Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Kirklees

The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

children and young people since the most recent full inspection. This home was judged requires improvement at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the leadership and management of the home. A manager was appointed to fill the vacant post in April 2016. However, she resigned before she completed her registration with Ofsted. The current registered manager has been in post for two months and is making good progress to improve the quality of care provided and ensure stability for the young people. She has the level 3 diploma in residential childcare and is working towards the level 5 diploma in leadership and management in residential childcare. She has the appropriate experience and skills to manage the home. The registered manager has identified shortfalls in staffing levels and is recruiting more staff to

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

the team. This shortfall has led to at least 50 different people working in the home since the last inspection. This is having an adverse impact on young people. They are unhappy about not always knowing who will collect them from school and it leads to conflict as they vie for attention from their core staff team member on shift. Two young people have left the home since the last inspection and two have joined the home. For one young person, her admission to and discharge from the home were not positive. The police arrested her for threats to kill another young person and she did not return to the home. The registered provider has not retained and stored the young person’s records as regulation requires. This prevents the regulator from evaluating the impact of the care provided and prevents the young person accessing those records now or in the future. The second admission to the home was planned and this young person is making

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

good progress. The second discharge from the home was also well planned. Staff prepared the young person well for her transition to independent living over the two years that she lived in the home. They continue to provide out-reach support to her as she develops confidence in living alone. The young person appreciates the support that staff provide, ‘It’s weird being on my own. I miss being part of a family. Staff helped me a great deal and come and see me now so I have the support I need. Staff are brilliant. The best thing is you can have a good laugh with everyone.’ Staff develop positive relationships with young people. Staff quickly understand young people’s needs when they are new to the home and develop individualised plans. Staff work closely with therapists to ensure that young people’s care plans reflect their complex needs and how to meet them. Staff understand the impact that abuse and trauma have on young people and reflect on their behaviour

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

sensitively. They regularly review young people’s risk assessments to reflect their current risks and include detailed responses to ensure that staff consistently manage young people’s behaviour. Most young people make good progress. Young people attend school and engage well, working hard towards their public exams next summer. Young people recognise the difference that living in the home has on their education, as one young person said, ‘My education has dramatically improved since living here as I am in a better frame of mind.’ Staff communicate effectively with schools that value their partnership working. A teacher said, ‘Staff prioritise my young person’s education. They attend meetings and support her to attend school. Staff communicate well with us.’ Young people engage well with youth offending workers and therapists. As a result, they develop insight into their own behaviour and their emotional resilience improves. A youth offending team worker said, ‘Staff

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

are brilliant with being able to meet my young person’s needs.’ Staff ensure that young people are safe. Staff understand young people’s going missing protocols and always follow young people or look for them in familiar places. They contact family and friends and work with the police to ensure that young people are missing for the minimum amount of time. Staff ensure that young people benefit from an independent return interview. Staff attend strategy meetings to ensure that there is a coordinated response by the team around the young person. Staff understand the signs of child sexual exploitation and remain alert to this issue, although young people’s risks are reducing. Staff understand why young people’s risk-taking behaviour may increase at times. They receive training and support from the in-house therapist to develop their skills in managing self-injurious behaviour. Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

and restraint is rarely necessary. Staff always offer young people the opportunity to reflect on these incidents and make good use of restorative interviews. Leaders and managers do not always ensure that they debrief staff following the use of restraint to provide support and reflection of how to improve practice. The registered manager is developing her reviewing and monitoring systems. She responds to the independent visitor’s recommendations and is making progress in improving the quality of care. She works effectively with placing authorities ensuring that any issues are resolved as they arise. There are shortfalls, some young people’s looked after documentation is missing, including up-to-date care plans, review minutes and education healthcare plans and staff recruitment checks are not sufficiently robust. The registered manager recognises these shortfalls and is taking action to address them. She has ensured that all the requirements made

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

at the last inspection have been met, showing that she is responsive to the inspection process.

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Information about this children's home

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

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/04/2016 Full Requires improvement 25/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/09/2015 Full Outstanding 20/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must— (2)(e) ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. 09/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard In order to ensure that the care planning standard is met the registered provider must ensure that children— (1)(b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 09/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person, or a person authorised by the registered person to do so has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)) 09/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which— (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to a child; (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)) 09/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

Case records must be kept in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (2)(d)) 09/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment safeguards children and minimises risk to children. In particular, that there are clear risk assessments completed when staff have involvement with the police. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 60, paragraph 13.1)

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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

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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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