Children's Home run by Spark of Genius North East LLP in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 1 SC477031 Registered provider: Spark of Genius North East LLP

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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 provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The manager has been registered since July 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 November 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2019 Full Outstanding 02/05/2017 Full Good 16/08/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people build trusted and secure relationships with the adults who look after and care for them. Staff know and understand the children and young people very well. They demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the effect that early childhood trauma experiences can have on a child or young person’s development. This knowledge is enhanced by the expertise of a clinical psychologist who supports and advises staff to find effective ways to meet the children and young people’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people are making significant and sustained progress in all aspects of their lives. Staff are committed to providing an excellent quality of care that is innovative and effective. Regular one-to-one time spent with key staff members encourages children and young people to reflect on their progress and identify areas for development. Children and young people use this reflection to develop their own strategies to manage their behaviour and risk. This unique insight is shared with the staff team and, where appropriate, other professionals to ensure that children are receiving consistent and effective responses from the adults who care for them. As a result, children learn to regulate their behaviour and understand how to keep themselves safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people enjoy a wide range of activities. The children and young people have recently enjoyed a holiday to Barcelona, where they have been able to spend good-quality time with people who care for them. For some children and young people, this was their first experience of being abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children and young people are in full-time education. Attendance is excellent, and staff are ambitious and innovative in the ways in which they support children and young people to achieve their full potential in school. In discussing the support that children and young people receive from the home, one education professional stated, ‘I can honestly say [name of home] is one of the best ones. In fact, it is the best one in the area.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff team understands how important it is for children and young people to maintain contact with parents, friends and carers. The staff team works exceptionally hard to break down the barriers that may have prevented children and young people from benefiting from these relationships. As a result, children and young people now enjoy good-quality time with their loved ones even when this has not been the case for several years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people are supported to increase their independent living skills by completing a comprehensive independent living programme developed by the staff. Children and young people are encouraged to reflect on their progress and learning throughout the programme. The final stage of the programme covers the transition from the home and includes the offer of support and guidance from the staff in an open- Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 4 ended way, which prevents the children and young people from feeling isolated and alone.

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

Highly effective and detailed risk assessment and management processes ensure that children and young people are safe. The manager and staff are very alert to these risks and can provide individualised responses to the risks associated with each of the children and young people. Prior to placement, the manager works well with other agencies to understand the risks associated with each child or young person. She uses this knowledge to complete comprehensive impact risk assessments before considering whether a placement is in the best interests of all children and young people.

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

Hospital passports have been introduced that provide detailed information for health staff should the children and young people have to stay in hospital. This ensures that children and young people continue to receive safe and consistent care even when they are away from home. This model of practice has been adopted by the local NHS trust to improve the care for children and young people across the hospital.

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

The environment for children and young people is decorated and maintained to the highest standard. Children and young people make choices about how they would like their bedrooms to look so that they can be safe and comfortable in their own space.

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

Children and young people are encouraged to be involved in helping staff to find ways that are effective in de-escalating situations. Children and young people can tell the adults what support they need rather than adults offering support they think the child or young person needs. This learning, supported by a clinical psychologist, is shared with the staff team in team meetings and, where appropriate, with other professionals. This ensures that children and young people develop a strong sense of safety and trust in the adults who care for them and reduces the number of incidents.

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

High-risk behaviours such as going missing from the home, self-harm, criminality and bullying are very rare even when this was a feature in the lives of children and young people prior to their moving to the home. Safeguarding practice is embedded in team meetings, staff supervision and daily handovers. This ensures that staff are fully aware of their responsibility to keep children and young people safe and provides the opportunity for staff to share any concerns they may have.

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

The manager has clear expectations of behaviour, which are applied consistently by the staff team and understood by the children and young people. The staff team works closely with schools to ensure that these expectations are consistently followed. This ensures a consistent approach and helps children and young people to regulate their behaviour and deal with their difficulties in a way that is more appropriate. Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced to meet the needs of children and young people placed as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. She is motivated and committed and places the welfare of children and young people at the heart of everything she does. The manager has high aspirations for children and young people and is supported by an assistant manager and a dedicated staff team who deliver excellent services that influence positive changes for children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Highly effective monitoring and development systems are influential in developing innovative internal monitoring processes that are forensic in nature. The information gathered is used effectively to support development. The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and, therefore, she can evidence sustained improvement of the service it provides.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Thorough safer recruitment checks take place. Shortfalls that were identified at the last inspection have been addressed. This ensures that children are safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has encouraged a culture in which staff are keen to learn and develop. Regular team meetings are used to encourage staff to develop the care they provide for young people through reflective discussion and collaborative decision-making. High- quality supervision that is reflective in nature provides staff with the opportunity to learn and develop. This means that children and young people are cared for by staff who have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager continues to develop high-quality risk management and care planning processes that have a positive impact on children’s experiences and progress Careful analysis of children and young people’s responses to support ensures that interventions continue to be effective. This model of planning has received an innovation award from the company and is being adopted as a model of excellent practice across its homes.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Spark of Genius North East LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: King Edwin School, Mill Lane, Stockton on Tees, Cleveland TS20 1LG

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Inspector

Mark Proffitt, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC477031 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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