Children's Home run by ROC Home Limited in Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 1 Registered provider: ROC Home Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of this service is the relationships that children develop with staff. Children were seen to have playful interactions with staff. Staff speak positively about children and show affection towards them. This helps children to see that staff are invested in caring for them.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive well-planned admissions to the home. Arrangements are made for children to have introductions to staff and the home prior to their moves. Children’s views contribute to these plans. This helps children to move into the home with ease.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in their learning. Incentives are used to encourage children when engaging in learning is a struggle for them. Staff advocate for children when plans for their learning are not finalised. In addition, staff are creative in engaging children in learning, to support their development.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete key-work sessions with children to develop their independence and self- care skills and explore their emotions and feelings.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are kept busy with activities in the home and community. Staff ensure that children have access to varied experiences. In addition, staff complete memory books for children so that they have a record of their time in the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to learn about diverse cultures and celebrations. Children are also encouraged to engage in charity work. This increases children’s involvement in their local community.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their families. Staff communicate well with children’s families and keep them up to date about the children and their progress. One grandparent said they feel that staff listen to them about their grandchild’s care. Staff are instrumental in taking children to meet with their families. This helps children and their loved ones to stay connected.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Monitoring and surveillance are used in the home. Door chimes are activated in a child’s bedroom and on external doors. The necessity for the use of this monitoring is not detailed in the child’s plan, nor is it subject to review. Therefore, children could be exposed to intrusive monitoring when this is unnecessary.

p.2

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

Assessments and safety plans reflect children’s needs and vulnerabilities. Staff have access to up-to-date assessments and plans for children in their care. Strategies for staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 3 to support children and manage risks are detailed. This helps staff to respond to children consistently.

p.2

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

Complaints are rare but, when they are received, the manager responds to them promptly. The children know how to make a complaint and there are systems in place to escalate this if they are not happy with the outcome. Managers write to children to confirm the outcome of a complaint to ensure that they know what actions have been taken.

p.3

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

There are safe systems in place for the safe administration and storage of medication. Managers work effectively with the independent visitor when improvements are identified for the administration and recording of medication. This ensures that there are clear records of all medicines given to children, including those that are administered on an as-and-when basis.

p.3

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

Children are given sanctions due to negative behaviours. Reparation is offered; however, not all sanctions are recorded. Therefore, the manager does not have a system in place to review the effectiveness of the sanction for the child. This could lead to children experiencing repeated sanctions that do not support their learning.

p.3

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

Children are restrained in the home, although this is infrequent. Children are only held as a last resort to keep them or others safe. Records of restraint are detailed. However, it is unclear what oversight the manager has when a child is restrained or if they are injured.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an experienced registered manager and deputy. Managers know the children they care for well. It is evident when speaking with managers and staff that they care about the children they look after.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place to monitor children’s progress. Regular audits of children’s files and information ensure that the manager tracks how well the children are being helped and supported. This enables the manager to make adjustments to staffing ratios to care for children, and review staff training needs.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, reflective supervision and support. Supervision takes place more frequently for staff in their probation period, to ensure that they receive the support they need. When supervision takes place, this is a collaborative effort between the manager and staff. This helps to keep a focus on areas of progress and development.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place to ensure that staff have the skills to meet children’s needs. The manager ensures that all staff complete mandatory training and additional training, when necessary. In addition, the manager ensures that staff who do not hold a qualification as set out in regulation, are enrolled to achieve this.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are largely up to date, and essential records are held on children’s files. However, one child’s placement plan holds incorrect information and the delegated Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 4 authority is not signed. Another child does not have a pathway plan in place. The manager has failed to engage the placing local authorities about these inaccuracies, missing consent and planning for a child. Therefore, children and staff do not have access to correct information or plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 5

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.5

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)) 30 January 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 30 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 6 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d)) 30 January 2025

p.6

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: 2777652 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hope House, Burnhope, Newton Aycliffe DL5 7ER

p.7

Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Kirstie Sutherland, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2777652 8 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.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8