Children's Home run by ARRONBETH LTD in Darlington

Inspection report for children’s home: 2790898 1 Registered provider: ARRONBETH LTD Full inspection 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 organisation. It provides care for up to one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2790898 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are going to be welcomed into the home, the staff consider their past experiences and plan a move that considers the child’s wishes. Introductions are made during visits to the child and when they come to visit their new home. The child is consulted on their views to gain insight into their interests and any concerns they may have. Welcome gifts and familiar staff are arranged to support a positive moving day. The manager works with professionals to arrange joint activities with the child’s friends to support their well-being and help them to settle in. Staff also support children moving on from the home to prepare them for their next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to build positive and trusting relationships. The staff recognise those opportunities when relationships can be strengthened and respond appropriately when children are experiencing difficult times. Children report feeling loved and supported by staff who know them well and make them feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain good physical and mental health. Children attend their routine health appointments and engage with specialist services when needed. The children engage with work to understand their life experiences and how this can impact on them. This has resulted in the withdrawal of historic diagnoses for one child and improved their ability to manage their own health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When a child has been out of formal education for some time, they are supported by staff to return to school. Staff work with children to understand their concerns and needs and then consult with education professionals to find a suitable placement. Staff advocate strongly for children, for example ensuring that children can rearrange exams that have been missed. This has been successful in helping one child to sit their exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has door alarms and motion sensors, which are used at night to monitor the front and rear exits of the home. However, there is no record of the local authority’s consent for this surveillance to be in place.

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

The staff understand the child and are familiar with their plans. Information is shared between staff in team meetings, handovers and through regular updates to the child’s plans. Staff demonstrate professional curiosity when seeking information about what the child accesses online and who they associate with in the community. This provides greater insight into the child and their behaviour and helps staff to keep them safer.

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

When the child is missing from home, the staff act quickly to return them as quickly and safely as possible. Missing-from-home plans are followed, and staff search all known locations and liaise with the police and other local services. This helps to ensure the child is not able to use local public transport to leave the area. Inspection report for children’s home: 2790898 3 The staff receive mandatory training in line with the statement of purpose. When new concerns arise, or when children are new to the home, additional training is arranged to meet those specific needs before their arrival. This supports the safety of children from the moment they are welcomed into the home and increases the confidence of staff to be able to manage those additional risks.

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

The staff work with children to help them to understand risks associated with using the internet. Honest conversations are held with the child to help them to understand how they can keep themselves safer when they are online. This enables the child to feel able to confide with staff and discuss their concerns. In turn, this enables staff to provide appropriate guidance and take steps to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and completes regular audits to identify shortfalls in the home’s reporting and recording systems. The information is clear for managers to review and take action in response to developing trends and patterns. This allows leaders and managers to address shortfalls quickly, raise awareness and improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders seek to improve the knowledge of the manager and staff and the care that children receive. Internal training that reflects the model of care has been developed to promote the continued professional development of staff. This helps to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver good care that meets the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team receive regular supervision. The staff reflect on their role, discuss the children they care for and reflect on ways to improve practice. New employees benefit from weekly supervision that supports them with completing their induction and probationary period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager challenges the placing authority when decisions are not in the child’s best interests. For example, when a child’s move into independence was brought forward without notice, the manager requested planning meetings and raised her concerns. When these concerns were not acted on, the manager escalated the issue further to seek assurances about the level of support that would be in place. The actions of the manager ensured a familiar face was there to support the child during their settling-in period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager did not follow the organisation’s policy when a complaint was received from the parent of a child. The parent raised concerns about the lack of response to her child when they were ill. The complaint was not recorded, and there was no action or investigation undertaken by the manager. This prevents the manager from identifying and addressing areas where staff practice should improve. Inspection report for children’s home: 2790898 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should record and log complaints in a way that reflects the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure written consent is sought from the placing authority at the time of placement in relation to the monitoring and surveillance of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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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 Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2790898 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hurworth Community Association, 41 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington DL2 2BN

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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2790898 6 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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