Children's home run by Meadows Care 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:

 Staff really care about the young people and spend time getting to understand them. They work effectively as a team.  Staff develop highly individualised plans for young people, based on their detailed knowledge and understanding of their complex needs.  Staff celebrate young people’s individualities and ensure that young people are able to explore their identities safely.  Staff are skilled in behaviour management and are responsive to young people’s behaviour and presentation. As a result, young people become increasingly safe.  Young people make exceptional progress from their starting points in all areas of their development. Staff ensure that young people have small, achievable targets, which, in time, result in significant progress.  Young people are able to talk about what is difficult for them. They can identify trusted staff to speak to and they respond well to therapeutic and practical support offered by staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff develop positive relationships with stakeholders to ensure that young people receive consistent and well-coordinated care.  The new manager has worked quickly to monitor and review the care provided, in order to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses.  There are shortfalls. The records of temporary staff who have worked in the home are not complete, nor are the rotas, and essential children looked after documentation is missing from the home. The manager has been robust in tackling these and the staff’s good practice has ameliorated the impact of the shortfalls on the young people.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b)) 29 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to a child, are kept up to date, and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 29 July 2016

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home forms part of a large social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

4 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19 August 2015 Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

17 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Staff provide highly individualised care, which identifies clear plans for each young person. They take the time to understand young people and really care about them. Young people respond positively to the secure base that is provided by the home. The progress that the young people have made since the last inspection is exceptional. Through focussing on small achievable targets, the staff have, over time, secured significant progress for the young people, for example, using public transport without staff and leaving the home unprompted to go to the shops. This represents excellent progress from the young people’s starting points. The social worker for both young people said: ‘The young people have made the most significant progress in the last six months. They have complex needs and the staff have used well-thought-out strategies… It has been a process, and with continuity and consistency the young people have built up trust in staff. They have come on

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Good

in leaps and bounds.’ Staff support young people to attend education, and they make good progress with excellent levels of attendance and engagement. The young people make progress in developing academic abilities and workplace skills. Staff use opportunities in the home to reinforce the young people’s learning, for example, by playing monopoly so that they are able to practise using money. Staff remain in close contact with the young people’s college to ensure that they are consistent in their approach to behaviour management. Staff ensure that young people’s health needs are met. The young people receive universal services and specialist services, as required. Staff respond well to young people’s mental health needs. They listen carefully and support young people to access appropriate services. Staff receive support from the in-house therapy team to develop behaviour management strategies that support young people to

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Good

manage their behaviour. The therapist said: ‘Staff are very responsive to young people and manage risk confidently. There is a good communication chain, and staff are keen to learn about how to manage the young people’s complex presentation.’ Staff prepare young people well for the transitions of moving on as young adults. Staff ensure that they all work together to support young people to make progress in developing independence skills. As a result, young people develop practical skills in cooking, cleaning and completing their laundry. They also develop emotional resilience to manage with reduced levels of staffing as they prepare for living in semi-independent accommodation. Young people engage in activities in the local community. Staff support them to develop their individual interests, for example in horse riding, belly dancing and singing. This boosts their self-confidence, especially when they take part in

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Good

performances, and means that they have fun. This level of interaction within the community represents significant progress for the young people. Staff support young people to have contact with their families, when that is safe and in their best interests. This promotes young people’s sense of identity. Staff support young people as they explore their identities and positively embrace their interests. Staff ensure that young people have access to an advocate when they want additional support in achieving their wishes and exploring feelings. Staff prepare young people for reviews and meetings, and ensure that their views are central to plans that are developed. Staff are suitably trained and qualified and the manager has development plans in place for staff to ensure that they make personal progress, as well as improve the quality of care provided to meet young people’s needs. The home provides a welcoming and homely environment, which is well maintained. Young people’s

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Good

photographs and belongings are on display, ensuring a truly personalised home.

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Good

Staff are highly skilled in recognising risks to young people’s safety. Staff support young people to manage their behaviour and, as a result, young people feel safe and secure living in the home. Young people become increasingly safe. Staff undertake key-work sessions with young people especially on sexual exploitation, stranger danger and sexual health. They support them to become more confident in using public transport so that they understand how to get to and from the home when they are out. Young people do not go missing, but staff are aware of what to do if they should. Staff are alert to risks of sexual exploitation, due to the young people’s vulnerabilities, and ensure that they remain up to date with training and in their knowledge of the local risks. They have a positive relationship with the local police officer and keep themselves updated with what is happening in the community by attending the area’s police forums for residential care providers.

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Good

Staff’s detailed understanding of the young people means that they are able to manage situations well. They understand their triggers and know what is effective in managing their behaviour. As a consequence, de-escalation techniques are used to good effect and physical intervention has not been used since the last inspection. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted, and rewards are effective, with young people achieving their rewards of choice, for example, a day’s horse riding on the beach and a visit to a theme park. The manager ensures that there is safer recruitment of permanent staff who are new to the home. There are shortfalls in the recording of who has worked in the home, both in terms of the maintenance of a complete staff rota and of a staff register. This does not allow the manager to have sufficient scrutiny of who is working in the home. The young people understand how to complain and have both complained twice,

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Good

regarding the use of temporary staff, since the last inspection. These complaints have been responded to, and the current manager has a full staff team in place so that consistent care can be provided.

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Good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced manager who is in the process of registering with Ofsted. She obtained her level 5 diploma in residential childcare management and leadership a year ago. The manager is new in post and has been directly managing the home for about a month. In that time, she has ensured that she has updated herself on the needs of the young people and is familiar with their plans. She has been proactive in challenging the placing authority to obtain the essential documentation, which still remains missing for the young people. She has started to review and monitor the quality of care provided and has been robust in tackling the shortfalls identified in staffing and the documentation regarding children looked after. Some progress is being made. However, there are no pathway plans, the most recent review minutes for children looked after or personal educational plans present in the home, despite repeated efforts to obtain

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Good

these. This means that the young people and staff do not have an up-to-date record of their plans. The staff seek to minimise the impact of this shortfall by using their record of the agreed care plan, and this has ameliorated the impact of this shortfall. The manager and staff team make sure that young people continuously make progress from their starting points. All staff understand young people’s plans and work effectively as a team to secure significant progress. This is monitored and reviewed monthly so that achievable targets are made, which allow young people to make small steps forward successfully. This improves young people’s self- esteem. The manager and staff ensure that they develop positive relationships with all stakeholders, including families. They work together effectively to promote the young people’s welfare. Staff provide nurturing care for the young people in line with the statement of

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Good

purpose. Staff recognise the impact of young people’s early-life experiences on their behaviour and presentation. They work hard to provide a secure and reliable base from which young people can make progress in addressing what is difficult for them. Despite changes in the core staff team, and the use of temporary staff to meet shortfalls, the young people have continued to make excellent progress, demonstrating the impact of the previous consistency in developing emotional resilience.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 that 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 whom 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

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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