Children's home run by Hopscotch Solutions Limited in Bolton

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the 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 registered manager acted quickly and decisively in meeting the requirements raised at the last inspection. Recording of behaviour management interventions, including physical intervention and sanctions, has improved and now meets regulatory requirements. The registered manager has now recruited a core staff group. This minimises staff moving between different homes and the ensuing instability this can bring. Risk assessments relating to young people are now thorough and shared with the staff group, ensuring that they are fully aware of actions necessary to take to keep young people safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are happy, content and making good progress. They are cared for by a committed and thoughtful staff team who enhance young people’s life chances. The registered manager and staff are ambitious for young people and have developed a culture of high aspiration. This means that young people try new things and, as a result, are more confident and self-assured.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s relationships with their family are valued and nurtured. The registered manager and staff keep families updated with regular reports, telephone conversations, and e-mail communication. They promote and support regular family visits. This leads to parents feeling included in the life of the home and helps their children to settle. A parent said of his son, ‘he is doing much better, I am happy with the care provided and I know he is happy and that makes me happy. All is positive and I can rest at night’. Another parent said, ‘It has been great since he has been there, settled well, he is making progress he is happy and seems calmer’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Educational progress is good. Young people attend the local school that is part of the same organisation. Their attendance remains high. Young people enjoy going to school and are making progress, fully supported by staff who often attend school with them and support them in the class. Communication is enhanced by staff speaking directly to teaching staff each day. This has meant that young people’s attainment and progress remains on the right track to achieve successful outcomes. A school report states that a young person is, ‘making good progress in core subjects, his highlights have been in art, P.E., and he really enjoys rugby’. Young people are actively involved in school teams and enjoy the challenges of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with one young person passing an award through increased gym attendance and another having just passed a Karate grading. These achievements have improved self-confidence and self-esteem.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people enjoy a healthy lifestyle. The staff, working in conjunction with the occupational therapist, have developed individual activity plans. Young people have individualised plans to improve their activity levels. For example, one young person is regularly using an exercise bike in the home and also attends the local gym. The registered manager and staff ensure a balanced diet is provided. Overall, young people are benefitting from good nutritional, balanced diets, and increased levels of exercise, which improves their health.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s behaviour is well managed. There have been no sanctions for poor behaviour and one physical intervention. The physical intervention was carried out appropriately to prevent injury and harm to others. Staff provide exceptionally high quality and insightful care, de-escalating difficult situations, using compromise, and implementing clear boundaries. This means young people have a sense of how to behave appropriately. Staff are gentle, consistent and emphasis positives. They recognise successes and give rewards. This creates a caring and nurturing environment in which young people are flourishing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager takes complaints seriously. Two complaints have been made since the last inspection. Both have been investigated by the manager and resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant. This depicts a service that respects the views of others and seeks to resolve any difficulties quickly.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager provides a good level of supervision to staff, guided by a clear agenda and primarily focussed upon the needs of young people. Staff have regular developmental reviews and their care practice benefits from good training and developmental opportunities. Staff members enjoy their roles and feel supported. A staff member said that supervision is, ‘work focussed and helpful, and the level of support from the managers is very good’. This results in young people receiving high quality care from a motivated, committed and valued staff team.

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up-to two young people, of the same gender and aged between 10 and 17 years. It is registered to accommodate young people who have learning difficulties, ADHD, epilepsy and challenging behaviour. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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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