Children's Home run by Salford City Council in Salford

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no placement breakdowns, disruptions or failures since the last inspection. Young people who have left the home have done so in a controlled, well-planned and positive way. Some young people have returned home to live with their own families and others have made the successful transition to alternative care provision. Young people new to the home have settled in quickly and are making good progress, taking into account their individual starting points across all aspects of their lives.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people attend school or alternative educational provision with good support and encouragement from staff. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the providers of young people’s education to promote their learning and educational achievement. Personal education plans have been requested and these were found to be in place for most young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff consistently have aspirations for young people and they take appropriate action where school becomes difficult. They help young people to overcome any difficulties they may experience at school. They tackle effectively any educational barriers that have a negative effect on young people’s progress and learning. Staff challenge professional decisions that they believe are not in the best interest of young people. Staff work positively and pro-actively with other agencies to ensure that young people benefit from the best help and all round support. Young people benefit from consistent support from staff that contributes to change and improvement in their lives. Young people report, ‘You can talk to them about anything. They are always there for me and I appreciate everything they do to help.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care planning is well planned and practice is individualised to meet the specific needs of the young people at the home. Young people know how to make a complaint and they feel actively listened to by staff. No complaints or concerns were raised by young people during this inspection. Young people enjoy good relationships with staff and their views about the home are consistently positive. Young people report, ‘I like it here. It’s good. I’d like to be back at home but this is as far to a home as I can get. I get on well with the other young people and my relationships with staff are good, to be fair. They’re not perfect and I have a better bond with certain staff. It’s a good living environment. It’s homely and it doesn’t stand out and there’s nice staff and young people.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from well-planned support received from skilled, well-trained and experienced staff. They benefit from a homely, caring, highly supportive, comfortable and nurturing environment. Staff actively promote and encourage the development of young people’s positive behaviour. Young people receive the help and support they need to manage their feelings and behaviour, and staff adopt a caring, sensitive and non-punitive approach. A social worker reports, ‘The staff are aware that sometimes difficult behaviour is born out of frustration. They are able to support young people when they most need that support.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of sanctions as a consequence for negative behaviour is kept to an absolute minimum. The use of restraint, if used at all, is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from harm or injury. Staff have a clear understanding of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of the young people and they take appropriate action to address them. The use of clear risk assessment combined with effective behaviour management strategies promote the safety and well-being of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. They are protected if they go missing or are absent from the home without permission. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to keep young people safe from harm. They actively look for young people if they are missing and follow the home’s procedures to locate them quickly and encourage their safe return. The frequency with which the most vulnerable young people go missing is decreasing over time. Significant incidents are shared with the appropriate authorities to support and protect young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The performance of the home is scrutinised effectively by an independent person who visits the home each month. The reports prepared for the home are well- written and provide an impartial assessment about the quality of young people’s care and the effectiveness of the home’s arrangements to safeguard the group. This system complements the home’s internal monitoring activities and means that there are effective systems for reviewing and improving the performance of the home. Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. A social worker reports, ‘One of the best homes I have worked in partnership with.’

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and managed by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/06/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/05/2015 Full Good 16/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that relevant plans are obtained from the placing authority. This relates specifically to obtaining a young person’s personal education plan. (‘Guide to the children homes regulation including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.1, page 14)

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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 whom 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

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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