Children's Home run by Advocate Recruitment Ltd in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 1 Registered provider: Advocate Recruitment 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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

It provides care for up to three children who may experience emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There are three children living in the home. All of the children were seen and spoken to during this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2024 Full Good 26/06/2023 Full Good 12/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting and supportive relationships with staff that know them well and understand their needs. Managers and staff speak warmly of the children who are at the centre of everything that staff and managers do. As a result, children feel safe and secure at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are making progress in education. Managers and staff advocate strongly to ensure that children get the right support in school. One child is currently sitting their GCSE exams and has applied for a college course. One child’s attendance has significantly improved because of staff’s determination and work with the virtual school to help the child settle at school. As a result, the child’s confidence has grown as they continue to make progress in education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage children to try a wide range of enjoyable experiences. Children take part in different sports and activities with staff such as ice skating. The children have been on an activity holiday in the Lake District and went gorge walking. Staff support children to maintain links with friends in their home communities by supporting them to continue in local sports teams.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff support children in preparing for adulthood by developing skills in the home and the community. One child can travel to and from education independently. All the children are making age-appropriate progress with cooking meals and doing their own cleaning and laundry. However, some children are less prepared with the skills required to navigate the adult world outside the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to spend time with their family. One child regularly spends time with their aunts and nieces and has been helped to spend time with those most important to them. When relationships with parents are difficult, children are helped to maintain relationships with their siblings and with former foster carers.

p.3

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

Regularly reviewed risk assessments identify children’s individual triggers and have clear plans to reduce and mitigate risk. Each child is familiar with their own plan’s contents. For one child, this has helped reduced concerns about self-injurious behaviours and their well-being.

p.3

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

Children rarely go missing from home and physical interventions have not been used. Staff use humor and distraction techniques to de-escalate situations. The positive relationships that children have with the adults that care for them help to reduce risk.

p.3

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

Online risks are managed well, in an individual way depending on the age and needs of the child. Children understand the reasons for the restrictions on their access to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 4 internet, even if they do not always agree with them. Staff more recently use various strategies to develop the children’s awareness and help them recognise unsafe situations to achieve this, although this is yet to be fully embedded in practice.

p.3

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

Managers and staff acknowledge when they have got things wrong. Through reflection and feedback from children and professionals, they make changes to improve their strategies. For example, the use of consequences has been reviewed with managers working with the staff to embed restorative practice. This helps children feel listened to and that their views are important.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a variety of systems for monitoring the quality of care. Feedback through external monitoring by the independent person is used effectively to improve practice in the home. The managers’ quality of care reviews identify areas for development. Additionally, frequent auditing ensures that managers have regular oversight of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice-related supervision is regular, clearly recorded and of good quality. The children’s progress is at the heart of staff’s discussions. Learning from reflections is an integral part of the supervision process and everyday practice, demonstrated through daily journals that staff complete. Staff feel listened to and well supported in their roles.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff ensure that children have well-written care plans that link with the local authority’s plan for the child. Monthly and weekly planners give staff direction about what children need on a day-to-day basis, promoting consistent care for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff understand the importance of planning for independence for older children and the children’s plans reflect this. However, leaders and managers have not sufficiently challenged the quality of planning for one child’s move from the home into independence, leading to insufficient preparation. This has contributed to uncertainty for the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have created a supportive team culture. Staff are happy and enjoy working at the home. Staff feel that their opinions are valued. This influences the way they care for children. Equally, children feel heard by managers when they raise issues or make suggestions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 5

p.4

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for children to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high-quality support that is needed. In particular, this should also be the case when children are preparing to leave the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 14.4)

p.5

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: 2656590 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Advocate Recruitment Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bell Anderson, Lindum, 264-266 Durham Road, Gateshead NE8 4JR

p.6

Inspector

Kirstie Sutherland, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2656590 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7