Children's Home run by Young Foundations Limited in Darlington

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 1 SC061439

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Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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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 provider. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties. They may also have learning disabilities or mental health disorders.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024. The responsible individual’s post has been vacant since November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: SC061439 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children say they feel safe and have positive relationships with the staff. Children like living at the home and feel listened to and supported.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment is comfortable for the children. The communal areas are clean, welcoming and decorated ready for Christmas. The children’s bedrooms are personalised and well furnished.

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Findings from the inspection

When children are welcomed to the home, they experience well-planned introductions. Children receive visits from the manager and staff and have the choice to visit the home, stay for meals and choose their bedroom. One child chose to move sooner than planned, opting to stay at the home during their second visit.

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Findings from the inspection

The plans agreed with the placing authority are in date and reflect the most recent reviews. The information is transferred into the home’s own care plans and assessments. This provides staff with clear information to enable them to meet the children’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all children attend education on a regular basis. Staff arranged tutoring for one child. However, this has not been successful in motivating the child to engage in learning. Another child has refused to attend their current school. The manager has raised her concerns with the placing authority and virtual school but has not escalated this when no resolution was received. This has caused the issue to drift, and neither child is attending education.

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Findings from the inspection

When children are missing from home, staff do not always follow their own procedures. Staff did not inform the local authority when a child was reported as missing from home. When children are reported as missing to the police, the Philomena Protocol states that the local authority must be informed. However, staff did not complete this during a missing-from-home episode where there were increased concerns about a child’s vulnerability. This does not provide assurances that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

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Findings from the inspection

An agency staff member fell asleep while on duty. This allowed a child to leave the home undetected. Consequently, the child was missing through the night without staff being aware until they returned the next morning. This places children at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff restrained a child in the community for the purpose of getting them into a car. This decision was made by staff because of the child’s behaviour in a public place. This practice does not ensure that the use of restraint is necessary or proportionate to safeguard children and is not in line with the home’s policy. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 3 The supervision of staff is inconsistent. New employees are not receiving regular supervision in line with the home’s policy. The supervision of staff is not effective in addressing staff conduct or performance issues. Important conversations are not recorded, and practice issues persist. Furthermore, the manager is not receiving appropriate supervision or a suitable induction into their role. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/10/2022 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 3 February 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential;

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 3 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 6 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) 3 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 3 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have 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 managers have successfully completed a relevant induction for the role in which they are employed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.21) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alexander House, Highfield Park, Llandrynog, Denbighshire, Wales LL16 4LU

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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC061439 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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