Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Unique reference number SC390577 Inspector Ceri Evans Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Meadows Care Limited Registered person address Egerton House Wardle Road ROCHDALE Lancashire OL12 9EN Responsible individual Niel David Shelmerdine Registered manager Catherine Veronica Donnelly Date of last inspection 17/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 27/08/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from living in a nurturing and safe environment where they can enjoy good quality care. Placement plans are thorough, detailed and personalised to needs of young people. This enables them to achieve improved outcomes across most aspects of their lives. Young people have positive views about the home and enjoy good quality relationships with their caregivers.

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Overall effectiveness

The home promotes cultural diversity and staff understand the importance of celebrating identity and background. Consequently, young people have a greater understanding of their heritage, which impacts positively on their sense of self and belonging. Staff undertake effective work with birth families and support contact. This helps build and maintain positive relationships with those who are important to young people. Safeguarding arrangements are sound and practices are supported by effective procedures. This ensures that young people’s welfare and safety remains central at all times.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is effectively managed by a committed Registered Manager and Deputy Manager, who work well together to ensure continued improvement of the service. Strengths of the home include stability of the team and ability to work well with other professionals. Furthermore, staff are very supportive of young people and 3 of 10 have a nurturing approach to delivering care. Nevertheless, there are areas of improvement and four good practice recommendations have been made as part of this inspection.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas for development include that: damaged equipment within the home is replaced; educational progress is effectively planned, assessed and supported and the accuracy of records monitored. Finally, reviews are initiated no more than 72 hours after admission. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This is privately run children's home provides care and accommodation for up to two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A school, registered with the Department for Education, operates on site.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/03/2014 Interim good progress 26/06/2013 Full good 22/01/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 29/08/2012 Full good

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 NMS 8.3 Children are supported to attend school, college or alternative provisions regularly. This specifically relates to ensuring that a robust plan is in place to identify provisions and support attendance.  NMS 10.3 The home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. This specifically relates to replacing damaged or broken equipment in young people’s bedrooms.  NMS 11.7 A review is conducted no more than 72 hours after any emergency admission to consider whether the child should remain at the home, or it is in that child’s best interest to move to a different provision.  NMS 22.1 there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed. This specifically relates to ensuring that missing from care cross referencing systems are clearly recorded and monitored. 5 of 10 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people benefit from a consistent staff team who have high aspirations for them. Consequently, they enjoy positive relationships with staff and have forged meaningful attachments with them. Young people say they are happy in the home and rate the care they receive as ’10 out of 10’. Young people comment that they are able to express their wishes and feeling in a variety of methods. This further enhances their self-esteem, confidence and emotional resilience.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people participate in a range of activities including rock climbing, skate park, community based activity, holidays and general outings. This promotes young people’s confidence. In addition, it helps them to develop new skills and build positive friendships within the community.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have clear health plans and are registered with the relevant primary health care services. They understand the importance of good health and are supported by staff to attend physical and psychological health appointments. Young people do engage with services and understand the risks associated with drug misuse and smoking. However, young people do not always adhere to professional advice and make negative choices in relation to smoking. This will impact on their long-term health outcomes.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Contact with family and friends is a meaningful, safe and an enjoyable experience. Consequently, young people have a strong sense of identity. Positive friendships are encouraged and young people enjoy gatherings, celebrations and planned sleep overs with their friends. This further develops young people’s self-esteem and emotional wellbeing. Not all young people have made good educational progress. Risk taking behaviour has impacted on attendance which has declined over time. This limits and hinders future opportunities. For some young people records are not clear in relation to support and plans regarding new provisions are basic. This could lead to lack of clarity in relation to how the home supports transition to new provisions. Despite the shortfall staff do work closely with other professionals and have good links with schools and in-house specialists. They have an understanding of young people’s

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

difficulties and have strong advocacy skills. Whilst records are not consistently clear this has not impacted practice as staff understand what is expected in relation to education.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

The delivery of Independence skills is dependent on young people’s level of understanding and ability. Young people have benefitted from learning a range of life skills such as self-care, budgeting and preparing basic meals. This will better equip them as they develop through adolescence and into adulthood. 7 of 10

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Quality of care good

Young people have very good relationships with staff, staff who place the welfare of children at the centre of their practice. One young person said that ‘I get listened to and staff are really good. It feels like home here’. Staff are skilful and knowledgeable and have a good understanding of young people’s needs. This ensures that the care provided to young people is centred around their individual needs.

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Quality of care good

Young people know how to make a complaint and their wishes and feelings are actively sought by staff. As a result young people feel valued and listened to. They actively contribute to the running of the home, for example arranging a recent surfing holiday, menu and activity planning and personalising areas around the home. This increases young people’s confidence and sense of belonging.

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Quality of care good

Staff work closely with other professionals, such as local authorities, police and health professionals. Recent feedback from an Independent Reviewing Officer states that ‘the needs of young people are fully met and communication is excellent between the home and local authority’.

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Quality of care good

Staff are motivated and enthusiastic and work hard to help young people reflect upon their behaviour. Staff engage young people in individual sessions which are designed to help them explore the world, identify alternative coping mechanisms and regulate their behaviour in a more positive way. This enables young people to develop better empathy, communication and coping skills.

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Quality of care good

The home has a strong partnership working with birth families. Staff support and promote contact and work closely with parents to ensure that contact is meaningful, enjoyable and safe. One parent commented that ‘staff go the extra mile to support contact’. Contact is well supported both in the home and in the wider community.

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Quality of care good

Young people are involved in the development of their placement plans, which are specifically tailored to their needs. They promote and support young people in their care planning and make sure they understand the rationale for their placement and future plans. This ensures that young people’s views are taken into account and acted upon when appropriate.

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Quality of care good

The home is a large detached, well designed and comfortable home. It is suitably located, with good access to community facilities. The home is clean and decorated to a good standard. The lounge is warm and homely and the education room provides a quiet area for young people to complete their homework. The identified shortfall is in relation to replacing damaged furniture in young people’s bedrooms. This has not had a negative impact on young people as short term storage measures have been put in place. 8 of 10

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people say they feel safe at the home. They are able to speak with the adults who care about them if they have any concerns or worries. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs and concerns are acted upon immediately in line with safeguarding protocols. They work effectively with other agencies to promote young people’s welfare.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Behaviour management plans and risk assessments are detailed and reviewed regularly; this further protects young people from harm. Behaviour management strategies focus on restorative work which has been effective in helping young people reflect upon aggressive outbursts. As a result of this work young people are encouraged to calm down, discuss and reflect following incidents. Consequently, sanctions are limited and there have been no recorded incidences of physical intervention. Young people confirm that physical intervention is only be used as a last resort to prevent injury to self or others.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

On occasions, young people have placed themselves at risk by going missing. Staff are proactive in trying to locate young people. They go out and look for them, make contact over the phone, provide young people with reassurances and state that their safe return is important to them. Staff have excellent relationships with the police and know how to implement safeguarding procedures. Written records are detailed in relation to incidents and these records are shared with relevant parties. Further records, such as cross referenced log books are not always clear and consistent. This is a minor oversight which has had no negative impact on young people. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and are confident in implementing the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff are pro-active and act on concerns immediately, this ensures young people’s welfare remains paramount at all times. The home has good working relationships with the police and safeguarding agencies.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

A police officer commented that ‘I have no concerns in relation to the homes safeguarding procedures, they are pro-active and work well with partner agencies’.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are further protected by good safeguarding measures such as safe recruitment and selection processes.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from living in a well-managed home that has a committed Registered Manager, Deputy Manager and stable staff team. The home promotes positive attachments through nurturing and supportive care. Staff ensure that young people are afforded good opportunities in order to meet their full potential. The Registered Manager and Deputy Manager lead by example and have a hands on approach to child care. This promotes positive role modelling and respect.

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Leadership and management good

Staff are positive about working in the home and comment that they feel well 9 of 10 supported by the manager and each other. They receive formal supervision that enhances their development. In addition, staff routinely undertake mandatory training courses such as, safeguarding, first aid, behaviour management and therapeutic interventions. Additional development opportunities are available in response to emerging needs. For example, therapists undertake specific training sessions with staff centred around the individual needs of young people. This further promotes a personalised, child focus approach to care.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager makes good use of monitoring tools and quality assurance systems are in place to ensure continued improvement. The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the home and acknowledges some of the shortfalls identified in this inspection. The home consults with stakeholders, young people, parents and the wider community and this influences the progress of the home.

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Leadership and management good

The home has a detailed statement of purpose which fully supports the aims and objectives of the service. The document ensures that young people, parents, placing authorities know what service they can expect to receive.

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Leadership and management good

Since the last inspection two young people have been admitted to the home, one on an emergency basis. The manager did not initiate a review within the required time scale; therefore the impact of this admission was not fully assessed and reviewed. Nevertheless, disruption for young people living in the home was minimised due to sufficient staffing levels. Furthermore the young person moved on from the home within a short timescale.

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Leadership and management good

Young people’s records are well organised, detailed, structured and provide a good overall picture. This helps young people understand their lives now and in the future. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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