Children's home run by Duty of Care Limited in County Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 1 SC476602 Registered provider: Duty of Care 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

This home is privately operated. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children have lived at the home since the last inspection. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The inspector spoke with the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 12 November 2024

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Good 20/10/2023 Full Good 15/08/2022 Full Good 21/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, not all children have made progress or have had positive experiences living in this home. A negative response to meeting children’s complex needs has resulted in some children experiencing punitive and overly restrictive care. One child’s negative view about their experience of living in the home is written in their records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child’s care has been neglectful of their needs and the effect of their childhood trauma on their behaviour. Because of this, staff’s approach to caring for the child has at times been emotionally harmful, impacting on the child’s self-esteem. Leaders and managers failed to identify and act on this poor practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that repairs are completed in a timely manner. Damage in one child’s bedroom went unrepaired for months, leaving it looking unsightly. Additionally, staff sleep in the home’s lounge overnight. Leaders and managers have failed to recognise the impact of this on children. This does not show children that they are valued and deserving of a safe and homely environment. Furthermore, it does not help children develop a sense of belonging or model how important it is to care for their own space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The language used by leaders and staff about children is not always positive, and this is reflected in children’s records. Language is not caring or trauma informed but blaming of children. This type of language is stigmatising and detrimental to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s individual identity and relevant needs are not fully understood by staff. Staff have assessed that one child’s identity places them at greater risk from unsafe adults. This unhelpfully gives children the view that they may be more at risk because of who they are. This does not help children to develop their confidence to express their identity safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support children to attend and engage with their education. One child went to college and secured employment and has moved on to live more independently. Another child went to school full time and completed their GCSE exams. This helps children to understand the importance of education and how this can benefit them in life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Family time is encouraged and supported by staff. Staff transport children to see family members and keep them updated about the children’s experiences. This helps children to maintain these important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are supported to engage in activities away from the home. This includes children having opportunities to go on holiday with friends. Some children have enjoyed living at the home and have lived at the home for long periods. They value their time at Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 4 the home, the care they have received from staff and how this has helped them to move on with positive memories.

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

Practice aimed at keeping children safe is having a detrimental impact on their welfare. For example, staff unnecessarily lock doors as a way of preventing a child leaving the home. Restrictions on doors have not been kept under review, meaning this has not been assessed as still being necessary and proportionate to safeguard the child. Additionally, staff frequently use restraint in response to incidents. However, restraint has not always been necessary. These misguided approaches limit children’s sense of safety. Furthermore, leaders and managers have not assessed the implications that environmental restrictions have on fire safety arrangements in the home. This does not keep children or staff safe.

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

Over-restrictive punitive practice has been used towards children. For example, one child was searched regularly for a prolonged period, on occasions in front of other professionals who supported the child. This poor practice has gone unchallenged by leaders and managers. The same child’s independent visitor was not allowed to take the child out on several occasions because of the leaders’ and managers’ unjust views about the child’s risks. This unjustified labelling of the child limited their progress.

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

Behaviour management strategies have been poor. Staff’s disproportionate levels of control have limited one child’s experiences. On some occasions, staff have not wanted the child to have positive experiences with others because of difficulties in the home. On one occasion, a professional witnessed staff shouting at the child. This does not help children to feel well cared for.

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

There are concerns about the safeguarding culture in the home, which indicate children will not be believed if they raise concerns. These concerns do not give the regulator confidence that safeguarding procedures will be followed.

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

The staff do not consistently understand children’s risks or have meaningful conversations to help children develop their own ability to be safer, for example having discussions about the risk of child exploitation and the dangers of roads, despite these being present concerns for a child.

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

Leaders and managers did not appropriately assess the impact that the busy road outside of the home could have on a child before they moved in. This foreseeable risk was not fully considered despite there being associated risks relating to roads. The risk assessment for this concern provides staff with mixed messages about what increases the risk of harm. This does not help staff keep the child safe.

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

Risk assessments do not always reflect children’s needs or offer guidance to staff that is aligned to these needs. On some occasions, staff have used strategies that have contributed to a child’s distress. Blaming words have been used in risk assessments to Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 5 describe one child’s behaviour. This does not support staff to help children to be safer and embeds a negative view of children.

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

When children go missing from home, staff call the police, inform the relevant authorities and look for children. However, it is not clear that children are offered or receive a return home interview after being helped to return home safely.

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

Some children have felt safe living at the home and said that they could share any concerns they had with staff. One child said, ‘I felt confident to raise concerns and felt they listened and would do their best to resolve it.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is registered for two homes and is overstretched in their role. The responsible individual has not taken effective action to address this issue despite it being raised at the last inspection and identified as a significant concern during the inspection at the manager’s other home. The management arrangements put at risk the oversight of the team and the care of children, yet no changes have been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home does not have sufficient staff to care for the child living in the home. Staffing levels continue to be low, and the manager and responsible individual cover shifts regularly. This does not enable the manager to carry out their role effectively. As a result, the quality of care has deteriorated since the last inspection. Restrictive measures for children have become normalised. Staff do not deliver the model of care that is outlined in the statement of purpose, meaning children have not received therapeutically informed care. Furthermore, professionals do not speak positively about the care that children receive. They say that staff members are negative about children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff do not have confidence in the provider to take effective action when they raise concerns. They do not feel listened to, and morale is low. This impacts staff’s ability to support children to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At the last inspection, the provider was issued with a requirement regarding not having an escalation policy. Although the provider now has a policy, there was no evidence that this has been used regarding one child’s care plan. Therefore, this requirement will be restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive practice-related supervision and training specific to their role. New staff are supported through an induction process that helps them to become familiar with their role. Some staff say that they feel well supported by the manager and enjoy working at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ix)(x)) 14 December 2025

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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

that staff— 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 7 assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a)(i)(v)(d))

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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; and

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)) 14 December 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); 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 8 serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 14 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; and provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b) 14 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 31 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation (5)(c)) 31 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 9 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)) 31 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC476602 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Duty of Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13 Front Street, Staindrop, Darlington, County Durham DL2 3LZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: David Heartfield

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Inspectors

Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector (lead) Sarah Adotey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476602 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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