Children's Home run by Trafford Borough Council in Trafford

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The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff consistently have high aspirations for young people and they provide them with the best possible help and support. Consequently, the progress young people make across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development is exceptional, taking into account their individual starting points.  Staff consistently strive to achieve the best outcomes possible for young people and make a positive and real difference to their lives. Care planning is extremely well planned and practice is highly personalised to meet the specific needs of the young people.  Young people enjoy exceptionally good relationships with staff, who are positive role models that they look up to, and learn from. Staff provide young people with continuity of care so they have stability and consistency in their lives. Young people enjoy living at the home, where they feel safe and have a strong sense of belonging.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 There is evidence of significant change and improvement in the lives of young people. Young people are now attending school on a more regular basis and their school attendance has improved, considerably. Staff work effectively and positively with their schools to promote their educational attainment and achievement.  Leaders and managers effectively prioritise the needs of the young people. They maintain strong and highly effective partnerships with their families, schools, social workers, independent reviewing officers and other professional agencies to improve their outcomes for the future.  Risk taking behaviours, such as going missing from care from long periods, drug use, self-harm, offending and anti-social behaviour have reduced significantly, and young people are less likely to suffer actual harm. Young people become increasing safer and they benefit from effective support, help and protection.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 As a result of this inspection, there is only one requirement made. This relates to the home obtaining young people’s written consent for the independent person to access their confidential records.

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What does the children's home need to do to improve?

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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(b)) 30/03/2016

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 5 young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is owned and managed by the local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people benefit from exceptionally well planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively. The home can demonstrate the positive difference and value it has made to young people’s lives. Young people make exceptional progress across all aspects of their lives. There is evidence of significant change and improvement for young people.

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people living in the home are

Parents report, ‘I’m absolutely, really, really, pleased. She’s come on leaps and bounds and I’d recommend the home to anyone…She now actually goes to school which is a big difference from when she was at home. Her attitude has completely changed, I can’t praise the home enough. She has turned back into the little girl I used to know.’

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people living in the home are

Young people enjoy exceptionally good relationships with staff. They benefit from continuity of care, so they have consistency and stability in their lives. Young people say they enjoy living at the home, where they feel safe and have permanence and belonging. Young people report, ‘My favourite member of staff, that’s a difficult one. I have three. Rick, Tammy and Crystal. Tammy is dead nice all of the time. Crystal’s not too strict and Rick I can talk to like for hours.’

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people living in the home are

Young people benefit from the services and support they need to promote their physical and emotional well-being. The home works in close partnership with health professionals to secure their positive health. Young people are taught about key health issues and so they learn to take responsibility for their own health. Young people make positive lifestyle decisions, such as eating healthily, not using drugs and taking regular physical exercise. The arrangements for the storage, safe handling and keeping of their medication are managed safely and effectively, by staff. Medical consent is in place and staff are clear about what health decisions and responsibilities are delegated to them.

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people living in the home are

Staff effectively prioritise young people’s education and there are clear expectations for them to attend school regularly. Those who have struggled to attend education previously, now attend school or alternative educational provision. School attendance has improved, significantly. Where education becomes too difficult for young people, staff work pro-actively and productively with the providers of their education to overcome any issues they experience at school. The home maintains highly effective partnerships with their schools to promote their significant educational achievement. Young people report, ‘I never, ever, went to school and now I go every day. It’s a life changer.’ And, ‘It does change you. I used to go to school once a week and run away. My attendance has gone up and I don’t run away.’

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people living in the home are

Social workers report, ‘They care about the outcomes for the young person and see the potential in him. The manager has been very proactive in dealing with a breakdown in his education.’

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people living in the home are

Young people enjoy a diverse range of positive activities, such as music concerts and sporting events, bowling, playing darts with staff, visiting theme parks and museums. Consequently, they develop their social skills, interests and hobbies. They have access to satellite TV, books, a personal computer and the internet at the home to support their learning and leisure.

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people living in the home are

Young people develop practical skills with good support from staff, in shopping, cooking and budgeting to promote their readiness for independence. The home maintains close and positive relationships with their families and ensures contact is a safe and enjoyable experience. Staff support young people to sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Young people report, ‘They have helped me be closer to my family.’

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people are helped and protected

Young people confirmed during this inspection that they feel safe and enjoyed living at the home. None of them raised any concerns or complaints. One young person said, ‘I find it being better here, than at home. I feel safer, here.’ Young people benefit from effective support, help and protection.

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people are helped and protected

The intensity and frequency of risk taking behaviours, such as going missing from care, self-harm, offending, anti-social behaviour and the risk of exploitation have reduced, significantly. Young people become increasing safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them. Staff have a very good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and they take appropriate action to address them.

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people are helped and protected

A social worker reports, ‘The main issue of concern was that she was vulnerable to exploitation, non-school attendance, missing from home and negative peer association. Since being accommodated there has been a significant improvement in all the aforementioned concerns. She is attending school, she has engaged with services to develop her insight into exploitation and she has disassociated from the peer group and the relationship between (child) and her mother is much improved.’ The frequency of missing from care episodes has reduced considerably. When young people are absent, or do go missing, there are effective arrangements made to promote their safe return. Young people report, ‘I’ve lived here the longest and it’s not bad at all. We’re well looked after. If you saw me a year ago and looked at me now I’m a completely different person and it’s down to them. ‘They changed who I am. I’ve got me back.’

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people are helped and protected

The use of clear risk assessment, pro-active safe working practice and highly effective behaviour management strategies promote the safety of young people. Staff promote their positive behaviour and they share and implement the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy in caring for young people. They embrace the nurtured heart approach to bring about behavioural change and improvement for young people. The use of restraint is exceptionally rare and sanctions are kept to an absolute minimum.

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people are helped and protected

A social worker reports, ‘The home has played a significant role in her progress. The stable and experienced team of carers has provided a safe and secure home base. Her physical needs are met on a consistent basis and she has been able to develop trusting relationships with her carers. This allows her to be open to emotional support and affirmation from the care team. She reports that she is happy with the way in which she is looked after.’

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people are helped and protected

Young people are protected from abuse, exploitation and all other forms of significant harm. Allegations of abuse are managed quickly and professionally and significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities charged with a duty to protect the young people. The home maintains highly effective partnerships with the police, social workers and other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety and well-being of young people.

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people are helped and protected

Young people benefit from a homely, comfortable, physically safe and appropriately secure environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively, to promote a physically safe environment for young people. The home is consistently maintained to a high quality standard, and is furnished and decorated in accordance with the needs, feelings and wishes of young people. New carpets, flooring, showers and washing facilities have all been installed since the last inspection. Judgement grade

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leaders and managers

The home employs an extremely well qualified, trained and experienced Registered Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the home. The manager has been in post since 2007. The manager is supported by two experienced deputy managers. Consequently, the home’s leadership and management arrangements are strong and effective.

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leaders and managers

There are effective arrangements for monitoring the quality of young people’s care. Independent monitoring visits take place each month, by elected members, and more recently, by representatives from the National Youth Advocacy Service. This arrangement ensures there is effective scrutiny of the home’s performance. Furthermore, it helps the home’s leadership to understand the home’s strengths and identify its weaknesses so they can take action to secure improvement. The external monitoring combined with the home’s robust internal monitoring activities, means there are effective systems for reviewing and improving the standard and quality of young people’s care.

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leaders and managers

There is one requirement made as result of this inspection. This relates to ensuring signed consent is obtained from young people, for the independent person to have access to their confidential records.

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leaders and managers

The performance of the home is monitored effectively in a way that improves outcomes for young people. Leaders and managers have an exceptionally good understanding of young people’s progress in relation to their plans. They effectively prioritise their needs and champion them. Additionally, they will advocate for young people and escalate concerns, where they believe decisions are not in the best interests of young people. Young people report, ‘Paul’s a brilliant manager he’s done so much for us.’

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leaders and managers

A strong, stable, suitably qualified, well trained, skilled and highly experienced staff group is employed to meet the needs of young people. Staff benefit from effective support and regular professional supervision. Leaders and managers lead staff, by example, and provide them with clear purpose and direction. They ensure their enthusiasm and efforts are channelled effectively.

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leaders and managers

Staff are self-motivated and work creatively, as a team. They provide young people with clear rules and safe boundaries to promote their well-being and safety. Social worker’s report, ‘friendly and welcoming and incredibly hardworking. The home provides a safe haven for children who have experienced difficulties in their lives. They are passionate about what they do and the staff collectively ensure that all children’s needs are being met and they have the opportunity to flourish and reach their potential.’ The home meets the aims and objectives as set out in its Statement of Purpose, in delivering an outstanding, high quality service for young people. There is evidence of considerable change and improvement in the lives of young people, taking into account their individual starting points.

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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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