Children's Home run by Right-Trak Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 1 SC394909 Registered provider: Right-Trak 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. The home provides care for up to four children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there was no registered manager in post.

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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

Date of last inspection: 29 November 2022

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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: SC394909 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2022 Full Good 27/09/2021 Full Good 17/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 3

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improvement to be good

Children do not yet have consistently secure and trusting relationships with the staff.

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improvement to be good

Children’s relationships with staff are hindered by the staff’s use of consequences, which are excessive and not in keeping with the home’s statement of purpose or ethos. For example, children are asked to make significant financial reparation for damage as well as undertaking physical repair tasks. As a result, children do not always feel that they can share information with staff as they may have further consequences or reparations given to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not consistently received training in autism and self-harm to enable them to understand all of the needs of children. However, the staff spend time getting to know the children before they move into the home. Children are supported to visit the home and get to know the staff team and other children. This helps them to settle in.

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improvement to be good

The manager carefully considers the suitability of new children who move to the home. As a result, children who live in the home get along well with one another and enjoy spending time together. Children, staff and managers refer to group activities, mealtimes and house meetings as ‘family time’. This ethos helps children to feel loved and cared for.

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improvement to be good

Children are making good progress in their education. Staff work with education colleagues to improve children’s attendance and attainment at school. As a result, all the children are achieving their expected grades and qualifications.

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improvement to be good

The children have individualised support plans that are tailored to their life goals and aspirations. One child is being supported to pursue a career in the army while another has recently enrolled on a beauty therapy course. Staff seek support from other professionals and agencies when children require it. This ensures that children’s physical and emotional health needs are met.

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improvement to be good

When children are ready to move on from the home, they are supported to do so in a planned way. Children have independence plans that teach them the skills that they will need to live independently, for example money management skills and how to make and attend a medical appointment. Children receive incentives which encourage them to engage in their independence plans. This helps children to prepare for adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Professionals and parents say that their relationships with the staff and manager are positive. There is a good level of communication, and they are kept well informed about children’s progress and needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 4

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improvement to be good

Children are at risk from environmental hazards that are not quickly identified and rectified by the staff team and managers. This is due to a shortfall in daily health and safety checks being carried out by the staff team. Repairs such as holes in the children’s flooring have not been addressed, and one child’s bedroom had a broken electrical socket and light switch. This leaves children at unnecessary risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

The home’s safeguarding procedures are not yet fully effective. Senior staff members who provide out-of-hours on-call management advice do not routinely receive safeguarding training. As a result, senior staff do not have the skills and knowledge to carry out their additional responsibilities when safeguarding incidents occur.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual risks have decreased since moving to the home. For example, some children no longer go missing from home, and others are no longer considered to be at risk of exploitation. Staff have a good understanding about children’s personal risks, and children benefit from staff who spend time talking to them about how they can make safer choices. This helps children to develop a greater understanding about their personal safety.

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improvement to be good

Children have made good progress in understanding their emotions. When children become upset, staff support them to be calm. Children talk to staff and reflect on their feelings. They are supported to learn safer ways to express their feelings. This helps children to develop better coping strategies and emotional resilience.

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good

The leaders and manager’s monitoring system is not fully effective. There are discrepancies in daily, weekly and monthly monitoring systems, which has resulted in shortfalls not being identified and acted on in a timely manner, for example staff training, health and safety and staff supervisions.

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good

Staff do not receive regular supervision in line with the company’s policy. Therefore, staff do not have opportunities to discuss any concerns or worries they have about the children. This also limits the time that staff have to reflect on their practice and consider their own professional development. As a result, the manager’s oversight of staff practice and the impact this has on the care of children is restricted.

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good

Children’s progress is important to leaders and managers. Managers regularly seek and act on children’s views and ensure that children have high aspirations for themselves. They work collaboratively with other professionals to help children achieve their goals and personal potential.

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good

Children are supported to make complaints when they are not satisfied with the care that they receive. Managers take children’s complaints seriously and thoroughly Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 5 investigate the circumstances of the complaint. When necessary, the manager seeks support from an independent advocate. This helps children to feel valued and listened to. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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)(a)(iii)(d)) 30 September

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(h)) 30 September

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 7 The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision so that they can reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC394909 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Winovation, Houghtons Yard, Shields Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 2YP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Melanie Spriddell

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Inspector

Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC394909 9 regulates and inspects 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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