Children's home run by Northridge Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 1 Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2021 and is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted when the home opened in July 2021. They hold a leadership and management qualification at level 5.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 3

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improvement to be good

The children live in a bright, welcoming home with modern furnishings throughout. Staff encourage children to personalise their bedrooms with their artwork and photos. This helps children to feel more settled in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they have good relationships with staff and a sense of belonging. Staff engage children in a range of enjoyable activities to meet children’s needs. The staff also understand and support children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to help children to develop positive relationships with one another. Children say that they do not spend much time together. One child said that they spend most of their time in their bedroom as they feel uncomfortable when the other child is home. Another child moved out of the home due to ongoing peer conflict. This impacts on children’s emotional well-being and their ability to develop skills to resolve conflict.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of children’s health needs. They help children to access appropriate support to meet their needs. However, the manager and staff are not aware of the local offer which sets out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a missed opportunity to access additional resources for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with their families. Staff work positively with parents to promote safe visits where appropriate. This helps children to maintain their relationships with their family and make progress with their long-term plans.

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improvement to be good

Managers work proactively to secure suitable education provision for children. The children currently living in the home are both attending education and making good progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff keep a record of positive comments for each child in a ‘praise book’. Staff also encourage children to keep photos to help them make memories, which both children enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk management plans provide strategies for staff to use to keep children safe. However, not all staff are familiar with the children’s individual missing-from- home protocols. This means that staff may respond differently to safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 4 Managers previously failed to recognise and respond adequately to safeguarding concerns. This included allegations against staff. Some staff also felt intimidated by managers, which delayed staff following the whistle-blowing process. However, once aware, senior managers responded quickly to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action. As a result, all staff attended additional safeguarding training. In addition, senior managers introduced a clear improvement plan to ensure that managers now respond appropriately to safeguarding incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff use restraint as a last resort to manage children’s behaviour. When staff use restraint, children and staff review the incident afterwards. However, managers do not consistently analyse incidents. This means that, on some occasions, staff struggle to de-escalate children’s behaviour.

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improvement to be good

All staff have suitable background checks before they start to work at the home. This ensures that managers do not place children at risk from unsuitable adults working at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out regular key-work sessions with children. They discuss issues relating to risks in children’s lives, such as online harm. This helps children to develop their knowledge of risks and to become more resilient.

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good

Staff currently feel supported by the management team, and they receive regular supervision. Previously, some staff did not feel supported by managers, and this affected the care provided for children. Senior managers now regularly visit the home to support staff and monitor progress.

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good

Leaders do not consistently evaluate incidents. This limits staff’s learning and the development of good practice to prevent issues reoccurring. However, the registered manager is continuing to make improvements to their monitoring systems. This helps them to track children’s progress and improve general practice.

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good

Staff attend regular team meetings, which now have a clear structure. Staff attendance in recent months has also improved. This helps staff to communicate any concerns in a supportive environment. One member of staff said, ‘The culture of the team has improved massively in the past few months.’

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good

Staff attend a wide range of training to develop their skills and knowledge. This helps them to provide better care for children. The manager regularly reviews staff training as part of their workforce development plan.

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good

The registered manager regularly reviews and updates the statement of purpose. However, the manager has not submitted revised versions to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) for several months. Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 5 The registered manager provides a regular quality of care review. This now includes the views of stakeholders, including children. This helps the manager to focus on key areas for improvement while also celebrating the children’s achievements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 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, the 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff manage safeguarding concerns without delay and follow the relevant safeguarding procedures to protect children from harm. In addition, staff should take effective action when children raise concerns about their health and well-being. 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 7 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(xi)(xiii) (b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that positive relationships are promoted 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 8 between children and that staff seek to manage any concerns without delay. In addition, staff should have the skills to de-escalate situations and resolve conflict between children.

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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

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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that managers consistently evaluate incidents to improve practice. In addition, ensure that the registered manager promotes an open and inclusive culture in the home. 9 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 9 appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that managers and staff are aware of the local offer which sets out the support available for children with SEND. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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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: 2640099 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fylde House, Skyways Commercial Campus, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 3RS

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2640099 11 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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