Children's Home run by Advocate Recruitment Ltd in Gateshead

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 1 Registered provider: Advocate Recruitment 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 an independent provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with three children who currently live in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2021. The manager registered in February 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 inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector 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: 2656590 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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The care of children

Children say that they are happy and that they enjoy positive, trusting relationships with the staff. Children have a positive experience of moving into the home. Transition planning is at an appropriate pace to enable the children to express their views and visit the home. Where possible, staff visit the children in their homes before they move into this home. This enables the children to ask any questions and to start to build relationships with those who will care for them. This helps the children to settle quickly and to feel valued.

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The care of children

Children make steady progress in their education. Staff are strong advocates for the right educational environment for the children. This is seen as a journey, and with the patience and a nurturing response from the staff, the children take steps to engage with their educational provision. This enables the children to work towards meeting their individual learning needs and goals.

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The care of children

Children are supported well by the staff to engage in community activities, which helps them to develop their peer relationships. This is a measured approach taken by the staff, who recognise the children’s differences and individual strengths. Children also enjoy well-planned overnight stays with their friends, both in the home and on assessed short breaks with their friends’ families. Additionally, the children are encouraged and supported to participate in activities of their choice that support their interests, such as attending gaming centres. This enables the children to engage face-to-face with their peers rather than always over the internet.

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The care of children

Children’s general health needs are met. When children are feeling anxious and emotionally vulnerable, they can openly share this with the staff who they trust. This enables the staff to be proactive and to provide appropriate support to the children when they are in crisis.

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The care of children

Children and staff work well together. The views and feelings expressed by the children are captured well in one-to-one key-work sessions. Targets and incentives encourage the children to develop positive patterns of behaviour and their independence skills.

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The care of children

When the children move into the home, they are provided with a children’s guide. However, this document requires minor amendments as raised by the independent visitor. The management team is in the process of updating this and is exploring how the children’s guide can be made available online. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 3

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The safety of children

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are detailed. However, in one example, strategies recorded are not specific in respect of the supervision of online gaming. This could leave children at risk of potential harm.

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The safety of children

Staff ensure that positive relationships with the children’s friends and families are promoted, and they are proactive in helping the children to become increasingly safe. Children now rarely go missing from the home or fail to return home on time as they have developed trusting relationships with the staff. The staff stay in contact with the children when they are with friends away from the home, so the children know that the staff care about them. The children respond positively to this and to the structure, boundaries and routines that are in place in the home and while out in the community.

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The safety of children

The staff have a clear understanding of the children and their associated vulnerabilities. Good, clear, comprehensive communication systems used in the staff handover mean that all staff know their roles and share their safeguarding responsibilities appropriately. Children are increasingly safe as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Improved monitoring systems have helped the management team to assess and evaluate the quality of care that the children receive much more effectively. This has also improved the quality of the information that is shared with children’s social workers. They now have a better understanding of the children’s progress and their areas for further development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The deputy manager, who was new at the time of the last inspection, is now fully embedded in the day-to-day management of the home. She shares and supports the same nurturing and supportive ethos of the management and staff team. This style and approach has enabled the children to feel safe and settled as they have benefited from a consistent response from the whole staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home has been subject to structural change. The garage is now used as the home office, which has created an opportunity for one child to have a bigger bedroom. The communal areas downstairs have also benefited from some improvements. However, the carpet and communal hallways upstairs look tired. The management team has a plan in place to address this now that the structural work is complete.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home operates with two sleep-in members of staff. However, the accommodation does not have sufficient space to facilitate this. This means that children’s access to all parts of their home is compromised as the staff sleep in the living room on a pull-out bed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The staff team is stable. Staff express that they are happy and enjoy working in the home. Professionals speak positively about the consistency of care that the staff Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 4 provide. This, and the excellent relationships between the children and staff, enhances the children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any maintenance or decoration required to the home are completed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide is updated to ensure that there are no incomplete sentences and that it fully complies with regulatory requirements in respect of information pertaining to accessing support if a child is unhappy about anything. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that the design of the home provides the staff who sleep in the home overnight with the appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to

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Recommendations

identify any signs that the children may be at risk of harm. Additionally, staff should support the children through specific agreed strategies to reduce their use of online gaming and the associated risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Advocate Recruitment Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bell Anderson, Lindum, 264 to 266 Durham Road, Gateshead NE8 4JR

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Inspector

Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 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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