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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 1 Registered provider: Spark Of Genius North East LLP

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children resident at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since December 2023.

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Inspection date: 11 December 2024

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2024

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Inspection date: 11 December 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and/or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 There are no appropriate management arrangements in the home. The home has been without a registered manager for more than 49 weeks. Staff have not had sufficient management oversight of their practice.  Senior leaders have failed to ensure that staff have adequate support or sufficient oversight of their practice.  Staff have failed to respond effectively to children’s needs in line with children’s plans, including poor behaviour management.  There are insufficient staff to manage children’s behaviour.  Leaders have not considered the impact on all children when ending the placement. Therefore, children living in the home have had no preparation for such a significant change.  Staff are not sufficiently familiar with all children’s risk assessments.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since December 2023. The provider has not made sufficient progress in appointing a manager for this home.

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Findings from the inspection

The interim manager is currently overseeing two children’s homes belonging to this provider. Leaders have not ensured adequate support for the interim manager to ensure that standards of care are maintained. She does not have the necessary skills to lead and manage staff across both homes. Consequently, staff have been without sufficient support and oversight of their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s behaviour is not always effectively managed. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans contain inconsistent information on how to manage children’s behaviours. Furthermore, there are not sufficient staff to support children when they are angry or upset. For one child, their risks have increased since coming to live in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not provided with consistent care by staff who are familiar to them. There has been a significant number of staff who have left, and there are insufficient numbers of staff to provide appropriate care to children. The children said that they do not like being looked after by unknown adults.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not prepare children for moving on from the home. Some children are discharged from the home without notice and without any discussion with the local authority on allowing them to maintain the child’s placement. Consequently, children are not provided with sufficient time to prepare for this significant change. This also prevents children from experiencing positive endings to the relationships they have built with the staff and other children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 3 The condition of the home is not of a good standard. Bathrooms are dirty and there is damage to some carpets, walls and furniture. This makes the environment less homely for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are not consistently recording incidents that happen in the home. There are no records of children or staff taking part in discussions following incidents to allow for learning and reflection. Therefore, leaders and managers cannot maintain adequate oversight of the home and be assured that incidents are managed appropriately. This also means that staff are not routinely reflecting on their practice or how they support children at the times when they are dealing with difficult emotions.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager does not routinely notify Ofsted of significant incidents that occur in the home. This prevents Ofsted from being assured that safeguarding concerns are managed effectively, and that children are safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Following a case review on 11 December 2024, which confirmed that there are serious and widespread concerns at the home, a restriction of accommodation notice was served alongside two compliance notices under Regulations 12 and 27. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2024 Full Good 22/08/2023 Full Good 15/02/2023 Full Good 24/01/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 5

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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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)) 26 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

*The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 2 March 2025

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 1(b) (2)(d)(e)(f)) 23 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 6 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)) 23 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 23 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children. Children’s homes must comply with the relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food, hygiene and so on). Homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a homely rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Spark Of Genius North East LLP

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1159884 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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