Children's Home run by Evolution Children Services Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 1 SC382595 Registered provider: Evolution Children’s Services 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 provides care and accommodation for up to five children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in August 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, 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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 3 September 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2019 Full Good 29/10/2018 Full Good 24/10/2017 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop trusting relationships with their caring adults. Staff help children to share their views and to explore their feelings. One child said, ‘Staff listen to you, they are there to talk to and to help you.’ Children are cared for by staff who they can turn to for guidance, which assists them to feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, well presented and has a warm, homely feel. Some areas have been redecorated. Children are consulted and involved in decision making regarding how the home is improved. This inclusion helps children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager assesses the suitability of admissions into the home which includes seeking the input of placing authorities for children already living in the home. Introductions, for children moving into the home, help them to understand the expectations and boundaries. Routines are established to help children to experience stability which assists them to settle quickly into the home and to feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to develop skills for self-care and independence. They promote good health and hygiene, and support children to attend all routine health appointments. Additional support is in place for more complex health needs. Staff provide children with information and contacts for external support, including mental health professionals, so that children can access support confidentially should they wish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have excellent attendance at school while others do not always attend regularly. When issues with attendance arise, the manager and his team act quickly to share information with educational professionals, so that the difficulties can be understood and addressed. Information gathered at education meetings is promptly added to children’s care plans, to help staff understand how to support children to reach their goals. Occasionally there are anonymous handwritten entries into case records. This means that there is no accountability for this information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to make friends and, with appropriate checks in place, enjoy experiences like sleeping over at a friend’s house which broadens their social circle. Staff regularly carry out welfare checks when children are out in the community, to make sure they are safe. Staff spend quality one-to-one time with children in the home and when out enjoying trips and activities. These experiences provide children with opportunities to have fun and make positive memories.

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

Children are supported by staff who act swiftly to recognise and respond to risk. Some significant risks are reduced, such as substance misuse which is no longer an issue for one child. This is excellent progress from their starting point. This demonstrates that staff help children to become increasingly safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 4 When risks increase for children, or a new risk emerges, the manager promptly shares information and involves other professionals so that plans can be put in place to protect children from harm. The manager immediately shares strategies and safety measures with staff so that they are up to date with the actions that they should take to help them keep children safe.

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

Children who experience missing-from-home incidents benefit from a timely response from staff. This includes staff going out looking for them and making repeat attempts to talk to and locate them. Risk assessments do not always contain all the necessary actions staff should take in such circumstances. This has not negatively affected any children, but if guidance is not clear this could lead to inconsistent care.

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

Children known how to complain and are regularly reminded of the various processes in place to share any concerns. Children have the option to raise any issues with or without support. This means that children are given choice and their privacy is respected.

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

Sanctions are not used in this home. The manager guides his staff to use a restorative approach to help children to reflect on and consider the impact of their actions on themselves and others. This assists children to develop an understanding of socially acceptable behaviour and promotes harmonious group living.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified for the position held. He is supported by a small, stable staff team. The manager’s recruitment processes follow safer-caring guidelines. This provides assurance that the adults are suitable to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager assesses the suitability of the location of the home when new or significant information becomes known. He continually considers whether any additional measures are required to keep children safe in the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff without up to date training have administered medication to children. All other mandatory training is up to date. However, not all staff have completed training to help them to understand children’s specific needs. Children regularly turn to staff for guidance, demonstrating they feel safe to do so; a lack of specific training limits the opportunity for staff to provide children with current and helpful advice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular in-depth supervision which is used to reflect on practice and discuss how to meet children’s needs. The manager uses supervision to recognise staff’s strengths and to identify areas of weakness. He puts support in place to assist staff to raise the standard of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective auditing processes in place which he uses to scrutinise the care that children receive. The manager incorporates children’s views when Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 5 considering developments to the service. He has a plan in place for how he proposes to develop the service. However, he does not include the actions he proposes to take in his quality of care review. This hinders the opportunity for this process to be used to track progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 23 July 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that risk assessments contain details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered manager should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered manager should ensure that the regulation 45 review of quality of care report clearly identifies any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 7

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Evolution Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coburg House, 1 Coburg Street, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE8 1NS

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC382595 8 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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