Children's Home run by Spark of Genius North East LLP in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 1 SC477031 Registered provider: Spark of Genius North East LLP

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since March 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 requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Good 08/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by staff who know them well. They have developed trusting and secure relationships with staff. Children said they can identify staff who they can turn to for support if they need to. One child said, ‘Staff care for me and want me to be here.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to prepare to move into the home by providing them with a guide to show them what the home is like and who is there. Staff arrange visits for the children and talk to them about moving in. One child spoke about staff making her feel so welcome in the first few days that it felt like she had been there longer. Staff work hard to establish the home as a place where children want to be.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn the skills they need to be prepared to move on from the home when the time is right. One child, who moved on from the home towards the end of 2023, is living successfully in their own home and holding down full-time employment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are learning and making progress in their education. However, when children refuse to attend education, staff are diligent in instilling a routine for children. Staff communicate regularly with other professionals, ensuring that they work together to find alternative provisions if mainstream education is not suitable.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to look after their health needs. Children attend their appointments and are registered with local services. Where children have specific needs, staff ensure that the right professional help is sought. For one child, this means that they are now engaging with smoking cessation support and working towards stopping smoking.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to pursue activities and things they like doing inside and outside the home. The children say that they like spending time with staff and actively seek out their company and support. Once children are comfortable and settled, staff support and encourage them to socialise with their peers. This helps children to build confidence and make friendships outside of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to raise an issue or make a complaint and feel comfortable doing so. Staff respond when a child makes a complaint and take appropriate actions to address what is raised. This helps children to feel listened to and build trust with those who care for them .

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all the children’s bedrooms are personalised and well cared for. Broken furniture is not replaced and damage to walls has not been repaired in two of the bedrooms. This does not give children the message that they are valued and deserving of a nice space of their own. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 4

p.3

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

Children have up-to-date plans which outline the risks they face. Staff know and understand these risks and what needs to be done to reduce these and protect children. The children spoken to said they feel safe at the home.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of child exploitation and the signs that children may be at risk. When concerns emerge, there is a proactive and cohesive response from staff to keep children safe. Staff also work with children to help them to understand the risks and enable them to make safer choices.

p.4

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, staff actively look for them and follow their individual plans. This helps to ensure that children return home as quickly as possible.

p.4

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

Staff are consistent in applying the rules and boundaries of the home. As a result, children know the expectations for their behaviour and say that these are fair. Children also understand what the consequences will be if they do not behave in a way that is acceptable. Staff support children to manage the feelings which can lead to negative behaviour. This helps children to recognise how their emotional responses impact on them and those around them.

p.4

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

Staff are aware of the risks posed to children online. They have been vigilant and identified where children have been at risk online. They have therefore taken prompt action to safeguard children from inappropriate contact with others. Staff work with children to manage their social media use safely. This equips children with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safer.

p.4

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

There is a robust process in place to ensure that the people who work with children are appropriately checked and vetted. This safer recruitment process means that those who are employed are appropriate to work with children. This helps to ensure that children are cared for by staff who can keep them safe. Staff know what their responsibilities are in the event of a fire. The staff have regular fire drills to practise supporting children to evacuate the building. However, one of the doors that acts as a fire escape is locked at night. This could impede on staff and children’s ability to exit the home in an emergency.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The judgement for leadership and management has been impacted by the home being without a registered manager for over 12 months. The manager in post has not yet registered with Ofsted. In addition, there are only two members of staff with the required qualification.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff at the home work in partnership with other professionals. There is good communication from the staff, and feedback from other agencies is complimentary. The feedback from professionals is consistently complimentary, particularly in the Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 5 relationships that are developed with the children and how these have supported children’s progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff talk positively about the manager and the impact she has in the home. The manager has implemented a therapeutic approach, which has had a positive impact on the children and the staff. The manager knows the children and staff well. They understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. The manager has plans in place to address the shortfalls and improve the quality of care provided to children. Some records have not been signed or dated by the manager or staff. This has not impacted on the quality of care children receive.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive a thorough induction programme when they start working at the home. This helps them to learn the skills they will need to work with the children. Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. This also enables the manager to maintain oversight of the performance of staff and evaluate their training and development needs. However, the quality of individual supervision is inconsistent. Some records demonstrate opportunities to reflect, whereas others are brief and do not include discussions regarding the care provided to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Not all staff have attained the relevant qualification within the required time frame. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has not yet been achieved. This leaves the home with only two members of staff who are qualified for the role. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”);

p.6

Requirement Due date

or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 1 August 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)) 1 June 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 1 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 7 use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

A person seeking to be registered under this Part shall make an application to the registration authority. (Care Standards Act 2000 S12 (1)) 1 June 2024

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to 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)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. Case records must be signed and dated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 8

p.7

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: SC477031 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Spark Of Genius North East LLP

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: King Edwin School, Mill Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland TS20 1LG

p.9

Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC477031 10 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.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10