Children's home in Rochdale

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home was last inspected in September 2015. It was found to be offering a good service to children and young people. Two requirements were made to improve practice further. Both of these had been fully addressed by the manager at the point of this interim inspection. This shows that she learns from inspection activity to promote the development of the service. Staff work well together with the virtual school and other education professionals to try to meet children and young people’s needs. Staff provide educational opportunities to encourage children and young people’s self-esteem and develop their confidence. This promotes their academic achievement and ability. Staff understand the need to be flexible in their interventions according to the needs of each child. They take every opportunity to engage, stimulate and teach the children and young people through the experiences provided. By taking part in

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

structured one to one activities, children and young people have the opportunity to learn in ways that conventional schools are not always able to provide. As one social worker commented: ‘It is clear that the provider places great value on education and the team advocated this throughout the duration of my young person’s placement. Team members would also endeavour to create opportunities for learning within the home and community such as cooking or arts and crafts. When education placements were identified, staff were supportive and collaborative, willing to provide transport and chaperoning if required.’ Children and young people generally enjoy good health. Diet, immunisations and routine health checks are all kept under review. Their general health needs are effectively identified and services provided to meet them. They are encouraged and supported to attend routine and specialist appointments such as with

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

community mental health services to ensure they remain fit and well. Good collaborative links with health professionals and other agencies allow helpful guidance and support to be provided when children and young people are most in need. Children and young people benefit from individualised placement plans that are subject to regular review and update. Staff work well with children and young people to ensure that their weekly plans are followed and their targets met. Children and young people are involved in an age-appropriate way in the development of their plans and are clear about their goals. They are aware of their wider care plans and are supported by staff to be involved in meetings about them. As a result, they feel part of their future planning and have confidence that their voice will be heard. Staff are persistent in their efforts to promote positive outcomes for even the most challenging children and young people. Their care is

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

regularly reviewed to ensure their current and emerging needs can be met. If this is not the case, the manager will ensure concerns are raised in order to review the placement and find suitable alternatives if this is in their best interest. As one social worker confirmed: ‘The care package was comprehensive and encompassed the young person’s individual needs, strengths and emotional well-being. The placement plan and risk assessments were in depth and detailed, demonstrating a good deal of insight into the young person’s emotional well-being. The care package advocated multi-agency collaboration in order to ensure a holistic and joined-up approach to meeting his needs. Communication was of a very high standard. Updates were presented sensitively and were always measured and balanced. The provider’s core values were evident in the way information was presented and shared.’ Children and young people have the opportunity to express their wishes, feelings

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and views so that they have an influence in their day to day care. They understand how to complain and feel able to do so. They can easily access an advocate, an independent reviewing officer and the independent visitor, who can provide the advice and support they need, and pursue matters on their behalf if necessary. Complaints records demonstrate that children and young people know their rights and how to complain, and that their comments are taken seriously. This helps them to be confident about expressing their views and having an influence on decision-making. Children and young people are encouraged to learn how to regulate their emotions and acquire reflective skills to make sense of what has happened to them. As a result, they learn better control of impulses and difficult emotions so they are more equipped for successful adult life. Staff have recently received from the in-house therapist a very detailed and informative presentation about healthy child

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

development, and the impact of disrupted development. They spoke about how it helped them to understand the reasons and meaning of some of the challenging behaviours they deal with from the children and young people. They seek expert guidance, act on professional advice and use research to inform their practice. Throughout, children and young people are encouraged to make choices and see the consequences of their actions, both good and bad. This is endorsed in feedback from one young person’s social worker: ‘The team at the home always tried to understand the reasons behind my young person’s challenging behaviours and contextualise them, and despite the negative effects such behaviours had, team members maintained a positive outlook and looked for ways to make progress. They maintained a creative, child-centred and positive approach in their working methods, and fitted into the multi-agency arena with ease and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

professionalism. The commitment to the young person, his family and professionals was at the fore throughout.’ Staff are imaginative in sourcing off-site activities and children and young people are supported to undertake a wide range of activities and trips out. There is good evidence of many individual sessions with children and young people to inform them about the home, plans and activities such as going to the park, shops, skate park, bike rides football and hockey. Children and young people are provided with easily accessible information about the home. This includes clarification about their rights and the expectations of them. Transitions of new children and young people to the home are managed in a careful and child-centred way. All this helps them to settle into their placements and understand how staff will look after them. Staff provide children and young people with a living environment suited to their

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

individual needs, and reflects the high value they place upon them. It is warm, welcoming and homely and reflects the personalities of the children and young people being cared for by means of photographs, individualised bedrooms and a plethora of toys and games around the house. Leadership remains visible and highly effective. Monitoring of young people's progress and development is very good and the manager has a thorough understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas for development. Relationships with partner agencies are effective. They ensure that children and young people are protected and their needs met without delay. This leads to improvements in the quality of care provided and in the progress of children and young people. Staff feel well-supported, so they have a real sense of purpose in their role and feel very motivated. They receive regular monthly supervision and robust performance management through annual appraisal. However, this could be

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

improved still further by taking into account children and young people’s views, and external professionals’ comments, about individual staff performance. Overall, the home provides high quality care and has improved its effectiveness since the last inspection.

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Information about this children's home

This is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is contracted to one local authority to provide assessment and care placements for up to six months.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/01/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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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

 Staff appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home's care. (The Guide, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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