Children's Home run by Resilience North East Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 1

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Resilience North East Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in February 2017. There is currently no registered manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the restrictions in place relating to COVID-19 (coronavirus), this visit was carried out off site. The purpose of the visit was to monitor the provider’s compliance with enforcement action. The visit included review of documents, a virtual tour of the home and discussions with staff.

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This monitoring visit

This home was last visited on 24 February 2021 when a monitoring visit took place. Following this visit, a restriction of accommodation was issued to prevent any other children being admitted into the home. Three compliance notices were served under regulations 6, 12 and 13 to address serious concerns. These relate to children being provided with poor and unsafe living conditions, poor risk management and widespread failings with the leadership and management of the home. A further three requirements were issued to address other shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual, who took up her position in January 2021, had recognised some of the shortfalls found during the previous visit and served notice on all of the children placed in the home. There are currently no children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has devised and implemented an action plan to address the condition of the home. Repairs and maintenance work have started, and the home is in various stages of refurbishment. There is a considerable amount of work Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 2 still required. Therefore, the home is not in a suitable condition to accommodate children.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff are aware of a monthly environmental audit to check the home for general maintenance issues. Additionally, no other routine checks take place to check for damage and repair work needed on a more regular basis. This means that there are insufficient systems in place to ensure that issues in the home are identified and reported. This could potentially expose children to a serious risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the care staff are currently furloughed. Those who remain have completed training exercises in risk assessment and care planning processes. These staff demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to develop and maintain current records. This means that staff are developing the skills required to enable them to provide children with consistent care.

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This monitoring visit

There are managerial auditing processes in place to monitor and review children’s records. This means that there are systems to scrutinise the care that children receive.

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This monitoring visit

There are shortfalls in some areas of training. A considerable proportion of staff are not enrolled on a suitable level 3 childcare course. Additionally, there are gaps in mandatory training, including health and safety, first aid and fire safety. The responsible individual has recognised these shortfalls and booked some training. However, staff are not currently sufficiently trained and/or enrolled on a suitable course to enable them to care for children effectively and safely.

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This monitoring visit

Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. These are used to share information, discuss concerns, embed strategies and drive improvement forward. However, there is no system to appraise staff. This means that staff do not have this opportunity to reflect on their practice to ensure that it is safe to meet the needs of children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

Recruitment files have been audited and the shortfalls raised have been suitably actioned. Safer recruitment processes have been implemented. This means that there are assurances that adults are suitably vetted to work with children.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is overseeing the day-to-day running and management of the home. The posts of registered manager and deputy manager are currently vacant. This means that there is not a sufficient team of leaders to accommodate children safely and effectively should they be admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, the restriction of accommodation order will remain in place. The compliance notices previously issued under regulations 12 and 13 are not fully met. These notices are reissued. Two additional requirements are issued under regulations 6 and 27. The previously issued requirements under regulations 5, 8 and 45 were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are reissued. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/09/2019 Full Good 19/06/2018 Full Good 24/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 4

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c)) 8 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. 16 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 5 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(viii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to completing repairs and maintenance work and suitably furnishing the home.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)) 8 June 2021

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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. 16 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 16 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 7 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 16 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 8 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 8 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Resilience North East Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fellingate Care Centre, Fox Street, Felling, Gateshead NE10 0BD

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1248773 9 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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Inspector

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