Children's Home run by Action for Children in Northumberland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2726339 1 Registered provider: Action for Children Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a children’s charity. It can provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There are two children living in the home. Both children were spoken to during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection of the home following its registration in April 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2726339 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build positive relationships with the staff. Relationships between staff and children are warm and affectionate. Children speak positively about their experience of living in the home and the care that they receive. One child said, ‘The adults keep me safe here; they do everything for me.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to try new activities. One child’s confidence has developed through horse-riding lessons, and another has shown great potential in football. Staff create memory books filled with photos of the children doing things that they enjoy. The memory books help the children to remember the fun times that they have shared with staff and other children. This also provides children with a keepsake for when they leave the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to have meaningful relationships with their family and friends. Staff support the children to spend time with the people who are important to them. For some children, the support that the staff give them to spend time with loved ones is a new and valued experience.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in education and are making progress. Children’s school attendance is good, and one child recently received a headteacher’s award in school. The manager is a strong advocate for the children; she has challenged an education provider effectively to ensure the children have a positive experience in school.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a well-maintained and comfortable home. Staff work hard to create a homely atmosphere for the children. Children’s bedrooms feature personal touches with their favourite football team or cartoon characters. There is also a good-sized outdoor space with garden activities, for example a trampoline, for the children to enjoy.

p.2

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

Staff know the children well and meet their needs appropriately. Children’s care plans and risk assessments are detailed, clear and regularly updated. This provides staff with the information they need to understand how to meet each child’s needs.

p.2

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

Staff promote good relationships between the children. When children are unkind to each other, the staff identify and address this immediately. The staff use regular key- work sessions to help the children understand their behaviour and the impact it can have on other children. This helps the children to develop socially acceptable behaviours.

p.2

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

Staff only hold children as a last resort to keep everyone safe. The manager ensures that children are offered the opportunity to speak with someone independent to share their views following an incident. The manager evaluates incidents to assess Inspection report for children’s home: 2726339 3 their effectiveness and adapt strategies as needed. When learning is identified, the manager carries out reflective work with the staff and helps them understand how to best support the children and reduce future incidents.

p.2

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

There have been no incidents where children have been missing from home. Not all staff have a good understanding of what actions to take should a child go missing. As a result, staff are not equipped with the knowledge to deal with missing-from- home incidents appropriately should they occur.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child-focused and speaks about the children with warmth and enthusiasm. She is supported by two deputy managers and the responsible individual. Together, they work effectively to ensure that the day-to-day running of the home is smooth.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and of the quality of care provided to the children. The manager uses a range of monitoring processes to scrutinise and raise the standard of care that the children receive.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular reflective supervision that they use to discuss the children’s current needs. The monthly team meeting is well attended. Staff are provided with opportunities to explore any challenges that arise, and they discuss possible solutions as a team. Staff report that staff morale is high. They describe positive and respectful relationships with leaders and managers.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals speak positively about the progress children are making and attribute this to the care that the children receive in the home. Professionals say the way that staff communicate with them is a particular strength.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New and casual staff have yet to complete the organisation’s mandatory training, such as first aid. The manager has not ensured that there is always at least one person on duty who has a suitable first-aid qualification. This means the children may not be safeguarded effectively in the event of an emergency. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726339 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 29 March 2024

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs in relation to the management of missing-from-home incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.4

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: 2726339 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Action for Children, 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford WD18 8AG

p.5

Inspector

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2726339 6 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6