Children's home run by Together For Children Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 1 Registered provider: Together for Children Sunderland Limited Interim 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 under trust arrangements. It is registered to care for up to six children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 10 December 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There are six children currently living in the home. The inspector spoke to three children during the inspection.

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Inspection date: 6 January 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 6 January 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and the staff have experienced more stability since the last full inspection due to the appointment of a new registered manager and a new deputy manager. Progress has been made in many areas. However, one out of the five requirements made at the last inspection has been reissued and further shortfalls have been identified.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been an improvement in the leadership and management oversight. There are now clear systems and auditing processes in place to track the progress of the children as well as the performance of the staff. However, these processes have not identified the shortfalls raised. This means that the manager’s monitoring and auditing systems are not yet fully embedded into practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of the children’s risk assessments and individual crisis support plans has improved. They are clear, easy to understand and up to date and they have a detailed plan of how the staff will manage the children’s risks. This means that the staff always have up-to-date information about how to keep the children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been decorated to a significant extent since the last inspection and it is now a much homelier environment for the children to live in. This includes the redesign of one of the downstairs rooms into an American diner-themed room, a refurbished kitchen, redecoration throughout and the addition of some soft furnishings. There are also photos of the children enjoying time with the staff displayed around the home. However, the staff have failed to ensure that one of the children’s bedrooms is maintained to a hygienic standard. This means that the children are not being given the support, or a clear message, about how they should maintain their living space to an acceptable standard.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of the recording in the children’s case records has significantly improved. The level of detail and accuracy in the reports has also improved. However, some children’s case records do not include the name of the member of staff completing the report, their signature or the date. This shortfall means that there is a lack of accountability on the part of the staff as it is not clear who has completed the record and when.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager ensures that the staff complete training that is relevant to the specific individual needs of the children as well as completing their mandatory training. However, the training matrix in place to monitor the staff’s attendance is confusing to read, particularly in respect of when the training is due for renewal. This oversight Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 3 prevents the manager from having a clear understanding of when the staff require their refresher training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager completes a review of the quality of care provided for the children. However, there has been a significant delay in this report being sent to Ofsted. This hinders Ofsted’s ability to monitor and review the progress that is being made to improve practice and outcomes for children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Generally, before children move into the home, an impact risk assessment is completed. However, for one child this has not been completed. This means that the decision about whether it was appropriate for the child to move in has been taken without the appropriate matching process, which includes the analysis of risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The impact risk assessments do not analyse the potential impact on either the child moving into the home or on the children already living there. While there has been no impact on the children of this shortfall, this lack of analysis means that the children have been matched without consideration of how the behaviours of others may have an impact on them. Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/11/2019 Full Good 09/10/2018 Full Outstanding 24/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 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

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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and

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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

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the cleanliness of children’s bedrooms. 6 February 2022

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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 staff— 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 6 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;

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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)(i)(v))

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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

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. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 6 February 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a workforce plan which details the processes and the agreed timescales for the staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by the staff while they are working at the home and should be used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of the staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that case records are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 for children’s home: 1254843 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Together for Children Sunderland Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stanfield Business Centre, Addison Street, Sunderland SR2 8SZ

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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1254843 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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