Children's home run by Duty of Care Limited in County Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 1 SC476602 Registered provider: Duty of Care 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 by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two children currently living in the home. The inspector spoke to both of the children during the inspection.

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Inspection date: 21 December 2021

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 21 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 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 the interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children say that their overall experience of living in the home has improved. At the last inspection, one child said that they are not allowed out of their bedroom in evening until the following morning. This practice has now changed. In addition, the child confirmed that planned weekly activities are now in place and that they are now supported to keep in touch with those people who are important to them. This includes staying overnight at friends’ homes and having their friends visit for tea.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

While progress has been made in some areas, there remains a lack of consistency. As such, four out of the eight requirements made at the last inspection have not been addressed. These have been reissued. These relate to the protection of children, the leadership and management arrangements, the management of physical interventions and the requirement to notify Ofsted of serious incidents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are now supported to manage risks more effectively. Rather than the staff managing risk by simply removing the risk altogether, work is now undertaken with the children so that they can become increasingly safe. In addition, the children’s safety plans have been developed so that these now address and support the staff to manage the children’s risks more effectively. This approach helps to teach the children how to manage risk safely.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been decorated significantly since the last inspection. With the addition of pictures and soft furnishings, it is now a much homelier environment for the children to live in. Work has also been undertaken in the garden, with one of the children helping the staff to grow a herb garden. However, maintenance work in the bathroom remains outstanding and there is no identified timescale for when this will be completed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safer recruitment processes are followed when staff are appointed, which provides assurance that they are suitably vetted and qualified to provide care. The new staff complete an induction to help them to learn each aspect of their role and to help them to understand how to respond to the children’s presenting needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has implemented some management systems to help her to monitor the care that children receive. However, the tools that are in place have not identified the shortfalls raised. This demonstrates that the manager’s monitoring and auditing systems are not yet embedded into practice to promote ongoing improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 3 There is a more consistent approach to recording information in all of the documents. The level of detail and accuracy in reports has improved and no further examples of unhelpful and blaming language have been identified. However, some children’s case records have not been updated in response to the children’s changing needs and circumstances. The lack of up-to-date information means that the staff do not have the correct information to care for the children. This has the potential to place children at risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children’s guide is not up to date and does not include information on how the children or their parents can contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, or information about how they can make contact with advocacy services. This oversight hinders the children and their families from making any independent complaints as they do not have all the necessary information when they arrive at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/10/2019 Full Good 11/07/2019 Full Inadequate 12/02/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 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 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; and 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; and that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)(e)) 21 January 2022

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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— 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 21 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 6 child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous

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Requirement Due date

improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i)) This specifically relates to the use of physical intervention. 21 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

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; 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)) 21 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 7

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered manager should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how to contact advocacy services and the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered manager should ensure that training records are kept up to date and that the staff receiving training specific to the individual needs of the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered manager should ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date. (‘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: SC476602 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Duty of Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13 Front Street, Staindrop, Darlington, County Durham DL2 3LZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: David Heartfield

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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 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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