Children's Home run by A Significant Other Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 1 SC429995 Registered provider: A Significant Other Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns and manages this home. It provides care for up to four children irrespective of gender who are aged between eight and 18 years.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2023 Full Good 08/09/2021 Full Good 10/10/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children have positive experiences of living in the home as they are supported by nurturing staff. The children have progressed from their starting points in most areas of their lives. They can talk easily about how the care that they have received has helped this to happen. One child said of staff, ‘They do a really good job.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children attend education. For some, this is not full time, but it is considerably higher attendance than before moving in to the home. Where children have a reduced timetable, the staff take them out on educational visits or work with them on their independence. Staff advocate strongly on behalf of children to ensure that they can achieve in education and go on to achieve their aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Transitions into and moving on from the home are well planned. Information is shared and visits take place to ensure that the children feel comfortable in the home before they move in. When children are ready to leave the home, the staff support them to move on. The staff continue to support them for as long as the children feel necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children develop positive, supportive relationships with each other. The management team makes good decisions, based on their comprehensive risk assessments, so that children can live together cohesively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

There are a wide range of activities on offer and children readily take part in and plan for holiday times. Their experiences are captured in photos on display around the home. However, these activities are mostly away from their immediate area, which is rural. Therefore, children do not have the opportunity to engage in, or contribute to, the local community in which they live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children’s physical and mental health needs are met by staff. The home has a therapeutic approach, and this can be seen in the interactions between the staff and children. The organisation’s own psychology team offer support to both the staff and the children on a regular basis. The psychology team helps the staff to develop strategies to manage the children’s risk-taking behaviour and presenting health needs. Children are helped by incentives and rewards to gain an understanding of their own behaviour. This multi-layered approach is successful in ensuring that the children feel supported and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children are helped to keep in touch and develop their relationships with people who are important to them. Staff take the children to visit those who are important to them, and they keep the children’s family informed of important issues that affect the children’s lives. Children have maintained friendships either in their home area or through school. Staff facilitate these visits as much as possible so that the children have positive relationships that help and support them outside of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Risks to the children are known and understood by the staff. Staff are helped to mitigate the risks to children as they follow the clear strategies that are outlined in the children’s up-to-date risk assessments.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Episodes of children going missing from the home do occur. Although rare, the staff follow the agreed protocols to look for and return the children home as quickly as possible. Positive relationships with the police and other services mean that information is shared to try to prevent further instances.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children say that they feel safe in the home. They feel able to talk to staff and tell them about any worries and concerns, or situations they have found themselves in that may result in harm. This means that staff can effectively manage situations that occur.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

There have been instances of self-injurious behaviour, but children have alerted staff, who have responded quickly and effectively. The result is that room searches have had to take place. These are well documented and responded to. However, it is not always clear from the records if the children have given their permission, or if the children have been made aware of the search and the associated reasons.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Door alarms are used on bedroom doors during the night to minimise risk. The appropriate permissions are in place for these, but there is no evidence that these are needed with the current group of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The home has a strong manager who is supported by a caring and competent deputy. The manager has systems in place to quality assure the practice of staff and ensure that the home continues to develop. However, there are some occasions when the trackers used do not match the records held. This can lead to confusion when evaluating the progress of children or staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Staff speak highly of the management team and feel supported by them, both personally and in their work. Supervision sessions are regular and effective in enabling the staff to discuss positives and concerns relating to themselves or the children. Training is up to date and staff reach qualification as soon as they are able following induction and probation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The locality risk assessment is comprehensive and it identifies the strategies to guide the staff on how to minimise the risks in the area. However, these risks are not evaluated effectively to help the staff to respond efficiently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The manager responds to the recommendations made by the independent visitor. However, the reports do not contain sources to help the regulator to understand Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 5 which records have been viewed and which information has been independently verified or discussed with the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 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 registered person must ensure that n independent person visits the children’s home at least once a month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out the visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”). (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a) (4))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the report must detail what records are seen by the visitor. 30 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression, and door alarms should only be used when they are considered necessary based on known risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that if a child’s bedroom is searched that the record states if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 7 activities to help with engagement in their community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular, ensure that trackers and records match. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks, an evaluation of the risk, and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC429995 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Significant Other Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Susan Atkinson Millmoor, Social Care Inspector (OI) Inspection report for children’s home: SC429995 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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