Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Rochdale

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people live in a caring and supportive home where they are encouraged and supported to make positive progress in all aspects of their development. Since their starting points, they have made significant progress in managing their behaviour, keeping safe and engaging in education.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff have a good knowledge of young people and provide them clear and consistent boundaries. Young people gain a sense of stability which enables them to make good relationships with other people and increase their self- confidence.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff provide young people with opportunities to express their views on the care they receive. Regular meetings provide a forum to discuss a variety of issues relating to the daily running of the home and young people’s day-to-day experiences.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff are good at getting young people to engage in meaningful and constructive recreational pastimes which enable them to develop their individual interest’s talents and skills.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people’s holistic needs are addressed through strong links with the organisations therapeutic team and external agencies including safeguarding, education and health professionals.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are safe and their welfare is promoted because staff give young people’s safety and well-being a high priority. Staff practice is underpinned by good safeguarding procedures and thoughtful risk management plans.  The home is well managed by a dedicated and competent Registered Manager who is child-focussed and provides strong leadership for her staff team. Staff are well supported in their delivery of good quality care and are given provided with good opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through supervision and training.  The Registered Manager has a detailed understanding of the progress young people make in respect of their individual plans. Comprehensive plans address young people’s individual needs and experiences and are consistently put into practice.  One shortfall was noted at this inspection. This relates to a delay in notifying relevant parties when a significant incident occurs.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)) 01/10/2015

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Information about this children's home

This home is one of a number of children’s homes owned and managed by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

19/02/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people receive good quality care that is making a difference to their lives. Staff provide young people with clear, consistent and age appropriate boundaries which assist them to develop positive relationships. Staff use these effectively in reducing risk taking behaviour such as going missing from home and child sexual exploitation.

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Good

Staff support young people in all aspects of their development and help them to develop a sense of stability and security. They encourage young people to make positive decisions about their lives which helps them plan for the future and drives them to reach their individual goals and achieve.

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Good

Young people are given many opportunities to give their views on the care they receive. Regular meetings provide a forum for young people to make choices about their care such as the activities that they do. Staff offer young people a range of activities which widens their recreational experiences and encourages them to plan their leisure time constructively. This has proven effective in helping young people develop the confidence to try new opportunities which facilitate personal growth and development. For example, staff have sourced drama classes for young people who show an interest in acting.

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Good

Staff actively promote young people’s physical and emotional well-being. Health needs are routinely monitored and staff provide young people with appropriate support to ensure that routine appointments are up-to-date. Staff work closely with the organisations therapeutic team to ensure that young people are afforded care which is tailored to their unique needs. Young people report that they have good relationships with their therapists and are benefitting from the contribution they make to their care. A young person said, ‘I look forward to the sessions, it makes me feel relaxed and less angry.’

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Good

Young people have 100% school attendance and demonstrate a desire to achieve their educational potential. Staff value and promote educational success by providing the right support young people need to achieve their academic potential. They work closely with teachers and virtual heads and are well equipped to provide any required support. They take an active interest in young people’s education, helping them complete homework and attending school events such as parent evenings.

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Good

Young people have carefully assessed and supported contact with their families and other people who are important to them. Staff recognise the potential impact contact could may have on the individual and manage this effectively. They identify when contact is unsafe and work with placing authorities and families to ensure that there is an adequate level of supervision to compensate for this.

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Good

Young people are clearly comfortable in their home, where they have the opportunity to spend time alone or with staff. The home is welcoming, well maintained and furnished to a high standard. Staff encourage young people to personalise their bedrooms and where appropriate they have helped with decorating. Young people report that they enjoy learning these types of skills which will benefit them in their adult lives.

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Good

Young people are well protected because staff give their safety and well-being a high priority. Staff are appropriately trained in safeguarding and understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe. Established safeguarding systems are effectively followed in response to any arising allegations, unsafe practice or suspicion of abuse.

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Good

There has been one reported incident of missing from home, which was over a short period of time and was not overnight. Such incidents are avoided because staff encourage young people to keep themselves occupied and make positive choices about keeping themselves safe. When young people have gone missing staff have attempted to locate them and kept the relevant agencies informed, including the police and social worker.

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Good

A number of young people are vulnerable to child sexual exploitation. They have successfully reduced this behaviour through helping young people to understand the importance of making the right choices about keeping themselves safe. Staff work collaboratively with specialist agencies to ensure young people are provided with the right information guidance and support. This has helped young people to develop appropriate friendships and manage their free time more safely, including going on holiday with their friends.

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Good

Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to overcoming difficult and challenging behaviour. Clear, consistent and age-appropriate boundaries provide stability and contributes to young people’s well-being and security. With the assistance and expertise of the organisations therapist, staff gain a good insight into young people’s emotional needs and develop bespoke behaviour management strategies, which are fully implemented in practice. This helps young people learn what safe and acceptable behaviour and resulted in them making improved choices in this respect. Consequently, physical restraint has not been necessary and there is a notable reduction in the use of sanctions.

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Good

The home has a newly Registered Manager who has been in post since March 2015. She is suitably qualified and experienced in working with young people who are looked after. Managing another home within the company is not detrimental to the running of this home. This is because she maintains a good level of management oversight and ensures the home is consistently run in the best interests of young people.

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Good

The Registered Manager is child-focussed and effectively prioritises young people’s needs. She keeps up-to-date with their day-to-day care and treatment plans by regularly spending time with them. She has strong relationships with them and demonstrates a strong commitment to their individual development, safety and care. She has high aspirations and ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to provide the right level of care for each young person in the home.

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Good

The manager makes informed decisions about which young people should come to live at the home. She commits a great deal of effort to ensuring the needs of the individual can be met without detriment to the young people already living in the home. She works closely with parents and professionals to ensure young people are introduced to the home in the right way and at a pace which is suitable for the individual and the existing group. The effectiveness of this patient and measured approach is evident in how quickly young people settle and are welcomed into the home by other young people.

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Good

Young people continue to make good progress from their starting points across all aspects of their development. This is because the Registered Manager has a clear understanding of the progress young people make in respect of their individual plans. They take steps to ensure that care plans are detailed, up-to-date, address their individual needs and reflect their experiences. The manager and staff make every effort to promote permanence, drive achievement and prepare young people for their future. They monitor the progress that is made and can demonstrate the positive impact that living at the home has had on young people.

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Good

New staff are well inducted and given good support from the Registered Manager and experienced staff. They are provided with good opportunities to develop their understanding and knowledge and apply this in their day-to-day care of young people. All staff receive regular supervision which focusses on their professional development and the progress young people make. Staff say that this is helpful in assisting them to develop their knowledge, skills and practice. Mandatory training is up to date and staff have completed additional training in relation to child sexual exploitation. This has helped them to identify and understand the associated risks and take appropriate action to ensure young people get the necessary support they need.

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Good

The ethos and values of the home promotes a child-centred approach and a commitment to promoting young people’s welfare. Care plans are tailored to the individual needs of each young person. The Registered Manager regularly monitors and reviews plans and ensures that staff routinely follow them. Good working relationships are established with families, social workers, education staff and the organisations therapist, all of whom contribute to planning and delivering young people’s care. This collaborative approach ensures young people receive a good level of care and support which is individually tailored to meet their individual needs. The Registered Manager is robust in challenging other agencies if she believes that the plans for young people are not providing the right level of support or protection for them.

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Good

Procedures are in place to ensure relevant people and agencies are informed in the event of a serious incident. However, the home is not always prompt in ensuring information pertaining to suspicions of sexual exploitation is shared without delay. This is viewed as an administrative oversight and did not in any way compromise the care and safety of the young person.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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