Children's home run by Impact Childcare and Education

Inspection report children's home: 2519081 1 Registered provider: Interactive Development Residential Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by an independent provider. The home provides care and accommodation to five children, who are aged between 11 and 17 years old. The manager registered with Ofsted in 2019 and is suitably qualified for the role.

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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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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2519081 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2519081 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build trusting and supportive relationships with staff who are able to meet their needs. Staff spend time with children in play and regular informal chats. They respect children’s need for privacy but also ensure that they are safe in the home and in the community. This enables children to develop and make progress emotionally and mentally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education and achieving qualifications that will support them in accessing employment as adults. When children struggle to attend, the staff, are proactive in taking steps to address this with relevant professionals. This direct approach is supporting children back into education as soon as possible. However, consistency is required in ensuring children have structured activities during times when they should be in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are well written. Staff support children in developing their independence skills in line with their individual plans. For example, in managing a weekly budget, developing confidence in independent travel and in arranging and attending their own health appointments. Individual incentive plans help children to develop confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular monthly meetings, and the agenda is determined by any issues or events at the time. For example, praise is given for good and respectful behaviours and children are informed when actions are necessary. Children are encouraged to take an active and vocal role and to help plan future events and activities. As a result, children feel valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide children with an information board, strategically placed in the family kitchen/dining room. This displays dates of events that are happening on a weekly and monthly basis. For example, games night, theme nights, outdoor adventures, pamper nights, movie nights and beach days. These are colourfully presented and enable children to plan ahead and look forward to days and evenings that they have a choice in taking part in. This supports their well-being and a sense of belonging.

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

The staff provide children with a safe place to live. Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are detailed and purposeful. Staff know the children well and help children to manage and reduce known risky behaviours. This means children become increasingly safe and are able to build on their resilience.

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

A child stated, ‘I just feel safe here.’ Children told us that they are helped and supported to understand the COVID-19 pandemic measures that are in place. Another child was able to show the inspector the NHS Coronavirus guidance which Inspection report children's home: 2519081 4 was easily accessible. This demonstrates that children are increasingly safe as a result.

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

Some staff are not familiar with the children’s risk assessments and therefore do not fully understand why they should take specific actions to minimise risks. This exposes children to a potential risk of harm.

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

Staff are proactive in maintaining good communication with parents, families, carers and a range of professionals to support children’s safe care. They ensure relevant information is shared in a timely manner. A professional stated, ‘Communication is excellent staff go above and beyond in their care of children and progress is made in terms of behaviour.’

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

There has been a recent period of bullying which, in accordance with the home’s policy, was immediately addressed. Individual key-work sessions enabled children to reflect on their behaviours and their treatment of others. Subsequently, there have been no further incidents of concern. This enables children to feel respected and increasingly safe in the home.

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

As part of the health and safety checks, fire drills are carried out and recorded each month. However, they do not take place at different times of the day or night or routinely involve children. This exposes children to a potential risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced, qualified and supported by a deputy manager. She is warm and passionate towards improving outcomes for children and is a good role model for her staff. She knows and understands the children’s plans, and advocates with professionals when required, to ensure children continue to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and her staff promote equality and diversity in the home. For example, as you enter the property, they have a wall display which can be seen by children when they come down at the start of a day. This provides a collection of positive quotes and pictures of people who have achieved, or who have battled through adversity. This feature is a regular talking point for children and staff and is inspirational to all.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular supervision and attend monthly team meetings. This enables discussions to take place about the safeguarding of children and the level of care and support each child requires. This helps staff to reflect on their practice and that of others, to improve outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff training has been mostly online during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has ensured that staff are able to continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of specific behaviours and needs of the children. Inspection report children's home: 2519081 5 The manager has effective monitoring and audit systems in the home. Independent scrutiny is provided by monthly visits from an independent person. These support the management in identifying areas for improvement in the quality of care provided. However, the provider’s quality of care review report does not detail an action plan for the next six months. This limits the manager’s ability to plan further developments. Inspection report children's home: 2519081 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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the staff’s understanding and implementation of each child’s risk assessment, and their ability to describe what they do in managing risk. 29 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring fire drills take place at different times of the day and that they involve children. 29 July 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 every six months.

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Requirement Due date

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”). (Regulation 45 (1) (3)) 30 November Inspection report children's home: 2519081 7 This specifically relates to the registered person providing an action plan.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure staff consistently provide children who are not in full-time education with suitable structured activities while they are waiting for a return to an education placement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 2519081 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Interactive Development Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3-5 Brenkley Way, Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE13 6DS

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Inspector

Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2519081 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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