Children's home run by North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC

Inspection report children's home: 1278217 1 Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC 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 offers care for up to two children who are between the ages of six and 17 years on admission.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in December 2018, and the manager was registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 18 February 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 1278217 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1278217 3

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improvement to be good

The home is well presented and offers the children lots of space. The garden is vibrant and welcoming and the children enjoy helping to maintain this, including growing a variety of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. They are proud of their achievements and have sold flowers to raise money for a water feature in the garden. This educates the children around sustainable living and gives them resourceful skills for when they move on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the children to engage in group activities. One child attends a number of group activities in the community, such as football, scouts and a youth club. This helps the child to build their confidence around new people, and develops their social awareness.

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improvement to be good

Staff work with external specialists in relation to children’s physical health, education, and social, emotional and psychological needs. The therapeutic services that children can access help them to manage their anxieties, worries and frustrations.

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improvement to be good

Children have suitable education placements and are mostly engaged in their personal development. When children refuse to attend their education placements, the registered manager works closely with named teachers and the local authority to discuss alternative plans to encourage attendance. This ensures that the children’s education plans are meeting their individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Admissions into the home are well planned and based on the child’s needs. This means that children moving into the home have a positive experience. Children are supported when they move on from the home, and when appropriate this support includes an independent advocate. This ensures that children’s voices are heard and that their views and wishes are considered as they move towards adulthood or their new placements. This makes it more likely that their transitions to adulthood or their moves to new placements will be successful.

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improvement to be good

Some staff contact children with their personal mobile phones when they are not at work in the home. The registered manager has not demonstrated risk awareness around this issue, as there is no risk assessment or policy in place. This shortfall in safeguarding crosses professional boundaries and exposes the children to the risk of harm. Inspection report children’s home: 1278217 4 The use of bedroom door alarms as a safeguarding measure is not needed for all children. This unnecessary use of door alarms stops the home from being a homely environment and is an invasion of the children’s privacy.

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improvement to be good

It is rare for children to go missing from the home. There are protocols in place which incorporate a multi-agency response. The registered manager has devised a flow chart for staff to use, to ensure that the procedures are followed accurately. This consistent practice means that if the children do go missing, they can be quickly located.

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improvement to be good

Staff use their verbal de-escalation skills to manage situations when the children are upset. The success of this approach reflects the positive relationships the children have with the staff. As a result, physical restraint is rarely used in the home.

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improvement to be good

Health and safety checks are routinely carried out and are up to date. Children who are new to the home take part in fire drills. The management oversight of these checks ensures that the children live in a safe environment.

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good

The home is led by a registered manager whose focus is on children’s progress and development. The registered manager is supported by a stable staff team. Consequently, the children receive consistent care which supports their relationships with staff.

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good

Partnership working between local authorities and the registered manager is not always effective. Statutory care plans for children are not always kept up to date by the children’s social workers. One child did not have a placement planning meeting following their admission into the home. This means that staff are not working in line with up-to-date plans.

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good

Training opportunities and professional development are well promoted. Regular staff supervision provides opportunities for staff to discuss the care provided for the children. Staff spoken to all said that they feel supported in their role by the registered manager. This helps them to support the children.

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good

The manager is highly visible and approachable. She ensures that the children benefit from dedicated time with her. This allows them to communicate any concerns or issues directly. As a result, the children feel that their views are listened to.

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good

The registered manager has a range of internal monitoring systems in place to help her to review the quality of care that children receive. External monitoring from the independent visitor also supports this process, and helps the registered manager to identify and act upon shortfalls in practice. Inspection report children’s home: 1278217 5

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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, 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 involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)) 22 October 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.

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)) 22 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)) 22 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for clear direction with regard to staff not contacting children when they are not in work. 22 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1278217 6

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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: 1278217 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 34 Westbourne Road, Hartlepool TS25 5RE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jason Darbyshire

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Inspector

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1278217 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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Inspector

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