Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Oldham

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed 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:

 Young people are fully invested in their placements and feel a real sense of belonging, which enables them to make fantastic progress and to form strong, trusting relationships.  The house feels like a family home. It is a friendly and welcoming environment where young people feel relaxed and can take pride in their home.  Excellent relationships are established between parents and professionals. This ensures stability, consistency and a strong team around the child.  The experience of living in this home has had a significant impact on the lives of young people. Staff regularly go above and beyond their role and, as a result, young people develop exceptional relationships with their care givers.  Staff have high aspirations for all young people and work strenuously to promote young people’s personal, social and emotional development. The home promotes inclusion and ensures that young people are given every

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

opportunity to thrive, feel good about themselves and enjoy their childhood.  Staff make young people’s safety and well-being a high priority. They live in a safe environment where their welfare is promoted. Clear safeguarding procedures and risk management plans underpin staff practice.  Risk-taking behaviour has ceased. Staff are effective role models, which has helped young people to improve their behaviour and become more socially aware.  The staff team is managed by a passionate, dedicated and inspirational leader who is committed to securing continual improvement.  The staff team members say that they are very well supported in their role by the manager, and have regular supervision and team meetings. They participate in regular training. This ensures that they are well equipped to meet the individual needs of the young people placed in the home.  One shortfall is noted in this inspection. This relates to improving the quality of

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

evaluation in the regulation 45 reports. This shortfall does not impact negatively on the safety and well-being of young people.

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating — the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45(2)(b)) 21/09/2016

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

This home has made a real difference to the lives of the young people who currently live there. Staff are good role models and adopt a parent-like approach to their care. They demonstrate high aspirations and a genuine drive to help young people achieve. This was confirmed by a professional stakeholder who said: ‘I must say I have been very impressed with the team and the manager. They are extremely creative and child focused. I can honestly say they all give 150 per cent and go the extra mile for young people. [name of young person] has a really strong relationship with staff and he gets on well with the other young person in [the] placement. It’s like a sibling relationship. The atmosphere is very calm, and as a result, [name of young person] feels safe’.

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Outstanding

This home feels like an ordinary family home. Young people are happy, settled and are given the opportunity to explore who they are. Staff demonstrate great respect and empathy for young people who have experienced trauma and they take into account the underlying reasons for behaviour and respond effectively. They are clearly child centred and are extremely skilled at helping young people to express their emotions. One young person articulated this beautifully in a poem presented during the inspection, in which she wrote: ‘We laugh together when we are happy, we cry together when we are sad. But I just wanted you to know, [you’re the] best carers I’ve ever had’. This again demonstrates that young people are happy and comfortable in the home.

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Outstanding

Young people are making excellent progress with their education. This has been made possible by the support they receive from a highly committed staff team that prioritises their needs and has high aspirations for them. Both young people accesses full-time education that is appropriate to their needs, abilities and wishes. From their starting points, they are making significant progress and are expected to achieve good examination results. Their success has undoubtedly enhanced their confidence and self-belief. Both are extremely driven and have clear ambitions for the future.

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Outstanding

As a result of living in the home, the young people’s relationships with their families and significant others have improved. One parent commented that family dynamics are much better, thus enabling their relationships to repair and flourish. The manager and staff support and encourage family time, and family members comment on feeling welcomed into the home by staff and young people on their visits. Young people enjoy individual levels of family contact, in line with their care plan, and is promoted very well. This routine and consistency support positive relationships between young people and their families, and enable young people to see staff and family members working together to support them.

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Outstanding

Care practice is underpinned by good care planning. Young people are supported to contribute to their own placement plans, which has been effective in helping them to gain a good understanding of their specific needs and what they would like to achieve. Managers control admission and departure processes effectively. For young people arriving or leaving, each process is sensitively handled and staff are mindful of the effect on all those residing in the home. Managers make child- focused decisions and confidently challenge placing authorities when a plan of action is not in the best interests of the young person.

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Outstanding

Young people’s views are integral to planning in the home. Their views are regularly sought through day-to-day discussions and in planning for their week. Young people’s formal meetings also provide a forum for them to share their ideas for improving the home. Young people spoken with during the inspection confirm that their opinions genuinely matter. They feel respected, and trust that staff have their best interests at heart.

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Outstanding

The current young people in the home have friendships outside the home and enjoy spending time with these friends. However, they do also engage in a good range of stimulating and challenging activities, including youth clubs, boxing and mixed martial arts. They also enjoy trips out together and holidays. Individual interests and talents are also actively encouraged and supported, which increases their self-confidence and competencies. All these positive experiences are captured in a ‘My Time at The Croft’ book, which young people can take with them on discharge.

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Outstanding

Staff and young people work hard to ensure that the house feels like a home. Photographs of shared experiences are proudly displayed. The environment is welcoming and pleasantly decorated. This is a comfortable home where young people feel relaxed and safe.

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Good

Young people’s safety and welfare are promoted at this home. Safeguarding training provides staff with a good understanding of safeguarding policies and related procedures. Staff are also highly alert to the signs and symptoms of harm, including abuse, child sexual exploitation and bullying. A professional commented: ‘I believe the staff at the home are all passionate about their role and put in a great deal of effort to provide the best level of care. They fully understand what is required of them in relation to keeping young people safe and often go the extra mile. They maintain close links with safeguarding agencies and are quick to respond to any issues that come up’.

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Good

Risk management elements of care planning are carefully considered for each young person. There is clear identification of the risks, potential triggers for risk- taking behaviours and strategies to minimise or manage risks. Changes in behaviour and emerging risks are quickly identified and routinely shared among the staff team and other professionals. This level of communication helps to maintain young people’s safety.

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Good

Behaviour is very well managed, not only by the staff, but also by young people themselves. They are steadily becoming more able to regulate their emotions, and understand that making mistakes is not disastrous and is something that can help personal growth. The incentives and rewards system works very well, and minimises the need for sanctions. Young people understand the process and their behaviours demonstrate that they are keen to achieve the maximum reward points. Recently, one young person earned enough points to go and see some of her favourite pop stars in concert.

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Good

Physical interventions are rarely necessary because staff employ effective de- escalation techniques. However, when restraint is used, it is well managed and thoroughly documented. Young people are fully involved in discussions about the prevention of further incidents and are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. Staff undertake lots of direct work, which helps young people to understand the impact of negative behaviours upon themselves and others. This enables them to learn more socially acceptable behaviours, which in turn improves their future prospects.

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Good

Young people are regularly encouraged by staff to discuss their views about living in the same home. This helps to address any emerging issues and promotes mutual respect. As it stands, the members of the current group get on really well and there has been no conflict between them. This is largely due to good matching and young people’s ability to exercise self-control. Both young people demonstrate a good sense of personal responsibility and have respect for others. This further demonstrates that the home is a safe and relaxing environment.

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Good

In the event that young people go missing from care, staff take proactive measures, such as contacting young people’s mobile phones and going out and searching for them. The current group of young people do not place themselves at risk by going missing. That said, there is clear evidence in the home’s records that episodes of children going missing from care are well managed. Furthermore, professionals confirm very good inter-agency communication. All of this helps to ensure that young people’s safety and protection are given optimum priority.

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Good

The home itself provides a safe environment for young people. A range of health and safety checks is completed to assess whether there are any hazards that could pose a risk to young people. Young people and staff take part in regular fire drills to ensure that they know how to evacuate safely from the home in case of an emergency. These measures help to ensure that young people continue to live in a safe environment.

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Good

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2015. She is effective in her role and demonstrates a strong commitment to the young people in her care.

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Good

The manager has good oversight of care and recording practice, and an excellent understanding of the individual needs of the young people accommodated in the home. She ensures that she is readily available to staff and young people for consultation, advice and support. She has a person-centred approach and ethos in delivering a high standard of care to young people. The effectiveness of the team’s efforts is apparent in the progress young people make in many aspects of their lives.

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Good

Since the last inspection, staffing levels have improved considerably. The home is now fully staffed and there is a good mix of experience and skill within the team. The way in which the rota is organised ensures that young people are always able to undertake planned activities and are cared for by people they know and trust. During the inspection, young people were seen to be happy, and engaging in warm and positive interactions with the staff team. They talk positively about staff and feel happy in the company of their carers.

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Good

Staff talk positively about working at the home and say that they feel well supported. They receive regular and effective supervision, which they feel enables them to reflect upon their practice and recognise their own strengths and areas for development. Team meetings, daily handovers and annual appraisals are also used to ensure that the team is clear about the aims and objectives of meeting young people’s needs.

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Good

Managers and staff have effective and productive working relationships with key stakeholders. Professionals and parents are extremely positive about the home’s acknowledgment of the progress that the young people have made.

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Good

Commitment to ongoing improvement of the service is apparent. The manager has met all the requirements made at the last inspection. This demonstrates her ability to learn from inspection and drive improvements. Monthly independent visitor reports are thorough and well documented. They give a clear overview of care practices within the home. Any actions raised are quickly addressed by the manager. However, the manager’s report on the quality of care is less robust. It lacks in-depth analysis and evaluation of young people’s views about the home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. This does not assist the manager to understand the effectiveness of the home’s approaches to securing improved outcomes for young people.

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Good

The Statement of Purpose is regularly reviewed and revised as necessary in order to ensure that it always accurately reflects the current aims, policies, practices and staffing of the home. The children’s guide is in an appropriate format for the young people currently living at the home. It helps them to know how they will be supported, what their rights are and what the expectations of them are.

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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 the ‘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 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 that 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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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