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:

 The young person is benefiting from the good support which is provided by staff. She is making good progress in most areas of her development; in particular her personal safety and behaviour.  The manager and staff have a good understanding of her individual risks and vulnerabilities. They work effectively with other agencies to reduce any risk of harm to them, including those associated with missing from care and sexual exploitation. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in the reduction in episodes of going missing and has resulted in the young person being much safer.   The young person enjoys strong trusting relationships with the majority of staff. She is positive about her experiences since moving to this home and feels valued and respected. Her views and opinions are important to staff who make every effort to accommodate any reasonable request she may have.  Care practice is underpinned by good safeguarding procedures and risk

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The children's home provision is good because:

management strategies. Responses to concerns and allegations are robust and ensure the young person‟s safety is given the utmost priority.  Leadership and management requires improvement. The manager is relatively new to this role and has found some aspects of running this and his other home a challenge. This has not been to the detriment of the care of the young person who remains the manager‟s primary concern. The manager is aware of how he needs to improve and organisational support is strong to help him achieve this.  A number of requirements and recommendations have been made. These relate to improving education attendance and outcomes for the young person, management monitoring, children‟s records, medication training and independent return home interviews.

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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

In order to meet the education standard, in particular the standard in paragraph (1), the registered person must ensure that staff-

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a)(iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to working with the child, their school and placing authority to explore and pursue education options with a view to improving attendance in a formal learning environment. 26/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, in particular the standard in paragraph (1), the registered person must-

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Requirement Due date

(2) (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvement in the quality of care provided in the home. 06/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3. These records must be fully complete, up to date and legible. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 06/01/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure there is a procedure in place to provide independent return home interviews when a child returns to the home after going missing from care or away from home without permission, and that this procedure is agreed with each child‟s placing authority and fully recorded in each child‟s placement plan (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that all staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children, specifically that all staff are trained in the management and administration of medication. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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Information about this children's home

The children's home is operated by a private company and provides accommodation for two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

20/02/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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good

The home currently accommodates only one young person after a period of having nobody living at the home. The young person has responded well to this arrangement and is making good progress relative to her starting point. This arrangement has allowed staff to provide her with a clear predictable routine and to focus intensively on reducing her risk taking behaviour. A professional said: „(Name) was at the top of my agenda in her previous placement. There were real concerns about her going missing and being at risk of child sexual exploitation. This placement has had a positive impact. The fact that we are now having conversations and making plans for overnight contacts is a sign of how far she has come. Her progress is down to the efforts of staff.‟

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good

The young person says she likes living at this home and gets on well with most of the staff. She has established strong, trusting relationships with a number of the staff and has clearly developed a sense of stability and belonging. She confirms that she feels valued and respected. Her views and opinions are routinely considered and influence the day to day running of the home.

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good

Emotional health and personal safety is promoted because there is a lot of informal discussion with the young person about feelings, relationships and emotions. Her health needs, although not fully recorded, are fully met because staff understand what guidance and support a teenage girl needs. Staff have been successful in their efforts to encourage and support the young person to engage with routine health services, which means outstanding dental needs are being addressed. The young person has good access to a range of therapeutic support through the organisation‟s therapy department. Therapists provide direct support for the young person as well as informing and supporting staff in their daily practice. Although the young person is still in their assessment period, there is a clear plan to deliver support around attachment, resilience and developing a positive view of adults.

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good

The manager and staff are realistic about what is going well for the young person. There is recognition that although progress is going in the right direction, this is still in the early stages and there is a great deal still to do, in particular around education. After an initial period of attending the organisation‟s school, and despite staffs‟ best efforts, the young person is currently refusing to attend and engage in formal education. An alternative curriculum has been put in place consisting of a combination of academic subjects, equestrian activities and work experience. An option for college is currently being explored. The program is delivered by care staff with varying degrees of engagement and success, not least because they are not qualified in their delivery of education. While this arrangement is an adequate temporary solution, the manager and staff are clear that it cannot be long-term if

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good

the young person is to achieve her academic potential. Consequently, the manager and staff need to be proactive in their efforts in advocating on behalf of the young person, as any good parent would do, to ensure that all avenues are being explored. This includes utilising the expertise of the virtual head teacher from the placing authority.

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good

The young person is supported to engage in a number of community based activities, including horse-riding, going to the cinema, shopping and laser-quest. Staff are acutely aware of the social limitations of these activities. They are working hard to build the young person‟s confidence so that she can attend group activities such as the local youth club for example. It is clear that the young person feels safe and enjoys staff company. For example, spending nights in having her hair done, watching DVD‟s and doing arts and crafts are amongst her favourites.

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good

Young people are very well supported to maintain contact with their family and significant others. Staff maintain effective links with family members and social workers to ensure that a safe and agreed contact regime is in place. Staff are flexible in their approach and always ensure that positive family contact is given a priority. This is constantly reviewed and arrangements are amended as appropriate. One relative said: „Contact is really well arranged. Once staff were late. They extended the contact and because it went so well the extension has continued to allow me to do more with (Name). I am pleased that the running away has reduced and I am looking forward to her coming and staying overnight at Christmas. She seems to be a happy girl at the moment.‟

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good

The young person is safer because of the staff‟s strong safe care practices that are consistently implemented and underpinned by good safeguarding policies and procedures. All staff are suitably trained and demonstrate a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping this young person safe.

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good

Staff take young people‟s safety very seriously and are decisive in their responses to manage and reduce risk. These are based on good multi-agency working, in particular with the police around missing from home and child sexual exploitation. They share relevant information at the start of placement and have met with the police to discuss and agree responses for when the young person does go missing. A police officer said: „They have responded appropriately to issues when they have arisen and incidents of missing have reduced. At a recent strategy meeting the indication was that they are trying to manage risk but with a focus on increasing responsibility and free-time.‟

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good

The young person says she feels safe. Staff talk to her about her risk taking behaviour in an effort to educate her and for them to understand the motivational factors. For example, following any incident of missing from home. This has been productive because their efforts to encourage change are paying off with a notable improvement in behaviour, as well as a reduction in placing herself at risk through going missing. However, there is not currently an agreed process for young people to be seen by an independent person following any incident of them going missing. The manager has recognised this shortfall and is in the process of taking steps to ensure this arrangement is in place and agreed with the placing authority for any future incidents.

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good

Positive relationships are used to good effect when managing behaviour. Staff encourage the young person to take responsibility and make positive choices about how they behave. This is reinforced through the use of incentivised rewards and positive praise. Staff encourage young people to reflect on their negative behaviour and develop new ways of managing their frustrations. Sanctions are rarely used and there have been no incidents of physical restraint since the last inspection.

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good

There have been no serious safeguarding concerns and only one allegation since the last inspection. Management responses have been robust, including liaising with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to promote a transparent investigation into the concern. Also, the right action has been taken to protect the young person, giving due consideration to re-deployment or suspension. Discussion with the LADO confirmed that she was happy with the organisation‟s response and that this was consistent with her experiences of working with them.

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requires improvement

The home is run by a qualified manager who was registered with Ofsted in July 2015. He manages another home within the company, which is in close proximity to this one, and divides his time between the two. This is his first post as a Registered Manager, which he recognises has been more challenging than he had originally perceived it would be. He is clearly child-focused and his experience of working with young people in a residential setting provides him with a good platform on which to establish and develop his credibility as an effective manager. This potential is further strengthened by the focused support, supervision and training that is currently being invested in him by his first line manager. The home is suitably resourced in terms of its staffing. A small team of staff work across both of the manager‟s homes and consideration is given to matching staff to young people when planning the rota. The team has a good balance of gender,

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requires improvement

age and ethnicity. All staff have successfully completed their probationary period and have been assessed as competent to lone work with young people. Risk assessments are in place to support this process. Additional support networks are available for staff through the manager‟s on-call rota which ensures that they can access a manager for advice, support and guidance if required. Handovers are used to good effect and ensure staff coming on duty understand fully the issues from the previous day and any actions which may be necessary during their shift. This promotes a consistent response to meeting the young person‟s known and emerging needs and keeping them safe.

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requires improvement

All staff are either qualified or in the process of completing a relevant qualification. They receive regular supervision which they say provides them with an opportunity to reflect and develop their practice. A range of training opportunities are available for staff and ensures that they have the right skills to care for vulnerable young people, including those at risk from child sexual exploitation. However, one member of staff needs to complete training in the management and administration of medication. While this is not an issue currently, because the young person is not on medication, the fact that staff work on a one to one ratio means that it may be one in the future if the young person‟s circumstances change.

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requires improvement

All of the recommendations from the previous inspection have been suitably addressed. The manager has a good understanding about his own strengths and those of the home. He recognises the need to improve his management oversight and be more proactive in identifying and addressing shortfalls and areas for improvement. For example, a number of children‟s records were found to be of a very poor quality which had not been picked up by his monitoring activities. This included a health plan that had not been completed and a placement plan that was of such a poor print quality that it was illegible and impossible to ascertain whether it was up to date. Consequently, young people‟s records do not provide a comprehensive picture of their lives or show the good work staff have done with the young person, especially around risk reduction in relation to missing from home and child sexual exploitation.

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requires improvement

Relevant and purposeful links have been established with the young person‟s family and social worker, as well as therapists and the police child sexual exploitation unit. These links are still in their infancy but initial signs are positive in terms of promoting a collaborative approach to meeting their individual need. The manager is willing to challenge underperformance of external agencies and has done this when necessary.

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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

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Information about this inspection

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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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