Children's Home run by Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 1 Registered provider: Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and managed. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspectors spoke to three of the four children during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2020. The manager registered in December 2021.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect that the children may need time to build trusting relationships and let the children go at their own pace. Staff demonstrate a caring and nurturing approach. This supports the children to build positive bonds with the staff and to identify the staff as people who they can turn to for support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of trips and activities with staff, and children who have hobbies are supported to pursue them. The staff take the children on holidays to make special memories and have enjoyable experiences together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to attend health appointments and help older children to learn how to make their own appointments. Staff promote healthy choices and provide guidance to help the children to understand the benefits of being healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are in education and make good progress. Staff sensitively promote education options for children who face issues with attendance. One professional said, in relation to the support and encouragement that staff provide, ‘The approach of the staff is brilliant. They provide support in the right way.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to stay in contact with those who are significant in their lives. This promotes family connections and supports the children’s emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager does not always fully assess the competing needs of children before new children move in. Consequently, there is a lack of guidance for staff to help them to understand and mitigate the children’s competing risks.

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

The number of incidents of children going missing from the home has reduced significantly. Staff make persistent attempts themselves to locate the children when they go missing from the home. This proactive approach shows the children that their safety is important.

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

Staff talk to the children about the risks that they face, and the staff quickly provide key-work sessions to help to address new risks or when risks increase. The children are provided with online courses on safety topics, to help them to learn more about being safe and to discourage unsafe choices.

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

The manager and staff help the children to understand the various sources of support that are available to them. Consequently, some children learn to accept the help and support of specialists, including mental health services. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 4 Risk assessments and care plans are individualised for each child and are subject to regular review. These documents direct staff to further information to help them to understand the actions that they should take to help to keep the children safe.

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

Staff impose consequences to help the children to learn that they are responsible for their actions. However, staff do not always include what consequence has been given to the child when they record these measures. Additionally, financial consequences are often used instead of considering a restorative approach. This is a missed opportunity to offer children a more meaningful learning experience.

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

There is a lack of curiosity regarding the risks that the internet may pose to children. Consequently, there are insufficient measures in place to help to ensure that the children are safe when they access the internet on their personal devices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The suitably qualified and skilled manager is supported by a proficient deputy manager. Together, they have implemented monitoring and auditing processes that they use to identify and address shortfalls in practice. Staff say that the valuable input and support of the manager and deputy help them to develop improved practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular reflective supervision is used to discuss the children and to set the staff targets to help them to focus on their specific areas of responsibility. Team meetings are also held regularly, and they are well attended. The manager sometimes includes activities to help the staff to extend their knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation. This approach supports the staff to broaden their understanding of this aspect of their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff have completed all their mandatory training. The rota is arranged to ensure that suitably trained staff are available to meet the needs of the children. Staff have also completed additional training, to increase their knowledge and understanding of how to respond to children who self-harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A review of the records found that the manager acts promptly when safeguarding concerns arise and swiftly puts measures in place to help to protect the children. However, there has been a delay to notify Ofsted on two occasions. Additionally, there is an isolated incident that has not been notified to Ofsted. This oversight prevents Ofsted from being assured that all the necessary safeguarding processes have been completed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 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.

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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 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)(b)) 13 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the competing needs of children are fully considered prior to a child being admitted into the home. 20 September

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)) 13 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the consequences used to address the children’s poor behaviour are restorative in nature and help the children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should notify Ofsted and any other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d) occurs, or if there is an incident which they consider to be serious that relates to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home 40 (4)(e). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: 2602558 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Fox Street, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE10 0BD

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Inspectors

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2602558 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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