Children's Home run by Spark of Genius North East LLP in Stockton-on-Tees

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 1 SC477031

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Registered provider: Spark Of Genius North East LLP

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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. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

During this inspection, the inspectors spoke with three of the five children who live in this home.

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The care of children

Children make good progress in this home, particularly with their education. Children who previously struggled to attend school now have a good attendance record. The staff and the manager advocate for the children to ensure that children attend an education provision which meets their individual learning and development needs.

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The care of children

Children have positive experiences of moving into and out of the home. Transitions are well planned and are led by the children’s needs. The manager and the staff stay in touch with children after they have moved out. This helps to provide children with additional guidance and increases their support network.

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The care of children

Children are well supported by staff when they experience difficulties in their lives such as bullying, complex relationships or understanding their sexuality. Staff seek specialist support when required in order to meet children’s needs. They advocate well to ensure that children’s views are listened to and that children can access the help that they need.

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The care of children

Children have a clear say about how the home is managed. Children’s views are sought at monthly children’s meetings, which they co-chair. The manager uses this forum to seek children’s views when she is considering if a child should move into the home. This contributes to the manager’s decision-making process. This approach helps to make children feel that their views are valued. The manager also arranges development days for the children. These help the children to build positive relationships with each other and with the staff, while also educating the children about important issues such as staying safe.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments are personal to the individual needs of each child and are regularly updated. Staff know these risks well and how to support children in times of crisis. The manager trains her staff team to implement a trauma-informed approach when supporting the children with their feelings. This helps the children to feel safe and well cared for.

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The safety of children

When children hurt themselves, or when a child’s mental health deteriorates, staff are quick to identify this and respond accordingly. Staff take all of the necessary safeguarding steps to support children in these situations. Additionally, staff work in Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 3 partnership with medical professionals to ensure that children receive the help that they need.

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The safety of children

When there has not been an incident for some time, such as a child being missing from home, the manager creates mock scenarios for the team to complete, relative to the needs of an individual child. This assures the manager that staff know how to keep the children safe.

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The safety of children

Children who make allegations against staff are listened to, and the information that the children share is acted on. This is indicative of the trusting relationships the children have with the majority of staff. While the manager follows the appropriate safeguarding procedures to ensure children are safe following an allegation, the organisation has delayed commencing formal investigations. This delay has contributed to the children being unsettled and worried about the outcome of the investigation.

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The safety of children

Children are rarely physically restrained and staff only use this measure of control to protect children or others from immediate harm. Consequences are also rare and tend to be both appropriately financial, when appropriate, and restorative in nature. However, records of these interventions do not reflect that the necessary steps were taken to talk to children and staff after an incident, within the appropriate timescales.

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The safety of children

The home is generally well maintained and decorated to a high standard. However, during inspection, the boiler broke down and the heating stopped working; there was also a pool of water on the floor in the downstairs toilet where the boiler is situated. Inspectors were informed that this is an ongoing issue and that the repeat repairs are ineffective. This creates an unsafe environment for the children and may pose a risk to their health.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager is committed to children’s welfare and leads her newly formed staff team by example. She has developed an induction programme, which contains what she considers to be the key elements required to promote quality care for children. Staff report feeling well supported by the manager. Longer-serving staff members feel that the manager has brought a period of stability to the home. This supports children’s progress and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager adheres to safer recruitment processes. When references are vague or do not satisfy the manager about the integrity of an applicant, additional references are sought to inform the recruitment decision-making process. This, along with the interview process, allows the manager to be as satisfied as possible that staff recruited are of good character and integrity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Supervision sessions held with staff are regular. However, while those supervised by the manager and deputy manager experience reflective and detailed supervision, those staff who are supervised by senior staff members do not. This shortfall Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 4 prevents the manager from being assured that any practice issues are fully addressed, that the staff member’s welfare has been considered, and that the record is a true and accurate reflection of the supervision sessions held.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has completed a statement of purpose, but this does not contain all of the information that it should. This oversight prevents others with a legitimate interest in the service from being able to access important documents about the care the children receive and may prevent them from making formal complaints.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Not all children’s case files include the necessary information regarding the needs of the children, such as school reports and review meeting minutes. Although the manager escalates this with the child’s placing authority, this escalation is ineffective. The manager does not take steps to escalate this further. This shortfall may prevent staff from fully supporting and meeting a child’s needs. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/11/2019 Full Outstanding 20/03/2019 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 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 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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the boiler is fit for purpose and provides effective heating to the home. 20 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that formal investigations are commenced in a timely manner so as to limit the amount of anxiety children experience as a result of this. 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must — keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)) 20 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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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

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 five 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)) 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and 20 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 8 are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for all staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Spark Of Genius North East LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: King Edwin School, Mill Lane, Stockton-On-Tees, Cleveland TS20 1LG

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Inspectors

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 10 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

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Inspectors

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