Children's home run by Pathfinders (childcare) Limited in Rochdale

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:

 Exceptional trusting and professional relationships are established and developed between the young people, the manager and the staff team. This is because of the commitment and stability of the staff team.  The manager and staff have high aspirations for young people and work strenuously to ensure that they make substantial progress from their individual starting points.  Young people live in a homely and nurturing environment in which staff provide high-quality support, ensuring that specific support agencies are in place to meet their individual needs.  The safety and welfare of young people living at the home are a priority. The whole staff team consistently goes above and beyond to support young people to make positive choices and reduce their risk- taking behaviour. Consequently, young people recognise the positive impact the home has had on their lives. They say that they are safe and very well cared for by the staff team.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 The staff team are managed by a passionate, dedicated and inspirational leader who is committed to securing continual improvement and providing a high-quality service to all young people who live at the home.  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 who are placed in the home.  Excellent relationships are established between parents and professionals, and as a result, young people benefit from holistic support.  The two shortfalls raised at this inspection have had no impact on the welfare and safety 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home. Regulation 41 (1) 26/08/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Case records, in particular healthcare plans, must be kept up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people enjoy living in a homely, nurturing and safe environment. The whole staff team is committed to providing high-quality individualised care to ensure that each young person achieves their full potential. One young person said: ‘I love it here. The staff are all brilliant, and they listen and care about me. I love them and I know they love me.’

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Outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress while living at the home. This is because of the strength of relationships between young people and staff. One young person commented: ‘I like the calm atmosphere – I feel relaxed here. The staff are amazing. They tell me why they are doing things. This place has helped me to change for the better.’ Individual staff members spoke confidently and with pride throughout the whole inspection about the progress each young person had made since coming to live at the home. Relationships are valued by the staff team and young people. Young people commented that they get on with each other and enjoy each other’s company. Admissions to the home are scrutinised and carefully considered by the manager. This ensures that new admissions do not negatively impact on young people who are already established in the home. Young people enjoy living in the home for significant periods of time, and the stability of

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Outstanding

placements is prioritised by the manager and staff team. One young person spoke with pride about the length of time she had lived at the home.

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Outstanding

The staff team is dedicated and committed to providing exceptional care and support to ensure that young people flourish and make significant progress from their individual starting points. As a result of highly individualised care, young people make progress in all aspects of their lives, including education, health, emotional well-being and emotional resilience. One professional commented: ‘There has been an amazing transformation in a short period of time. The relationship between the staff and [name of young person] is key.

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Outstanding

Young people’s views are integral to the home; their views are regularly sought through day-to-day discussions, planning their week and formal young people’s meetings, which provide a forum for them to share their ideas for improving the home. They are encouraged and supported to enjoy individual interests and activities. They are engaged in local activities, such as horse riding, which provide opportunities to enjoy appropriate peer relationships and develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Outstanding

The manager and staff team recognise that young people need to be prepared for their future and so develop bespoke programmes for each young person, supporting them to develop the skills they will need as they move on from the home into the local community. These programmes are delivered at a pace that enables young people to manage the transition and that promotes engagement with the programme. Young people are proud of their individual achievements and recognise the progress that they have made.

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Outstanding

The manager and staff value the relationships young people have with their friends and families. They support and encourage them to spend time with friends at the home. Young people enjoy individual levels of family contact, in line with their care plan, which is promoted and very well supported by the manager and staff team.

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Outstanding

Staff and young people work hard to ensure that the house feels like a home. Young people’s individual art work and photographs of shared experiences are proudly displayed. Trusting relationships are established between young people, allowing for bedroom doors to be left unlocked. A young person said: ‘This is the best place I have ever lived – it’s my home.’

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from a high ratio of staff support, which means that they have a member of staff who works with them on an individual basis, providing high levels of supervision. Young people say that they feel very safe living at the home and that this is because the staff team care for them. Young people and staff develop individual crisis prevention and management plans. These plans are regularly reviewed to ensure an up-to-date assessment of the presenting risks of young people. The plans identify agreed strategies to support young people in effectively managing and working to reduce significantly their individual risks taking behaviour. Staff are confident in their understanding of these plans and young people say that these plans help them to feel safe. Young people are effectively supported by the staff team to develop the skills to improve their own sense of safety and to know what action to take to keep themselves safe when

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Outstanding

they are away from the staff and in the wider community.

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Outstanding

Young people do not go missing from this home. For one young person, this is a significant change in their behaviour, and according to a professional, the reduction in their risk-taking behaviour in such a short period of time is ‘an amazing transformation.’ The young person and placing social worker commented that the change in behaviour is because individual team members are adept at engaging with the young person and have established positive relationships. Because of the quality of relationships, staff know the young people very well and can quickly identify a change in behaviour, which provides opportunities for staff to intervene effectively and support young people in making positive choices. As a consequence, risk-taking behaviour has significantly reduced. Clear missing-from- home risk management plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that staff have clear instructions in place to protect the young people and manage effectively any

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Outstanding

The manager has admitted a young person who is extremely vulnerable and at risk of child sexual exploitation. However, she has ensured that staff have received updated training and has developed excellent links with supporting agencies. This means that the staff team is able to manage and support young people effectively to reduce their levels of risk and to act quickly to ensure that a support package is in place for young people to maintain their safety.

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Outstanding

Behaviour is managed exceptionally well, with clear and consistent boundaries; staff members know young people’s individual behaviour. As a result, staff are confident in managing and de-escalating any presenting behaviour. This further promotes young people’s feelings of being protected and well cared for. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of physical restraint and very few negative consequences. This is because the staff team members positively parent the young people, using incentives and rewards to support them in making positive choices. Despite the low number of episodes of challenging behaviour, the manager ensures that training is regularly updated, and staff share effectively any emerging behaviour at handover and team meetings to maintain consistency in behaviour management.

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Outstanding

Recruitment practice remains robust. The manager takes an active part in the recruitment of staff to ensure that she has a good mix of staff on the team in order to meet the individual needs of each young person. Checks are obtained and scrutinised prior to employment and then held securely. This supports young people in being cared for by adults who have been appropriately checked prior to employment. A range of health and safety checks are routinely carried out to ensure that young people and staff live in a physically safe environment.

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Outstanding

The registered manager has been registered since 2009 and she holds suitable qualifications for this role. She displays excellent leadership and management skills in the home, and is extremely successful at motivating and supporting the staff team. One member of staff commented: ‘The manager inspires us to do our best for the young people.’ The home has a proven record of delivering high-quality care and support for all young people who live at the home. The manager is a positive role model for individual team members and for individual young people. She is an effective role model and as a result of working closely with young people, has an excellent understanding of them as individuals and is fully aware of the progress they are making. For example, she recently accompanied a young person to shop for a prom dress. Such shared experiences develop and sustain positive relationships with individual young people. The manager ensures that young people’s individual

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Outstanding

needs are placed at the centre of the home’s work. As a result, young people feel valued and very well supported in living in their home.

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Outstanding

Young people have made exceptional progress, given their individual starting points. Progress has been achieved both over a sustained period of time and with a young person who recently moved into the home. This demonstrates the exceptional skills and care that are in place to support young people on an individualised basis. Young people recognise their own progress and attribute this to the high level of support and commitment shown by the manager and staff team. One young person commented: ‘My life has turned a corner. The staff here are amazing. They listen to me and are honest and do much more than they have to.’

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Outstanding

The whole staff team benefits from working in a supportive environment. Staff comment that the manager is approachable, available and committed to promoting safe work practice. She ensures regular and detailed supervisions, and team meetings are facilitated, which provides both individual and team support. A comprehensive training programme underpins working practice. Staff commented that the manager is committed to supporting individuals to achieve their full potential and to support them in progressing in their careers. For example, one member of staff has recently qualified as the organisational trainer for managing challenging behaviour. Existing team members either hold suitable qualifications or are working towards qualification.

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Outstanding

The statement of purpose is reviewed by the manager, which ensures that the service delivered meets the aims and objectives set out in it. The manager undertakes regular monitoring of the home. Monitoring enables the manager to review the service and address shortfalls in a timely manner. External monitoring of the quality of the service is well established and contributes to the continuous improvement and development of the home. The management team recognises that despite delivering an outstanding level of care, it can continue to improve.

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Outstanding

Excellent professional relationships are developed and maintained by the manager and staff team, with all professionals involved in supporting young people. This is because the manager is committed to open and transparent communication. As a result, young people benefit from a holistic support package. One professional commented: ‘Communication is excellent. They are committed to reinforcing the care plan with the young person, which means we are all saying the same thing.’ However, despite the manager notifying a number of agencies of a recent admission to the home, such as the specialised nurse for children looked after and the police, at inspection, there was no record available to indicate that the local authority had been notified of this admission.

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Outstanding

Records are generally well organised and regularly updated. Staff are adept at recording key information, which will support young people in having an accurate record of their time in the home. However, healthcare plans are not always being kept up to date, in particular the outcomes of health appointments. However, because of the small and consistent staff team and effective information sharing, managers and staff are well aware of the individual needs of young people. Consequently, this shortfall has had no impact on the welfare of the young people.

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Outstanding

The shortfall raised at the previous inspection has been addressed by the manager, and improved recording of consequences means that both young people and staff can learn from previously imposed negative consequences.

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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 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, 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

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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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