Children's home run by North East Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2731357 1 Registered provider: North East Care Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2023 and is owned and managed by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager at the home.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2731357 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2731357 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusted relationships with staff in the home, and these relationships play a key role in children’s progress. Staff know the children well and speak passionately about their positive qualities despite any behavioural challenges faced. Children have formed a sense of belonging while living at the home, and this is evident in the way the children confide in staff members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to be involved in the decisions made about their care. They are helped to understand the reasons behind the decision-making and can share their views on their everyday needs. Children feel their views are acted on and have used the complaints process when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have progressed in their education, both in engagement and learning, because of living in the home. Staff have effective communication with the schools, and the manager has been a strong advocate in ensuring that children are in an education provision that meets their social and intellectual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff tailor activities to promote children’s sense of independence, and they work with children in a compassionate way to enable them to reach goals at their own pace. For both children living in the home, they have been able to engage in social and physical activities over time through a structured introduction from the staff. This sense of independence and responsibility for their own behaviours has resulted in the removal of a deprivation of liberty order (DoL order) for one child and a plan in place to remove a similar order for the other child living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to be healthy. All children have access to relevant health settings, and staff support them to attend appointments. When children refuse to attend appointments, staff encourage positive routines to reduce the likelihood of ill health occurring.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers build positive relationships with children’s families and loved ones. This has enabled children to increase their family time and improve their relationships. Families are welcomed into the home, and this has encouraged the children to feel more at home.

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

Children feel safe at the home and in the care of staff. There is a strong protective response from staff towards children that reduces the likelihood of harm occurring. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731357 4 Risk assessments identify risks to children, which are reviewed when things change. Staff try to use the least restrictive practice; however, staff have not always applied measures imposed by the DoL order, which would have prevented the police from being called to manage behaviours. Staff have used behaviour management strategies that have resulted in several incidents of police involvement that are not part of the documented behaviour management plans.

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

Staff use strategies to de-escalate behaviours, and any form of restraint is used as a last resort. All incidents have management oversight, staff receive debriefs and children are offered an opportunity to speak about the incident and explore their views.

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

Consequences used are minimal and are only used when necessary. Consequences are recorded, restorative in nature and are decided on in consultation with children to maximise their effectiveness and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is developing the service and their workforce. The manager reviews the quality of care in the home with robust governance processes and is supported by senior managers through regular supervision to make changes as required. All leaders and managers are open to recommendations to inform future development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has built up effective multi-agency links and family relationships as appropriate. The registered manager understands the children’s plans and supports staff to provide care that meets those needs. The manager seeks regular feedback through informal conversation and consultation with children, families and stakeholders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive regular supervision that focuses on children’s progress. Supervisions are recorded effectively and include reflective discussions and clear and timely actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is staffed by a consistent staff team that can meet the needs of the children. Safer recruitment checks and further checks are undertaken to ensure that staff are appropriately qualified and experienced for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed mandatory training, and the manager encourages staff’s personal and professional development. The manager seeks out innovative courses to develop the staff’s understanding of children; however, some staff have not formally received training in complex needs such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which would benefit them in supporting children with these needs going forward. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731357 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children by ensuring they have training in any individual needs, such as ADHD. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  The registered person should agree with their local police force about procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them, by ensuring that conditions of any deprivation of liberty safeguards are consistently used to minimise all potential risks to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2731357 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: JWS Hopper Hill Road, Eastfield, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 3YS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jason Darbyshire

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Inspector

Vikki Thwaites, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2731357 7 regulates and inspects 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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