Children's Home run by Interactive Development Residential Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 1 Registered provider: Impact Childcare and Education Limited Full inspection 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 is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since December 2022. There is an interim manager in post who has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

During this inspection, the inspector spoke with two of the three children who currently live in the home.

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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

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2534102 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2022 Full Good 10/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that they like living in the home and there is nothing they would change about it. One child said that they feel like it is their home, which gives them a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the children with good support with their education. Two of the children go to school and are progressing well. They have ideas about what they would like to do in the future. However, one child’s educational journey has been more difficult. For this child, there is alternative support provided by a tutor coming in to the home. When children struggle to learn or are anxious, the staff have good strategies in place to support the children. This includes going out for a walk to give the child space and to help build up their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a focus on developing independence and life skills in the home. One child likes cooking and has the opportunity to buy ingredients and to cook food. Baking competitions take place to further encourage these skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children receive support for their health and well-being. Specialist emotional support is in place for children who need this. This includes children having access to counselling at school. This emotional support is easily accessible for children during their daily routine to help support the children if they are having a difficult day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views and opinions are important and they have a say about what happens in the home. This can be something small such as what meals they want, or something bigger such as their views about a new child moving in. This helps the children to learn how to express themselves and explain how they feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where possible, children see their families. This ensures that children see the people who are important to them. However, staff respect children’s choices, and support children if they decide not to see family members.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Each child has an individualised risk assessment and behaviour management support plan. The staff follow the strategies to reduce the opportunities for children to hurt themselves. For example, room searches are undertaken to remove any objects that children could use to harm themselves with.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

However, one child’s risk assessment was not up to date, and it was not clear whether all the staff have read the updated documents. This means that the manager cannot be assured that the staff have the right information about a child and are following the right plan. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 4 Children are encouraged to talk about any worries they may have so staff can act when necessary. Each child has a dedicated worker who supports them. These staff members have informal chats with the children as well as focused conversations about issues the children are dealing with. These sessions help children build trust as well as improve their knowledge and coping skills.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Physical intervention is not regularly used by staff and only used as a last resort. Other approaches, for example rewards and consequences, help the children to understand the impact of their responses on others.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Between October 2022 and January 2023, there was an increase in children going missing from the home, and children putting themselves at risk of harm. The interim manager recognised that the staff could not keep some of the children safe. As a result, some of the children moved to other, more suitable, accommodation. Also, staff received more training and support to increase their safeguarding knowledge. These measures mean that there has been a reduction in the times children go missing and staff are better equipped to keep the children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There is a concern about a health and safety aspect in the home. One external door, which is an identified escape route, is locked at night with a key. This could prevent people from leaving the home by this door in an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since being in post, the interim manager has worked hard to improve things for children, such as improvements made with the moving in process. There is now a detailed assessment for any proposed new child, followed by a consultation with staff and the children already living in the home. The new child visits the home before moving in. This helps the manager understand whether the staff can meet the child’s needs. The planning helps to avoid unnecessary moves for children and supports their stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is now a stable staff team in place. Staff said that they feel valued and well supported. Training, supervision sessions, team meetings and consultations take place with staff. This gives staff the opportunity to discuss the children, what is working well and what should improve. These all help to develop and improve the staff’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good multi-agency working. Feedback from professionals is consistent and positive. One professional said the home is the ‘best home’ they work with and there is commitment to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Tolerance and equality is promoted in the home. One of the children helped to create a board on this topic. This looks at a wide range of issues such as gender identity, disability, race and sexuality, with positive quotes from well-known people. This information starts conversations between the children and the staff to help the children understand about equality and difference. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 5 There is an independent visitor who goes to the home on a monthly basis. This provides external scrutiny. However, there is sometimes a prolonged period of time without the visitor seeking feedback from the children’s families. This makes it difficult to know what the families’ views are. The manager’s six-monthly quality-of- care review report also lacks feedback from the children about the care they are receiving. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that the children’s risk assessments are kept up to date, and that the staff have read and understood updated risk assessments and plans. 31 August 2023

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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 manager should ensure that children and staff can easily exit the home in an emergency as identified in the fire risk assessment. 31 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 7 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. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b)) 31 December

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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: 2534102 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Impact Childcare and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3-5 Brenkley Way, Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland NE13 6DS

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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2534102 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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