Children's home run by Together For Children Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2613157 1 Registered provider: Together for Children Sunderland Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2020.

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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: 2613157 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2023 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2613157 3

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improvement to be good

The progress of children living in the home is variable. This is because managers do not deliver consistently good help and care to all children. After making initial progress, some children’s development has stalled.

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improvement to be good

Staff acknowledge that children do not always have a good experience living in the home. One child described feeling ‘sad and angry’ during a period of instability in the home. Activities for the child were cancelled while staff responded to another child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Not all children make good progress with their education. In addition, the manager stated that one child had made better progress with their education after leaving the home. Children are encouraged by staff to engage in education and some children respond well. However, this means that children who live in the home have variable outcomes in education.

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improvement to be good

Children do not have open access to snacks. Staff keep some food in a locked cupboard, which has the effect of controlling and monitoring what children eat. This does not support children to learn about making healthy choices. This restriction impacts all children in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by staff to spend time with their families. Staff work well with parents and this helps children to maintain these relationships. One parent said that they cannot thank staff enough for the support that they give their child. This approach ensures that children are not isolated from their families and supports the development of their identity.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by staff when they move out of the home. Staff support children to learn the skills they need as they move into adulthood and help them to make plans for moving to their new homes. Staff promote positive endings to children’s time in the home. These efforts help children to feel valued by those who care for them.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff who work in the home are trained to safely hold children when they are angry or upset. On one occasion, a child was held by a member of staff who was not trained to do so. In addition, the police have been called to the home to assist when there have not been enough trained staff to safely respond to children’s needs. This has led to children being exposed to a risk of harm and unnecessary police involvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613157 4 Children have been involved in, and witness to, volatile situations. One child described what they witnessed as ‘shocking’. This included seeing staff members being hit and their home being damaged. The impact of this on the children’s well- being is not always recognised or managed well. This could leave children feeling unsafe in their home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments provide information about their behaviours and vulnerabilities. Managers do not ensure that risk assessments also set out what actions staff should take to help manage risks. This means that some children’s plans lack detail of how staff will safeguard children from harm.

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improvement to be good

Managers complete an assessment when considering a new child moving into the home. This helps managers to set out how staff will manage the risks and competing needs of all children living in the home. This means that all children are thoughtfully considered when welcoming new children to the home.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from this home, staff respond appropriately and in line with guidance. Staff are proactive in looking for children in the local area and at known addresses. This has been successful in reducing the need for police intervention and ensures that children return home as soon as possible.

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good

Leaders and managers have not provided some staff with the training required to safely meet the needs of the children. This includes essential training, such as in first aid and the home’s mode of behaviour support and therapeutic practice model. This prevents staff from delivering the care to children that is set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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good

Not enough staff have the relevant qualification as set out in regulation. Some staff have not completed their qualification by the relevant date and others are waiting to be enrolled. Leaders and managers were made aware of this shortfall at the last inspection.

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good

The fire risk assessment helps managers to provide a safe environment for children to live in. However, the front door of the property is locked with a key at night. This could restrict a safe escape from the property in the event of an emergency.

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good

Team meetings take place and focus on children’s needs and how to respond to these. The meetings include consultation with a psychologist linked to this service. This provides staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice and the individual needs of children.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. The supervision records show that there is a focus on children, safeguarding and reflective practice. In addition, staff have regular appraisals to consider their progress and development needs. Staff said that they feel well supported by managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613157 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)) 24 November

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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— promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)) In particular, the registered person should ensure that all staff are trained in first aid and safe behaviour support. 24 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2613157 6 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who

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Requirement Due date

works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualifi- cation if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 24 November

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(b)) 24 November

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home. This includes access to food and snacks, unless there are reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2613157 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Together for Children Sunderland Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Hall Floor 2, Plater Way, Sunderland SR1 3AA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Majella McCarthy

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Inspector

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2613157 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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