Children's home run by HMO NE Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 1 Registered provider: HMO NE 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 a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties, learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 8 August 2022.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved on from the home as part of a planned move into adulthood. This was achieved with good advocacy and planning to ensure that they moved into a home that would meet their needs. The manager has stayed in touch to help them during this time. This supports a positive end to the child’s time at the home and maintains a connection to the staff who have cared for them while living there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect children and their choices. Children are supported to attend groups and activities that will enable them to connect with their peers. Children can talk to staff and safely explore their backgrounds, identity and their social development. This helps children to feel accepted by those around them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote and support children with their education. The manager and staff work in partnership with the virtual school and support the children to achieve good school attendance. Staff make a consistent effort to help children with their schoolwork, and they are making good progress. For one child, this means they have exceeded the expectations set for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are clear plans in place to address the children’s health needs. Staff support children to attend their health appointments and make sense of health information. Some children smoke, so staff work with the children to help them to understand the risks arising from smoking and vaping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of making positive memories for each child’s life story. Each child has a book made by staff, with photos and comments about their time at the home. Children will take these books with them when they move on. Positive memories like these help children to feel valued, and this helps the children to develop emotionally and socially.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are proud of their bedrooms, which are personalised to their taste. Photos of children are displayed throughout the home, which reflect children’s interests and show the enjoyable times that they have had. Children help staff to cook the evening meal, which they sit down and eat together. This welcoming environment feels like a family home, and this increases the children’s self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carries out an assessment prior to new children moving into the home. She considers all of the known information about the child before they move in. However, the needs of the child already living at the home are not considered fully in this process. While there has been no impact on children, this is a missed opportunity for the manager to balance the needs of all the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 4

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

Risk assessments are detailed and updated following incidents and new behaviours that children present with. The staff have a good understanding of the children’s presenting risks and the actions in place to mitigate the risks. Staff help the children to take age-appropriate risks. Children have free time and staff talk to them to help them understand the potential dangers in the community.

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

Children can confide in staff about any worries that they have, and staff respond swiftly to safeguarding concerns. Staff make referrals to safeguarding partner agencies promptly when this is appropriate and put safety plans in place. Staff have a good understanding and awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities.

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

Staff consistently reinforce children’s positive behaviour using praise and rewards. When consequences are used to address negative behaviour, staff ensure that they are balanced, fair and proportionate. Staff respond to children in a compassionate and thoughtful way and support children to learn from their experiences. As a result, staff have not needed to hold children to manage their behaviour.

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

When a child goes missing from home, staff know how to respond. Staff actively look for the child and attempt to keep in regular contact with them. Staff alert the relevant agencies to assist in the child’s safe return.

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

The staff understand the importance of respecting the children’s privacy, and a room search without the child’s permission only takes place for the purpose of safeguarding. However, the reasons for a room search are not always clearly explained to the children at times. This is a missed opportunity to help the children to fully understand measures in place to ensure their safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has attended training to increase her knowledge and skills to better manage the children’s home. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager. They work well as a team and ensure good management oversight of the care provided in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good knowledge of the children’s starting points and what they have achieved since living at the home. She is involved in the children’s lives and is a strong advocate for them. She knows what progress the children have made and has high aspirations for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good connections with partner agencies. Good levels of communication from the manager and the staff have been a common feature from the feedback provided by professionals. This fosters positive working relationships between agencies and ensures that the relevant professionals are kept up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 5 The manager ensures that her staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to care for the children effectively through a wide range of training. Some staff are currently working to achieve the required qualification, and plans are in place to ensure that they complete this within the required timescales. This will ensure that children are supported by staff who are equipped to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision and team meetings. Supervision and team meeting records are detailed and include reflective discussions. As a result, the manager has a good oversight of staff practice and learnings from care practice are identified quickly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that the child is helped to fully understand the reason for a room search at the earliest opportunity when an immediate search is performed to ensure the child’s or other person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using 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: 2595974 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hallgate House, 9 Grange Terrace, Sunderland SR2 7DF

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Inspector

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2595974 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 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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