 4

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2522240 5 to 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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