Children's home run by Vita Nova NE Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 1 Registered provider: Vita Nova NE Limited Full inspection 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 three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2021. There is currently no registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 18 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 3

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inadequate

Children experience poor and unsafe living conditions. The communal areas of the home are very well maintained. However, children’s bedrooms are unkempt and hazardous. There are issues that pose serious health and safety risks to children which the manager has failed to address. Staff do not effectively take responsibility for the condition of children’s bedrooms, therefore failing to support children to feel valued.

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inadequate

Staff do not consistently respond appropriately when children experience crisis and suffer distress. Staff do not always recognise when children require support, which means that sometimes children’s emotional needs go unmet.

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inadequate

The manager works with educational professionals and is seeking to secure placements for children who do not attend an educational provision. A home-based programme of education is offered. However, staff do not always provide children with structure and routine. This limits the possibility for children to participate in educational activity, thus failing to support continued progression.

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inadequate

Children’s care planning documents are often repetitive and generic, containing conflicting and outdated information. This means that staff are not provided with suitable guidance to help them understand children’s needs. This can contribute to children experiencing inconsistent care.

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inadequate

Staff take children on trips and outings to do fun and exciting activities. Staff use individualised books to capture and praise children’s achievements. This provides children with a record of their positive experiences.

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inadequate

Children are registered with all required health professionals and are supported to attend routine appointments. Staff talk to children about additional services that are available for more complex health needs. This helps children to understand that further support is available.

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

Children are exposed to the risk of harm as leaders have failed to ensure that there are effective strategies in place to keep children safe in the community. This means that not all staff are immediately aware of the action that they must take to safeguard children when significant incidents occur. In addition, there are no safety measures in place to reduce the risk of children suffering harm when using a mobile device. These failings mean that repeat incidents occur and that not all children are kept safe.

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

Children’s risk assessments do not contain details of all known risks and vulnerabilities. They do not always include guidance for staff to follow to help them Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 4 understand how they can help to keep children safe. This exposes children to the potential risk of harm.

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

Staff do not always conduct sufficient checks when children go missing from the home. One professional commented, ‘The systems in place need tightening up.’ This practice fails to assist children to return safely and does not help children to understand that they are important.

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

Each night, staff lock an internal door that leads to the kitchen, preventing children from freely accessing this area. This practice creates an institutional atmosphere for children, which is not homely.

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

There are several serious incidents that have not been notified to Ofsted. This means that Ofsted is unable to scrutinise information to ensure that children are safe. This leaves children vulnerable to the risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no registered manager. There is an interim manager in post who is supported by senior leaders. There has been a high turnover of staff which contributes to children experiencing multiple changes. This is unsettling for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to ensure that there are effective monitoring systems in place. This means that children’s risk assessments are not kept relevant and up to date, or contain the necessary actions that staff must take to promote the safety and well-being of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and leaders have failed to identify shortfalls in the quality of care provided or understand the impact that this has on children’s experience and progress. The manager has not implemented a suitable action plan to address these shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Safer recruitment processes are followed when staff are appointed. This provides assurance that adults are checked appropriately to look after the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. Staff have regular supervision. This is used to identify staff’s development needs so that they acquire further skills to support the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Requirements under regulation 12 and 14 have been reissued. The provider has failed to take sufficient action to meet regulation 14 as children’s care plans and behaviour support plans are not specific to children’s individual needs. In addition, the provider has not had the opportunity to demonstrate that they have improved the impact risk assessments. This is because no new children have joined the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This inspection resulted in three compliance notices being issued under regulations 11, 12 and 13 to address serious concerns relating to poor, unsafe care and Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 5 widespread failings in the leadership and management of the home. Three requirements have been issued to address other shortfalls raised. Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 6

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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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)) 1 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

*The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(vii)(ix)) 25 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 7 The protection of children standard is that children are

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Requirement Due date

protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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)) This specifically relates to the need for children’s impact risk assessments to include an analysis of risk and to be specific to the individual needs of the child. 1 August 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 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)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 25 July 2021

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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— 25 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 8 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 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)(a)(b)(2)(a)) This specifically relates to the need for children’s care plans and behaviour support plans to be specific to their individual needs. 1 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected; children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; 25 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 9 is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 25 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2615326 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Vita Nova NE Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 58 Lanchester Road, Maiden Law, Lanchester, County Durham DH7 0QS

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2615326 11 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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