Children's Home run by Social Care Services Limited in Salford

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people live in a caring and supportive home where they are encouraged 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.

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff encourage young people to build positive relationships with them. Clear consistent boundaries have resulted in stability and security which has helped them develop good relationships with other people and increase self-confidence.  Young people are given opportunities to express their views on the care they receive. Monthly meetings provide a forum to discuss a variety of topics, such as choice of menus and recreational activities which develop their individual interests, talents and skills. Managers recognise that the frequency of this discussion could be improved and a recommendation has been made to this effect.  Staff work successfully with a variety of professionals to ensure young people’s needs are consistently met. This multi-agency approach produces clear strategies which assist young people to successfully manage and reduce risk taking behaviour.  Staff give young people’s safety and well-being high priority. They live in a safe

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

environment where their welfare is promoted. Clear safeguarding procedures and risk management plans underpin effective staff practice.  Staff prioritise young people’s safety and their practice is underpinned by good safeguarding procedures and thoughtful risk management plans, which ensure that young people are protected from harm.

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

 The home is well managed by a competent Registered Manager and deputy manager who are child-focussd. They provide good leadership for the staff team. Staff are provided with good opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through supervision and training.  The Registered Manager has a clear understanding of the progress young people make in respect of their development. Comprehensive plans address young people’s individual needs and experiences and are consistently put into practice.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home's care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22 Paragraph 4.11)

p.4

Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned and registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

p.5

good

Young people live in a comfortable home where they are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, helping them to feel relaxed and settle into their environment. Young people are clearly happy in their home, where they have good relationships with staff and other young people who live there. A young person said: ‘I like all the staff and I want to stay here. It’s the only place where I have felt happy’.

p.6

good

Staff have a thorough knowledge and understanding of young people. They invest time with them, taking an interest in their daily activities. They value and respect young people and support them to express their views on the care they receive. Monthly meetings provide a forum for young people to make choices about their care, such as choosing menus and exploring recreational activities. A recommendation has been raised in relation to the lack of frequency of this. The managers are planning to improve this aspect of their practice and have identified that this would be beneficial for young people. A young person said: ‘we talk about menus in our monthly meetings, we say what we want to eat and any activities we want to do. I think it would be better to do a menu every week because once a month is a long time.’

p.6

good

Since their starting points young people have made considerable progress in education, and attendance is 100%. This is because staff value young people’s education highly. They identify barriers to learning, work closely with teachers and are well equipped to provide any required support. They take an active interest in their education, attending school events such as parent evenings. Young people are supported and encouraged to achieve and are driven to reach their educational goals. This proactive approach means that young people value their education and want to succeed and gain good job opportunities.

p.6

good

Staff promote healthy lifestyles. They benefit from individual health assessments and are supported in accessing routine and specialist healthcare services. Staff develop good links with other agencies such child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and specialist drug and alcohol services to provide a multi- agency approach to promote young people’s emotional health and well-being.

p.6

good

Staff promote and facilitate contact between young people and their families where appropriate. They understand the importance of contact in relation to young people’s culture and identity and promote increased contact for young people whose plans are to return to their family home. Individual contact plans ensure young people's communication with their families is safe, and a positive experience for all involved. This proactive approach affords young people consistent care.

p.7

good

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

p.7

good

Young people say that staff care about them and keep them safe. High levels of staff supervision and a commitment to keeping young people safe mean the number of young people who go missing has significantly reduced. A young person said: ‘I used to go missing a lot before coming here. Staff follow me if I go out and I know they will bring me back, so now I think before I go. I know they care about me and want to keep me safe.’ Staff display a strong commitment to overcoming difficult and challenging behaviour. Clear consistent and age-appropriate boundaries provide stability and contribute to young people’s well-being and security. Staff have good insight into young people’s specific emotional needs and devise behaviour management plans which are designed to meet their individual needs and are fully implemented in practice. Young people learn what is safe and acceptable behaviour and this has resulted in them making good choices. Consequently, physical restraint has

p.7

good

significantly reduced and is of a low level and only used to ensure young people are safe. A young person said: ‘Staff talk to me and they are great at calming me down. Nobody else has been able to calm me like they do.’ Staff understand the triggers to behaviour and identify how individual frustrations and anxieties may impact on these. Staff work sensitively with young people to ensure that they have ample opportunity to discuss issues which may worry them. They pre-empt situations which could cause a change in behaviour and develop plans with young people to help manage these more effectively. An independent reviewing officer said: ‘Staff are very good at dealing effectively with X when there have been little incidents and have dealt with them appropriately. They have helped X by implementing good plans to help him manage them more positively.’

p.7

good

The manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2012. She is experienced and suitably qualified to work with young people who are looked after and has enrolled on the Level 5 Diploma course. The Registered Manager is supported by an experienced and dedicated deputy manager. They are child focused and ensure that the home is consistently run in the best interests of the young people who live there, while maintaining a good level of management oversight. The staff team is stable and competent in delivering sound quality care to young people and their families. Staff have a good relationship with the managers and receive regular supervision and appraisal, which focuses on their professional development and the progress young people make. The manager utilises their strengths, which ensures that young people receive individualised care. Compulsory training is up-to-date and staff have completed training in relation to

p.8

good

sexual exploitation. This has helped them identify and understand the associated risks, and to take appropriate action to ensure young people receive the necessary support they need to keep safe. The manager is highly active in developing positive relationships between the home and a range of external agencies. Good links with young people’s placing authority, police and Local Safeguarding Children Board help staff support young people and meet their individual needs. This has been successful in assisting young people to make good progress in areas of their development and reduce risks. A police officer said: ‘We have regular meetings with the managers and they are very good at keeping us informed about the young people here. We give them advice. They are excellent at working together.’

p.8

good

Managers have a good knowledge and understanding of the progress young people make in relation to their specific plans. Comprehensive care plans are clear and specifically developed to include the experiences and needs of young people. Staff follow these plans to ensure that young people are encouraged and supported to reach their full potential and that they are prepared for their future. They oversee young people’s progress and are able to demonstrate the positive influence the home has on young people living there.

p.8

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.

p.10

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

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.10

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

p.11

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 .

p.11

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,

p.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12

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

p.12