Children's home run by Invested Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 1 Registered provider: Invested Childcare 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 to care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Although there are four children placed in the home, only three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke to the three children who live in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2019. However, they are not currently in day-to-day charge of the operation of this provision.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021. We last visited this setting on 30 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: 14 October 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/10/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Good 30/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders recognise that one of the children’s needs cannot be met while the child is living in this home. Notice has been served on this child’s placement and the child is now living away from this home. The staff continue to support the child, so that the child can experience one-to-one care with familiar staff while their next home is sourced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children build trusting relationships with the staff. Children say that they can talk to the staff and identify staff as people to turn to for support. The children value and enjoy the time they spend with staff, whether this is in the home or while out on fun activities and trips.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live a long distance from the significant people in their lives are supported by staff to make regular visits to see them. This helps the children to maintain family connections and promotes the children’s emotional well-being. Staff facilitate special arrangements around key times, like Christmas and anniversaries, so that the children can, where appropriate, spend quality time with their families and have memorable experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk to the children about healthy choices and promote good health. The staff arrange for a specialist drug and alcohol service to visit the children to educate them about the associated risks. This helps the children to make informed choices about their health and to understand the benefits of being healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children to value their learning. Some children have good attendance at school and make continued progress. When children face issues with attendance, staff consistently promote education and provide the children with learning opportunities, including educational activities. Staff share relevant information with educational professionals. This helps the barriers to children’s learning to be explored and addressed, so that children can continue to learn.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to take part in charitable events, which helps the children to contribute and feel invested in their community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning documents are succinct, regularly updated and include current information to help the staff to know how they should meet the children’s needs. Children’s records contain the fine details of the children’s preferences and demonstrate that the staff get to know the children very well.

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

Children say that the staff make them feel safe. Staff support the children sensitively during and following crisis incidents, and they offer the children alternative strategies to behaviours that may cause the children harm. One professional said: Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 4 ‘The staff are very aware of the children’s cues and make links about why behaviour occurs. The staff work together with children to help them to find a solution.’

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

Children’s risk assessments include their known vulnerabilities and the measures that the staff should take to mitigate the risks. This guidance helps the staff to understand how to keep each child safe.

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

Sanctions are rarely used. The staff prefer to encourage positive behaviour by regularly recognising and celebrating the children’s successes. When sanctions are imposed, they are used to help the children to understand not just that there are consequences for their actions, but to help the children to understand that their safety is important.

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

Staff use key-work sessions to promote the children’s safety. When new risks emerge, the staff arrange for agencies such as the fire service and the police to visit the children, to help to teach the children to be able to recognise and avoid danger.

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

Staff act promptly when the children face risks in the community, and demonstrate that they are aware of the measures to reduce these risks to the children. However, the location risk assessment is not always updated when new risks emerge. This oversight prevents the staff from having a useful resource which details the known risks in the local area.

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

Safer recruitment processes are followed when staff are appointed. This provides assurances that the adults have been appropriately vetted before they care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, who is currently on a period of planned absence from the home, has implemented effective systems to monitor and review the care that the children receive. The interim manager and deputy, who are overseeing the management of the home during the manager’s absence, continue to proficiently use the monitoring systems. This helps to ensure that the children experience consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted until the manager returns. The staffing changes have been explained to the children. One child said: ‘Not much has changed really because all the staff are great.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed mandatory training, and training in the chosen therapeutic model is continual. However, over half of the staff have not completed training in suicide and depression. This has not negatively affected children, but there may not always be staff with the appropriate knowledge available to respond to children with this specific need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers take prompt and effective action when safeguarding concerns arise, and share any incidents that involve the children with the relevant agencies. However, there are serious incidents that have not been notified to Ofsted. This oversight has Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 5 prevented Ofsted from having a full understanding of these incidents. In addition, this has prevented Ofsted from being assured that all the necessary actions have been taken to safeguard the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Appraisals acknowledge the strengths of the staff and highlight areas of practice for development. Senior staff are given additional responsibilities so that they can understand, and complete, managerial tasks effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly team meetings are well attended and are used to help the staff to learn from each other. Staff are given targets which are reviewed in supervision. This helps the staff to focus on specific areas to improve their practice and the children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 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, 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

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)) 9 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there are sufficient suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 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’. Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invested Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Acklam Hall, Hall Gardens, Middlesbrough TS5 7BJ

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1276421 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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