Children's home in Manchester

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

Young people are living in a more stable and settled home than previously. This is because emergency admissions are rare. The Registered Manager is now fully involved in authority-wide planning to meet the needs of local young people. This ensures they are placed in homes that best meet their needs, and are compatible with other young people in the home. This fulfils two requirements made at the last inspection. It means staff can better support young people to make progress. Young people have moved on to permanent placements, as reflected in their plans. When appropriate, young people have returned home. Others have gained specialist foster placements or semi-independent living arrangements. The home ensured young people were accurately represented regarding their strengths and needs in placement panel reports, to enable effective matching. Staff have played key roles in supporting young people to meet and settle with their new families.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This ensures young people continue to benefit from emotional continuity during a period of change. It assists their new carers to consult with staff beyond placement, to smooth out any concerns that may arise during the ‘getting to know you’ period. Many young people are unaccompanied asylum seekers. The Registered Manager has the appropriate knowledge and understanding to help them to make progress towards more permanent plans. Managers take care to ensure there are regular opportunities for their language needs to be supported, by arranging for translators to regularly visit the home; have a presence at all planning meetings; weekly consultations; and also attend young people’s meetings. This promotes young people’s ability to make their views and wishes known and understood. Young people who are suffering from trauma and upset related to their past experiences and separation from their home countries, say they feel safe due to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the warmth and kind regard of staff. Despite active and persistent challenge to help them to access suitable education, four asylum seekers remain without a school place or alternative interim arrangements. They voiced frustration at being prevented from making suitable social and educational progress, despite staff doing their best to help them to learn English, and be engaged in learning. Due to the efforts of staff, including appropriate escalation of their concerns about the lack of progress being made, the recommendation made at the last inspection has been met. During the inspection, the inspector addressed the educational shortfall with the virtual head, who undertook to address the drift experienced. Two other young people attend school full time, and are benefitting from a range of suitable experiences to help them make academic progress. Computers are available for them to use for school work

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

when necessary. Young people generally get on well together, and there are far fewer incidents and upsets in the home. Improvement has taken place over time, as the group has become more settled. One young person described their anxiety about the behaviour of a past resident, but she also expressed confidence in the way staff managed the situation saying, ‘They said they would sort it out, and they did what they said they would.’ She said she felt safe in the home, although she remained unhappy with one young person’s attitude towards her. Generally, staff intercept and challenge unacceptable comments and behaviour between young people. They model kindness and tolerance, and use young people’s meetings and direct work sessions to promote improvement in relationships. However, one complaint about an unkind insult made by a young person had not been followed through. This has limited the learning for one young person, to help him to understand the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

fundamentals of positive and appropriate relationships. There has been a reduction in the number of physical interventions, no episodes of young people being missing, and a corresponding increase in positive activity and rewards. Records of restraint are detailed and informative in most cases, but a minority of reports are not sufficiently clear to enable staff to reflect upon and improve their practice. This has not affected the safety of young people because restraint is used only to ensure young people are protected from harm. Staff enjoy spending time with young people, and offer a range of activities to broaden their ability to use their leisure constructively. A group was happily engaged in an art activity during the inspection. One young person has joined a cadet group, to improve their social activity, and another regularly visits their place of worship. All young people are eager to make the best use of their free leisure

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

passes, and spend time at the gym or swimming with staff. Staff support them to cook food they enjoy, and the cook prepares adventurous meals that reflect their culture and ethnicity. Requests made by young people, such as increasing the amount of access to electronic games, or the range of films available has been responded to effectively. This has included a reorganisation of the environment, to provide a quiet lounge for those who wish to have quiet time away from the bustle of daily living. This improves the group’s understanding and acceptance of healthy lives, and the culturally diverse needs of young people who are very far from home. Staff continue to maintain a vigilant approach to safeguarding young people, and include a range of topics relevant to individual needs in direct work sessions. This improves young people’s ability to understand the impact of their behaviour and choices on their safety and wellbeing. Staff persist in providing clear and consistent

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

messages about the importance of staying safe. Sometimes young people do not agree with the actions they take, such as limiting the use of internet capable devices. However, records show that staff have followed appropriate protocols for liaising with protection professionals, and only take this action when necessary to reinforce important messages about being safe from abuse, including exploitation. If young people complain, staff ensure their grievances are listened to by independent adults, such as advocates and social workers. Although this does not always resolve young people’s frustration, it ensures any action they take is open to review, and is recorded effectively. A review by the local authority of the conduct of children’s homes is well under way. The positive impact of this can been seen in new systems and processes, that help managers to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of the home in helping

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

young people’s lives to improve. The way that staff record and measure progress made by young people has improved, to provide a sensitive and accurate record of their lives, and the strategies that support their ongoing development. This information is used by key workers, to present highly effective reports about young people’s achievements and difficulties, as well as effective review of their plans. An external quality assurance professional praised the quality of this work. He said. ‘I have found this report to be outstanding...descriptive facts, reflective analysis and honest evaluation of progress made.’ The Registered Manager acknowledged that internal systems for quality assurance are still in the early stages of review and development. She has implemented revised systems for data collection and initial analysis of developmental need for the home. Further improvements are needed, to ensure that steps are clearly

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

identified to underpin steady progress that improves outcomes for young people. The workforce development plan, as recommended at the last inspection, is being constructed from the information gathered by this monitoring. The monthly reports from independent visitors do not demonstrate a rigorous assessment of the safety and welfare of young people, although they capture monthly progress and difficulties experienced by them. The local authority is reviewing how to improve monitoring provided by independent visitors. The final requirement made at the last inspection related to improvement required to the home’s Statement of Purpose. This has been met in relation to the nature of emergency admissions, but a further shortfall regarding how the needs of unaccompanied asylum seekers will be met has resulted in a repeat of this requirement. Lack of clarity about interim arrangements and timeframes to support

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

young people during any age assessment process has limited the progress these young people have been able to make.

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Information about this children's home

 This home is registered for up to six young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties  This home is managed by a local authority

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/10/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

31/12/2013 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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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

The positive relationships standard 11. —(1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a)mutual respect and trust; (b)an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c)positive responses to other children and adults. 18/03/2016

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Statement of purpose

16. —(1) The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular, and with regard to emergency admissions to the home: Quality and purpose of care 1. A statement of the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. 2. Details of the home's ethos, the outcomes that the home seeks to achieve and its approach to achieving them. 08/04/2016

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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 that any review of care focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, and the impact that care is having on outcomes and improvements for children. The report should identify timeframes for how identified actions to improve will be assessed, to enable continuous improvement in the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 64, paragraph 15.2)  Ensure that any independent visitor makes a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people in the home’s care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure records of restraint consistently provide sufficient detail to enable the manager to review and amend staff practice when necessary. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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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