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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 1 Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC Interim 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 a private provider. It offers care for up to two 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 December 2018.

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Inspection date: 17 February 2022

Date of last inspection: 22 September 2021

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Inspection date: 17 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 17 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 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. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child lives in the home. One child recently moved out of the home in a planned way. The move was successful, and the staff continue to offer outreach support to the child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from building positive relationships with a stable staff team. The provider has revisited their policy on professional boundaries regarding the relationships that staff have with children. The provider now has a clear policy in place for the staff to follow. Staff no longer contact the children using their personal mobile phones. Clear arrangements around professional boundaries ensure that the children are protected from potential risk of harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children take pride in their home and personal space. The home is warm and inviting, which enables the children to feel relaxed and be comfortable. The provider has now revisited the children’s risk assessments, particularly around the use of bedroom door alarms. This means that door alarms are now only used if this is to protect the children’s safety and welfare.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents that involve the children are managed well by the staff. However, children’s risk assessments do not detail all the children’s known risks. Additionally, risk assessments do not reflect when the children’s risks reduce or increase, or provide the staff with a clear appraisal of the children’s risks and emerging needs. This oversight may lead to children receiving inconsistent support from the staff. Furthermore, poor risk assessments do not help the children to recognise their own progress or see how they will be helped and protected.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have the opportunity to speak to staff about any worries or concerns that they have. The manager provides a supportive environment for her staff to reflect on how they respond to the children and their emerging needs. However, some of the work undertaken with the children is not always helpful. For example, there is one key-work session that has provided a child with misleading information that does not support the child in a way that is satisfactory. Not all the staff are clear about the messages that are given to the children in their key-work sessions. This means that the staff cannot work collaboratively to increase children’s safety and provide them with consistent messages.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working between local authorities and the registered manager is effective. The provider has devised an escalation policy to ensure that they have the necessary statutory care plans for the children. The manager has now received Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 3 children’s statutory care plans. Staff work in line with the children’s up-to-date plans, which supports the children’s progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager shares with the relevant agencies significant incidents that involve the children. However, she has not notified Ofsted of a serious incident that happened in the home. The child was suitably supported by the staff. However, this oversight has delayed the provider in assuring Ofsted that the child received the necessary support to help better protect them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three of the four requirements made at the last inspection are met following this visit. One requirement is re-issued with additional shortfalls identified under regulation 12. Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for 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, and 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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. This specifically relates to how the staff support the children and help them to become increasingly safer. 17 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 6 The provider must ensure that children’s risk assessments provide a clear appraisal of children’s risks and emerging needs. The provider must ensure that the staff recognise, identify and respond to children’s risks in a consistent way.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

In this regulation, references to the PPO include a person appointed by, or working on behalf of, the PPO for the purposes of an investigation under paragraph (2). (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b) (6)) 17 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 7

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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: 1278217 8

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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

Jacqueline Tate, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 9 regulates and inspects 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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