Children's home run by ARRONBETH LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 1 SC000802 Registered provider: Arronbeth 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 company. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties. Staff deliver care in line with the provider’s therapeutic model. The parameters of this model are set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2007. He holds suitable qualifications for this role.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting between 29 and 30 April 2021 to carry out a full inspection. The report is published on our 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 requires improvement to be 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2021 Full Outstanding 05/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living here. They develop close relationships with staff, who work hard to engage children and help them. One child said that staff helped him not to be in ‘survival mode’. Another child who has moved on from the home spoke of her time at the home as ‘amazing’. Staff helped her get a job and move into the accommodation that was right for her. However, the child told the inspector that they felt disappointed that not all staff kept in touch with them. Despite this comment, the child was overall very positive about their time at the home and the relationships she had with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, staff work closely with the children’s families. This helps to reduce any anxieties the children may have. This also results in positive relationships with families which are based on mutual respect. Older children are encouraged to act as role models when children move in. This helps children settle, build relationships and learn more about positive behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with those who are important to them. Staff understand the significance of this for children and that it helps maintain their identities. Families and friends are invited into the home, which provides a sense of normality for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped by staff to understand their feelings and behaviours. They are given space and time when needed and not judged or blamed about how they feel. This has undoubtedly contributed to the fact that the last restraint was two years ago.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Sanctions are used to help children learn that there are consequences to their actions. The manager scrutinises this practice to ensure that it is fair. Consequences are discussed with children and their views are taken into consideration. This helps children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work tirelessly and patiently to engage children in education and help children understand its importance. Children are praised for their achievements and the positive choices they make. One professional described the staff as ‘fantastic’ in the support they provided for one particular child. The child’s attendance improved, progress was made and important life skills were developed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop independent living skills such as learning to cook and managing a budget. This helps children prepare for their future.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 4 The strategies drawn up with specialist services are unclear and, in some cases, missing. This means that the rationale for certain practices and decision-making are unclear, for example the strategies that staff are expected to follow to manage self- harming behaviours. This makes it difficult to identify what is in place to safeguard children from significant harm.

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improvement to be good

The quality of children’s risk assessments varies. Current information is not always provided in relation to known risks, and this means that risk ratings are sometimes inaccurate. As a result, staff do not understand the full extent of all children’s risks or how to reduce them.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments alert staff to the signs that the child is becoming distressed and state what staff should do to help. However, in one risk assessment, this information is missing. This has the potential to impact on staff’s ability to deescalate situations when the child’s behaviour is heightened.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans are inconsistent. Some are up to date, and fully reflect the child and their needs, and the goals identified are relevant to that child. However, in one case a child’s care plan was missing important information about how the child should be cared for. The plan also contained goals which are not relevant to the child. While other care plans are up to date, there is a risk that in one case, the child’s needs could go unmet due to missing information.

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improvement to be good

Checks are not undertaken on children’s mobile phones. This is despite it being an action within one child’s risk assessment following concerning sites being accessed. This does not help to safeguard children.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing. However, when they do go missing, staff are proactive. Staff make constant efforts to contact the children and actively look for them. Police are appropriately informed. However, while there are individualised protocols in place for each child, not all staff are aware of them. Therefore, staff who are not as familiar with the children may not follow the correct approach.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete mandatory training within a comprehensive induction programme. They also obtain additional skills through a programme of ongoing training. This helps them to better understand and respond to children’s specific needs and risk issues.

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improvement to be good

The manager’s recruitment processes follow safe-caring guidelines. This provides assurance that the adults are suitable to care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager undertakes a comprehensive impact risk assessment prior to a child moving in. This means that children only move in when it would not increase their risks or the risks of the children already living in the home. Staffing ratios are increased in the initial stages in the event that a risk may increase, which helps protect children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 5 The registered manager is supported by a diverse staff team, and many of the staff bring a wealth of experience to the role. They are passionate about the children and committed to working therapeutically as they have seen the benefits of this. They strive to build relationships with the children to enable the children to learn to trust adults again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff consistently describe the managers as supportive and available. Although not always as regular as it should be, staff find supervision helpful. One staff member described supervision as having helped her ‘grow and develop’. Staff are also able to access additional support from an external therapeutic service. This further promotes staff’s well-being and enhances their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place every month. The children are central to these meetings. Each child is discussed in terms of their current needs and whether progress has been made since the previous meeting from the targets which were set. New targets are set which are relevant and achievable. This helps all staff have a consistent understanding of where the children are at and what staff need to focus on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Debriefs take place with staff after significant incidents. They provide staff with an opportunity to reflect on what took place and identify what they have learned. It also enables staff to receive emotional support which helps them continue to support the children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers advocate strongly on behalf of the children. They arrange meetings and visits, make calls and send emails to progress plans for children. They challenge decisions and take matters to the highest level. This ensures that children’s voices are heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager maintains oversight of any incidents and of the work staff undertake with the children, which is comprehensively recorded by staff. The monthly audit tool enables managers to have an overview of most areas in the home and managers take action to address any gaps or concerns. They have, however, failed to identify the shortfalls within children’s risk assessments and care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person does not seek feedback from families or staff. This may prevent concerns coming to the attention of the registered manager. This is a repeated recommendation from the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 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 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure strategies agreed with specialist services are in place and that plans identify how to protect children from significant harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s care plans are complete, relevant and up to date. 6 October 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

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; 6 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 7 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) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the children’s risks are fully understood and action is taken to reduce them.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff understand the children’s individual triggers and how to deescalate.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff understand each child’s missing from home protocol.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with each child, the home staff, each child’s family/carers where appropriate, and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child. Where there is a valid reason why children’s family/carers cannot be consulted with by the independent person, this information should be recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)  The registered person should ensure good employment practice. In particular, staff supervision should take place regularly and in line with the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC000802 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington, County Durham DL2 2DA

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Inspector

Emma Ridley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 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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