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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403472 1 SC403472

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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 provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children live at the home. However, the inspector was unable to speak with the children during inspection as they were at school and then on after-school activities.

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Information about this children’s home

The appointed manager left the provider on 6 January 2023 and withdrew their application to be registered as a manager on 10 January 2023. The acting manager, whose main role is the provider’s operations manager, was appointed to manage the home on 6 January 2023. The acting manager has submitted their application to register with Ofsted, while the provider actively recruits a permanent manager.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

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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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 29 November 2022 after Ofsted received a number of safeguarding notifications and complaints. During this visit, widespread shortfalls were identified, and significant failings were identified with the staffing and medication arrangements. Two compliance notices were issued under regulations 13 and 23, and requirements were raised under regulations 12, 33 and 35.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The purpose of this assurance visit was to seek assurances that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403472 2

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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 has 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: SC403472 3

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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

A core staff team provides the children with consistent care. A designated number of specific agency staff have a fixed-term contract so that children receive consistent care. One staff member reported that [name of child] appears to feel more secure since the staffing arrangements have improved.

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The care of children

Staffing and transport arrangements are sufficient to allow children’s planned activities to take place. These recently included a trip to play tenpin bowling and darts. Photos of this activity, which will be included in the children’s memory books, reflect their time spent at the home. Such activities help the children to build positive relationships with each other and with the staff.

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The care of children

The home is well presented. Following consultation with the children, some areas have been redecorated, such as the children’s bedrooms. This inclusion helps to show the children that their input is valued. Visual aids around the home help the children to understand their environment, which supports them with their social learning.

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The care of children

Damage caused in the home is repaired quickly. This helps the children to recover from any trauma associated with the damage caused, and helps to maintain a safe and homely environment.

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The care of children

Children’s views are captured consistently. Children’s records reflect that they are spoken with after a serious incident. These discussions help the children to understand the need for a specific intervention and reassure them that the staff are helping to keep them safe.

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The safety of children

Children’s health needs are prioritised. The provider instructed an external consultant to review the medication system that was in place. This system had previously failed to prevent a number of medication errors. This consultation resulted in an overhaul of the medication administration process, which is now streamlined. Staff and managers have received comprehensive training and mentoring sessions on the administration of medication. This has resulted in the staff feeling more confident in administrating children’s medication. The provider has also appointed a registered nurse to have regular oversight of the medication process. This external scrutiny helps the provider to review processes to improve children’s safety. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403472 4 Children’s care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are regularly reviewed and reflect all known aspects of a child’s care needs. The

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The safety of children

provider’s therapist provides regular input into these documents, and she has regular consultations with the staff and management team to help the staff to better support the children. There are clear trauma-informed behaviour management strategies in place, which include when and how the children may need physical intervention to keep themselves and others safe.

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The safety of children

The number of physical interventions used by the staff to support the children to manage their behaviour has reduced. Those physical interventions that have been used did not include staff holding the children. Instead, staff have guided and distracted children away from potentially dangerous situations. Staff clearly apply the guidance given by the therapist. This helps the children to build trusting relationships with the staff and helps to improve children’s safety.

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The safety of children

When children face increasing risks, the responsible individual becomes directly involved in the management of reducing these risks. Discussions are also held on a weekly basis between the responsible individual, the home’s manager and the home’s duty managers, to evaluate how to respond consistently to those children who face the most significant risks. This provides a consistently safe management response to support the staff and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider has responded promptly to the shortfalls identified during the home’s monitoring visit. This has been led by the responsible individual and the operations manager, who are committed to making the necessary to improve practice and the safety of children. This has resulted in the requirements and compliance notices issued at the monitoring inspection being met. The home’s statement of purpose now accurately reflects the management and operation of the home. This ensures that the children, their families and commissioners know what to expect when they receive a service from this provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Serious incident records have been reviewed to improve management oversight so that management reviews take place in a timely manner. Any changes to a child’s care plan, as a result of an incident, are promptly reviewed by the manager. These changes are shared with the staff to ensure that they provide the children with up- to-date and consistent care. Senior managers also consider whether an incident that has occurred requires a change to the home’s policies and procedures. This internal scrutiny promotes the children’s well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

A safer recruitment process, which now scrutinises the suitability of agency staff, is in place. All staff, including agency staff, complete an induction process and have access to the provider’s training offer. All of the staff receive regular and reflective supervision sessions in line with the home’s policy. These arrangements provide the manager with an opportunity to be assured that staff understand, and are able to meet, the needs of the children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403472 5 The provider has acted quickly to replace the home’s previous manager, who unexpectedly left the role. An acting manager, who is already known to the staff team in their role as operations manager, was immediately appointed to provide guidance and leadership on making the improvements required. Staff report feeling well supported and say that the ethos and culture in the home have improved as a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

result of the change in leadership style and the changes brought in to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

One staff member, who had resigned at the time of the monitoring visit, has withdrawn their resignation as a result of the changes in the home and the support provided for the staff. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403472 6

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