Children's Home run by Investing in Children CIC in Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 1 Registered provider: Investing in Children

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and may provide care for up to five children who have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of inspection. The inspector spoke to three children during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, a permanent manager was in post but has not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Good 13/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have lived in the home for a long time and benefit from the care of staff who are caring, supportive and committed to their best interests. Staff prioritise the children’s needs in their care practice, fostering an environment where they feel comfortable seeking support. The strong relationships between children and staff have contributed to a sense of stability and security for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively encourage children to participate in various activities they enjoy. The staff also support the children in contributing positively to their local community. For example, staff and children regularly volunteer at charitable events. This encourages the children to demonstrate kindness and social responsibility. Through these acts of kindness, children learn to treat others with humility and respect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress at their own pace, given their ages and stages of development. There is a strong emphasis on developing their independent living skills. Staff are exploring various ways to help children become more self-sufficient, such as using public transport. This helps children discover how self-reliant they can be and gives them the confidence to learn new skills with the right support from the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported in understanding the value of education, with established routines in the home that encourage daily attendance at education. Most children are progressing in line with their individual educational targets. For those children who find education challenging, staff work hard to provide alternative learning opportunities tailored to their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are generally fit and well, with access to appropriate health services. Staff actively encourage them to consider smoking cessation, providing guidance and support. While efforts have not yet led to success, staff remain committed to promoting healthier choices and empowering children to make positive decisions for their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s environment has improved, creating a more welcoming and nurturing space for children. Recent improvement work, such as fresh decor, soft furnishings and personalised details, reflects the children’s interests and fosters a sense of inclusion. Children’s bedrooms have been decorated to their individual tastes and preferences, helping the children feel a stronger sense of belonging.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep children safe. Their care is informed by individualised plans that are regularly reviewed and updated following Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 4 behavioural or safeguarding incidents. The children are involved in creating their own risk management plans, which help staff to better understand them.

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

When the children experience difficult feelings that lead them to harm themselves, staff respond with care to help them feel safe and get the children the support they need. They work effectively with other specialist professionals, such as clinical psychologists from mental health services. This ensures the children have effective planned care and their needs are better understood by staff.

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

There have been no incidents requiring staff to physically intervene to ensure safety since the last inspection. Staff implement children’s behaviour support plans effectively, demonstrating a strong understanding of de-escalation techniques. They also use their positive relationships with the children to maintain a calm and supportive environment.

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

Staff respond appropriately when the children go missing from the home. The staff work in collaboration with the police and other relevant agencies when children are at an increased risk of harm. Good communication with other agencies is in place to help manage the risks associated with the children.

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

Consequences are applied appropriately, with a focus on reparation work. The manager reviews records to assess the effectiveness of these measures. However, some records were not documented in a timely manner, and the required evaluations were not completed within the expected timescale. This is a missed opportunity for the managers to promptly review the impact of these measures in helping children understand the consequences of their behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in both the registered manager and the responsible individual. An interim manager is currently in post but has yet to register with Ofsted. The interim manager is experienced and is supported by an experienced deputy manager and the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers have ensured that the staff have received specific training to enable them to meet the children’s individual needs. Staff said that they have a good understanding of the children’s needs due to the thorough training provided. Staff either have a relevant qualification or are working towards the qualification within the agreed timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they feel valued, respected and empowered by the managers. Staff have good-quality and regular supervision and team meetings. The managers support the staff, and they have access to an independent counselling service. This support helps to create a stable and resilient staff team that provides care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 5 Feedback from the professionals about the children is positive. All professionals report that the children are safe, settled and have good relationships with the staff. This allows the children to develop trusting relationships with the adults around them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 6

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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 registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(c)) 11 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 7

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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: 2522240 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Investing in Children

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sjovoll Centre, Front Street, Pity Me, Durham DH1 5BZ

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Inspector

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 9 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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