Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been significant shortfalls in the safeguarding of young people, which has had a detrimental impact on the young people’s outcomes. By not following risk assessments and care plans which detailed the need for continual supervision of young people, staff failed to safeguard young people effectively or promote their welfare. As a result, a young person was able to access dangerous substances which were used to cause self-harm, and another young person alleged that a serious offence had been committed. This meant that a young person experienced an unplanned change of placement as well as the trauma caused by the alleged offence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leadership and management of the home have deteriorated, with a lack of leadership presence in the home at the time of these safeguarding incidents. Following these incidents, the registered manager acted appropriately in suspending staff pending investigation. The registered provider disciplined staff and managers supported them to improve their practice. The registered manager moved to work in another children’s home about two months ago and a new manager is in post. The new manager has suitable experience and qualifications to manage a children’s home, and Ofsted awaits his application to register. He is developing his own systems of monitoring and reviewing the quality of care provided. He supervises staff both formally and informally to ensure that the quality of care provided improves. There are shortfalls, in that he has not followed safer recruitment practice to vet new staff thoroughly by obtaining and evaluating

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

explanations of gaps in staff’s employment histories or ensured that rotas accurately reflect who works in the home, including himself. The manager does not ensure that the independent visitor evaluates the safeguarding of young people in the home. This presents a lost opportunity for the manager to monitor the quality of care provided for young people and to drive forward improvements, and for the regulator to understand how staff safeguard young people between inspection activities. The manager has the capacity to take the necessary action to rectify these shortfalls.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two young people have left the home. One young person left the home in a planned way following several years of stability, during which they made significant progress. Unfortunately, staff undermined the young person’s positive outcomes through the safeguarding failings in the last few weeks of the young person’s placement. The other young person left the home in an unplanned way due to the aforementioned serious safeguarding concerns. This does not promote young people’s welfare.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager has admitted two new young people to the home in a planned way. The manager considers the ability of staff to meet young people’s needs and the matching of young people to the existing group, however, he does not adequately record their evaluations. The manager ensures that staff receive additional training so that they are well prepared to meet any specific needs that young people have. A placing authority social worker said: ‘I am really happy. The move was planned and managed well. Staff have really positive relationships with my young person. They understand him well and promote his education... it is a lovely, homely environment. The placement is going well.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The two young people who have recently been admitted to the home make good progress. Staff have developed positive relationships with them and they invest in their placement. Young people attend the organisation’s school and engage with in- house therapists. Staff quickly develop a detailed understanding of young people’s needs and histories and are able to improve their outcomes. For example, a young person who was frequently going missing has not gone missing since living at the home. Staff understand what to do if young people go missing and have strong links with the local police, ensuring that robust going missing plans are prepared to ensure that young people will be at risk of harm for the minimum amount of time. Staff are alert to issues of child sexual exploitation and carefully observe young people’s behaviour both in the home and in the community. They understand the dangers that social media and the internet pose to vulnerable young people and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

supervise their use appropriately. Staff understand how to respond to young people’s complaints, and leaders manage staff in a timely way and learn from them. Staff complete regular key work sessions with young people. This supports young people to improve their knowledge and skills in managing difficult situations. At times, staff recording lacks clarity and detail, which is not useful to young people, or staff, in understanding their experiences now or in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff ensure that young people’s well-being is at the centre of their practice. They support young people who are new to the home to personalise their bedrooms and to plan their activities. Staff are proactive in finding activities which interest young people, who quickly become involved with horse riding, boxing, and going to the gym. Staff promote healthy lifestyles for young people by encouraging exercise and healthy food choices. They work in partnership with dietitians and the nurse responsible for children looked after to ensure that young people’s particular health needs are met. Staff support young people to remain in contact with their families when that is safe and in their best interests. They promote contact for young people who live a long way from home, which maintains young people’s sense of identity.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for two children who have 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 23/08/2016 Full Outstanding 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/11/2015 Full Outstanding 05/02/2015 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered provider must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

2(b) the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 27/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered provider must ensure that staff: 2 (b) (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare. 27/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only allow an individual to work at the home if the registered provider has full and satisfactory information available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. In particular, that a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 27/02/2017

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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)) 27/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person’s report sets out the independent person’s opinions as to whether children are safeguarded effectively and whether the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)) 27/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child's assessed needs as recorded in the child's relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. In particular, that the registered manager records this impact risk assessment. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', April 2015, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', April 2015, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 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 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 0300 123 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 children looked after 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

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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