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

The home provides a short break service for young people and their families. Young people are often accommodated in the home following a period of crisis, family or placement breakdown or at the request of the police. Since the last full inspection, the home has accommodated 28 young people. Nine young people have been placed at the request of the police on a police and criminal evidence (PACE) bed. Five young people have been accommodated for less than a week and 14 young people have lived at the home from one to three months.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home provides young people with structure, positive experiences, space and time to help them reflect upon their difficulties and begin to make positive changes in their lives. Young people benefit from the care delivered by a qualified, competent and focused staff team. The staff have an exceptionally good understanding of young people’s situations and their needs. Young people’s progress is measured and often results in improvement to their previously chaotic lifestyles.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The majority of young people that are placed in the home are emergency placements. Staff are particularly skilled in welcoming and settling young people into the home. Robust systems are in place to ensure that young people’s care is reviewed within statutory timescales. This ensures that young people have agreed plans in place and the staff undertake direct work that targets specific areas of young people’s difficulties and vulnerabilities. The impact of this is unquestionable. Young people are more able to reflect upon their behaviour and are able to steadily make safer, more socially acceptable choices.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s engagement with their educational provisions and health support services are variable. Some young people continue in school or college and remain registered with their local health services. Other young people may have been excluded from school or have refused to attend education or health appointments prior to being accommodated in the home. The management team and staff have the resources and work very well with partner agencies, for example local schools and vocational centres, the virtual headteacher, the nurse responsible for children looked after and the youth justice team. As a result, young people have access to, and are encouraged to engage with, professionals who are skilled in meeting their needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On occasions, young people show their distress in destructive and aggressive ways. Trained staff fully understand how emotional trauma links to young people’s behaviour, and deal effectively with outbursts with minimal fuss. Good quality care planning and behaviour management plans are implemented on a daily basis. Sanctions and incidents of restraint are carried out where appropriate, and detailed records are made of all incidents. The young people receive positive recognition for their achievements, no matter how small. The staff treat young people with respect and dignity, developing warm relationships in a nurturing environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff engage young people in key worker sessions. The staff provide invaluable education and learning about how to keep themselves safe, criminality, and the appropriate use of social media sites. Key worker sessions also explore behaviours and feelings with young people, identifying strategies to use to assist them in self- regulating their behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people feel safe in the home, and their interactions with staff demonstrate that they are comfortable in staff members’ company. The staff are confident in their roles in keeping young people safe and respond swiftly to any issues raised. Members of staff have a good knowledge of the vulnerabilities of those whom they care for. Any concerns are forwarded to partner agencies, followed up and dealt with.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people abscond from the home to be with their friends and family in the local area. Members of staff manage these episodes of going missing or being absent from the home with good reporting and recording. Staff follow the risk management plans, actively looking for young people in the local area and using a variety of strategies to ensure that young people return to the home safe and well. When concerns arise, staff work with the local police and visit known addresses to disrupt young people’s patterns of behaviour and minimise risk factors associated with the young people’s family or friends.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All incidents of young people being missing from home are followed by a return home interview with the young person. Any intelligence gathered by the missing from home team during this process is shared with the staff in the home. Local intelligence is also gathered from meetings with the local authority missing from home and child sexual exploitation group. The objective is to share intelligence among group members to protect young people more effectively. Staff play an active role within the group, attending weekly meetings, collecting and sharing information between residential homes, and feeding back actions and outcomes to the group.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Regular staff meetings and quality supervision take place at the home, providing staff with the opportunity to review and reflect on their practice and the quality of care provided in the home. Considering the complexities that the young people have when they first arrive at the home, most young people have moved on successfully. For some, this has been a return back to their family environment, another long-term home or semi-independent living. Despite the best efforts of staff at the home, some young people who were placed at the request of the police have returned back to secure accommodation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Systems for monitoring the quality of care at the home are effective because they identify where improvement is needed. Areas for development are prioritised and plans are implemented. The monthly monitoring reports written by the independent person evidence that young people, their families and staff working at the home have been consulted about the quality of care. Equally, the registered manager’s monitoring arrangements include consultation with the young people, and considers the views of their parents and external professionals. These arrangements contribute to the future developments at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No requirements or recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

 The home is registered to accommodate up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is managed by a local authority.  This is a short-term reception home. Staff at the home aim to provide a nurturing environment in which young people can feel safe, supported and respected, with opportunities to rebuild confidence and regain feelings of self-worth, as written in the home’s statement of purpose.  The home will provide a PACE bed for young people, irrespective of gender, and aged 10–17 years. Greater Manchester Police should provide staff with information regarding the nature of the offence committed, and any known risks, as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/05/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2015 Full Good 18/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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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