Children's home run by Compass Children’s Homes Northeast Limited in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 1 SC403472 Registered provider: Artemis Support Limited

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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. The home can care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with all three children during this visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in September 2022. A manager was appointed on 1 October 2022 and they submitted their application to register with Ofsted on 17 November 2022.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection of this home was carried out on 23 and 24 August 2022. The home was judged to be good.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has received a number of safeguarding notifications and complaints. Therefore, this monitoring visit was carried out.

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This monitoring visit

Widespread shortfalls were identified due to staff shortages. Insufficient numbers of permanent staff means that there is an over reliance on the use of agency staff. This arrangement means that children are cared for by staff who do not fully know, or understand how to respond to, the children’s needs. In addition, this arrangement hinders the children and young people’s ability to build and sustain effective relationships with staff who know them well. This leaves children and young people vulnerable to harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff plan a variety of activities for the children and young people. However, on one occasion, the ability for children and young people to undertake the activities of their choice has been compromised due to insufficient staffing arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 2 A safer recruitment process is used to recruit both permanent members of staff and agency staff. However, the manager was unable to provide assurances that the agency staff, recruited by the previous registered manager, have the skills, knowledge and experience required to work with the children and young person. This exposes children and young people to the risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not supported to deliver safe, sufficient care to the children and young people. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that all staff are supervised in line with the provider’s procedures. When supervision sessions have taken place, these are not reflective in nature, which has left some staff feeling unsupported. This has had a negative impact on the care afforded to children and young people.

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This monitoring visit

One young person’s behaviour management plan does not provide the staff with clear guidance, or effective strategies, on how to keep the young person safe. Staff use behaviour management techniques for the young person, which are not documented in the young person’s behaviour management plan, safety plan or care plan. This leaves the young person vulnerable to harm.

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This monitoring visit

The children and young people are not always supported to manage their feelings and behaviour appropriately. Staff use physical interventions on the children and young people before they have attempted to de-escalate the situation or use distraction techniques. The manager is addressing this practice with the staff team through weekly specialist support and guidance.

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This monitoring visit

The management oversight of physical intervention records is poor. Although the staff complete these documents to a good standard, there has been a delay in the manager’s oversight. This prevents the manager from completing an adequate review of these incidents, to ensure that the process is followed correctly and to identify any learning to improve practice in this area.

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This monitoring visit

Children and young people’s health needs are not consistently prioritised. Inadequate medication procedures mean that children and young people have not received the correct medication prescribed for their health needs. In addition, poor management monitoring systems have failed to prevent these medication errors from reoccurring.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership and management of the home is ineffective. Therefore, the operation of the home is inconsistent with the approach and ethos as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. In addition, the manager has failed to keep the statement of purpose under review and ensure that the revised document is sent to Ofsted in the regulatory timeframe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is new to this role. They are supported by a deputy manager, who is also newly appointed. The manager is enthusiastic and has a clear vision for the home. In addition to the management team, the day-to-day care of the children is provided by eight permanent members of staff. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 3 The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. It is undergoing redecoration work to further improve its appearance. The sensory room has been improved with additional lighting and furnishings. This helps to support the children and young people to relax.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/08/2022 Full Good 01/12/2021 Full Good 11/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 4

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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

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

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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(e)) 22 January 2023

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 22 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h)

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)) 22 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 22 January 2023

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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

the name of the child; 22 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 6 details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii) (c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Artemis Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Queens Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1RN

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Inspector

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403472 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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