Children's home run by Soteria Children’s Services Group Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2719516 1 Registered provider: Soteria Children’s Services Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider. It can offer care for up to five children with a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2719516 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2719516 3

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outstanding

Staff and the child have developed very trusting and nurturing relationships. These relationships were developed through the extensive process of the child moving into the home. The views of those who knew the child best were carefully considered by the manager and staff. They considered the child’s complex health, care and behavioural needs. The child has gone on to make exceptional progress from their starting points when moving to the home. The child, who previously experienced high degrees of social isolation and lived in an unsuitable placement, has been supported to access community, social and educational opportunities. They have benefited from a wealth of positive experiences since arriving at the home.

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outstanding

Staff have worked creatively and resiliently to develop effective means of communication with the child. Specific learning disability training and research- informed practice ensure staff remain skilled and knowledgeable in this area. For example, the child’s communication has improved, and she now speaks a few select words, which for her is remarkable progress. The staff are tenacious in helping the child make progress. The child can now, more than ever, make their needs known by communicating with signs, symbols and pictures. Staff are incredibly proud of their progress. The voice of this child is heard, and their wishes are acted on.

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outstanding

There is a holistic approach to supporting the child to access the community. Careful planning and constant risk assessment mean they can now enjoy daily activities and fun experiences. The child’s daily and weekly planners are informed by their choices and is always child-led. For new experiences, the child is very well prepared through the extensive use of signs, symbols and stories that are used to help and support them with managing new experiences. Staff understand the importance of disabled children experiencing consistent and predictable routines. This is fully embedded in the child’s bespoke care planning. As a result, the child enjoys an abundance of positive experiences, and there is a reduction in challenging behaviours.

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outstanding

The child receives help from a specialist multi-disciplinary team. Psychology support, counselling and a speech and language therapist are all made available to the child, which enhances their daily care and experiences. There has been no delay in accessing this specialist help, as it forms part of the home’s bespoke model of care. Staff use research-informed practice and the expertise of others to access the best healthcare in a strong and confident manner. For this child, this professional practice has made an exceptional difference in their life, despite their most complex needs.

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outstanding

The child regularly attends a specialist academy for children with severe, complex and profound learning disabilities. Staff are supportive of education and visited the academy as part of the child’s pre-admission transition. Communication with education professionals is excellent. A teacher said, ‘We, as a school, feel very lucky Inspection report for children's home: 2719516 4 to be working with such an amazing placement. We have seen some remarkable progress since they moved to the home. They are now able to work with two other pupils in a classroom, which they were not able to do before.’

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outstanding

Feedback from involved professional agencies is exceptional. There are excellent working relationships between staff, professionals, and families. A local authority officer gave praise to staff for their care of children, adding that they hope to place more children at this home, such is their confidence in the care provided. The child’s family is thrilled with their care and progress. A parent said, ‘This is the first time in my life I don’t need to worry about them. This is a perfect example of how other homes should be run. We are so excited for their future.’

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outstanding

The child receives high-quality care from staff who know them incredibly well. Care plans and risk assessments are intricately detailed, with regular reviews, making it clear to staff what they need to do to keep the child safe. These documents are kept up to date and accurate by the manager. This effective safeguarding practice promotes safety. It also means the child is supported by staff to take measured, age-appropriate risks in line with their own development, despite their complex needs.

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outstanding

There has been one safeguarding incident since the home opened. A robust response to the incident was overseen by leaders and involved safeguarding partners, including the police and the placing local authority. Swift action taken by staff and the manager ensured the immediate safety of the child. A child protection investigation was conducted and closed, with no further action deemed necessary. The manager did not agree with this outcome and, therefore, challenged safeguarding partners to justify their rationale. In this instance, the manager became a powerful advocate for the child and their safety.

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outstanding

The child’s complex health and behavioural needs mean that there are frequent times of upset, distress and behaviour that are challenging for adults. Staff are skilled at promoting positive behaviour and have embedded a consistent response on these occasions. This means that despite many challenging incidents, there has been no use of physical intervention. Despite never being used, restraint practice is considered in a multi-disciplinary approach, with an additional layer of external scrutiny from a consultant. This is a further example of excellent safeguarding practice.

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outstanding

Staff undertake a broad range of good-quality training in safeguarding matters. There is excellent communication with safeguarding partners in the placing authorities. Leaders are acutely aware of the additional safeguarding vulnerabilities for disabled children and what those inherent risk factors may look like. Learning from research is a strength of the leadership team and is shared throughout the service through discussions, supervision sessions, team meetings, handovers and upskilling exercises. Staff understand the importance of an open safeguarding Inspection report for children's home: 2719516 5 culture and, as a result, know how to recognise, report and act on any safeguarding concerns that they may have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team is made up of a director, a responsible individual and a registered manager. All are ambitious for children and inspirational leaders. They provide excellent role models for staff and drive continual improvement. The culture is such that it guards against complacency and focuses on ensuring the child reaches their full potential, regardless of any complex or challenging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff hold managers in high regard. They are described as being some of the best leaders the staff have ever worked for. Staff speak positively about leaders offering support with both work and more personal matters. The inspector was told of, and was able to observe, an open-door policy with leaders who are welcoming of staff feedback and ideas. There have been no departures from the staff team. This has contributed to high morale and dedication throughout the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a confident leader. His management style is enhanced by years of experience working with children with learning disabilities, and he brings a wealth of experience. He is a strong advocate for the child and makes every decision with the child at the centre. His ambition and high expectations have been influential in the child’s sustained progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know their strengths. A wealth of evidence is available to support sustained improvement for the child during this inspection period. This covers all areas of their development, including better health care, exceptional educational progress and more social opportunities than before. The manager does not take credit for such impressive progress, emphasising to the inspector that this cannot be done alone and is thanks to his excellent team and directors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers promote the continuous professional development of all staff. Research is used to keep abreast of all sector changes and to access high-calibre and diverse training resources. Supervision and team meetings are used effectively as opportunities to upskill staff both individually and collectively. The bespoke model of care applied here, led by the responsible individual, who is a child psychologist, is something all the staff are proud of.

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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: 2719516 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Soteria Children’s Services Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 43 Coniscliffe Road, Darlington DL3 7EH

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Inspector

Rachael Sprigg, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2719516 7 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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