Children's home run by Pear Tree Projects Limited in County Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC000803 1 SC000803

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Registered provider: Pear Tree Projects 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

A private provider owns and manages the home. The home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke to all three children living in 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

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2024

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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: SC000803 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Good 11/07/2022 Full Good 09/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC000803 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have a rigorous process to help them understand the needs of the children and whether they can live safely together. Staff provide warm and responsive parenting, which helps children to have enduring stays in the home. Additionally, staff enable children to have planned and positive moving-on experiences. Some children choose to continue to maintain connections with staff after they have left the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good physical health. Staff support them to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities that support positive emotional well-being. The children benefit from individual clubs such rugby, football and cadets as well as long walks and trips to interesting places, such as Edinburgh. The manager empowers staff to attend training specific to the health needs of the children, for example a specialist dental hygiene course that improves oral hygiene for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and one child has finished college. Staff promote a learning culture in the home, which helps children to understand how to stay safe, form positive relationships and achieve academically. Children have access to the farm, where they also earn while they learn. When children are not in school, the manager communicates well with professionals to find alternative ways to continue their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to share their views about their care. They encourage children to communicate in their own individual ways, which can often be through letters. The manager reassures children by responding to letters, complaints or suggestions. Children benefit from being listened to, and this helps them to manage their emotions openly and without fear.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak highly about the quality of the written reports that staff submit to children’s reviews. Professionals speak about the effectiveness of the strategies staff use to achieve meaningful change. A social worker commented that the manager and staff team ‘go above and beyond’ and that ‘this is an amazing home.’ For example, one child no longer needs to take any sleep medication because staff have established bedtime routines. One parent is appreciative of the level of communication from staff, which helps them to understand the progress their child makes.

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

Children say they feel safe, and they are happy. The manager promotes a strong safeguarding culture where risks are known and action plans are understood. The manager himself is also very involved with the care of the children, ensuring he is physically and emotionally available to them. Children have individual risk and safety Inspection report for children’s home: SC000803 4 plans addressing risks such as sexual or criminal exploitation or risks from the community. Children agree for staff to monitor their mobile phones, and this helps to create safety.

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

Risk assessments are comprehensive and provide strategies to help and protect children. The manager addresses incidents of bullying quickly and effectively. This keeps the children safe and improves their mental well-being.

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

Children attend monthly house meetings. The manager and staff take this opportunity to praise the children for the progress they make. They encourage children to participate in discussions about their relationships and their activities and consider risks from the community. Staff talk about any tensions in relationships in the home, and children learn from those discussions. Staff promote rewards and positive consequences to recognise positive behaviour. This results in a reduction of negative behaviours.

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

Management oversight of records is strong and provides clear guidance. The manager ensures that every safeguarding incident record has serious consideration and reflective oversight. This includes when children are missing from home or display negative behaviours in the home. This helps the children to understand the reasons for consequences for negative behaviours.

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

Staff rarely need to hold children. When it has been necessary for staff to hold and guide a child, records show this is a proportionate response. The manager’s oversight ensures that staff responses and strategies are safe and effective. Staff produce written records of the discussions with the children and any key work that takes place. Staff ensure timely and detailed reports. However, one record, a generic risk assessment for the home, uses blaming language.

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

Leaders and managers recruit safely to the home. Children benefit from a settled team that is skilled and dedicated. Children speak highly of the relationships staff have developed with them. This helps them to talk about their experiences and learn how to manage conflict and difficult conversations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and valued by their manager. Staff love working in the home, which has resulted in a very settled and stable workforce. The manager aspires for the children to overcome challenges and develop independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager keeps a feedback folder for the children’s views and writes personally to children so that they know their contributions are valued. The manager is child focused, and the children’s views, feelings and emotional well-being are taken into consideration. The manager encourages a relational approach that benefits the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000803 5 Staff benefit from monthly supervisions that help them to reflect on the children. Staff value the time and space for them to reflect on children’s complex needs. The manager makes reasonable adjustments for staff when it is necessary. This ensures that staff have the resources they need to support and protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust monitoring systems in place to help him manage the home effectively. Staff share the responsibilities and accountability for the smooth running of the home by sharing the day-to-day tasks. Deputy managers are supported to complete the level 5 leadership course so that they can provide continuity of leadership and management in the registered manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well maintained and furnished to a high standard. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and strongly reflect and celebrate their individual interests and achievements. The home is equipped with games that children enjoy, which encourages positive interaction between the staff, manager and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work well with professionals to promote inclusive multi- agency working. While independent visitor reports meet the requirement of regulation, senior leaders have reviewed the quality of the reports for all of the organisation’s homes. Senior leaders have worked appropriately with the independent visitor to support increased challenge and scrutiny so that managers can make the best use of the reports to improve quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000803 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC000803 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pear Tree Projects Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Peartree House, Bolam, Darlington, County Durham DL2 2UP

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Inspector

Tenji Wesa, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC000803 8 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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