Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

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 . Since the last inspection one young person has left the home. She had been living in the home for several years and staff had a detailed understanding of her and had developed positive relationships with her. Unfortunately, the young person’s school placement broke down and this resulted in an escalation in her behaviour and a significant increase in her risk-taking. Staff endeavoured to keep her safe and worked in partnership with the police, the youth offending team and specialist health provision to maintain the young person’s safety within the home. The registered manager identified that they were no longer meeting the young person’s needs and she moved as a planned transition to a solo placement. The registered manager ensured that the young person’s key worker was able to move with her to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

maintain some continuity for her and staff from her new core team worked with her in the home prior to the move. This ensured that the young person benefited from well-planned care. One young person remains living in the home. Despite the challenges she has faced, she is making good progress. Staff know her well, as she also has lived in the home for a number of years, and they have an open and positive relationship with her. This has been key in successfully addressing issues of child sexual exploitation. The young person’s social worker said: ‘My young person is settled and has a good relationship with staff. They are attentive to her needs and great advocates for her. The care she receives is of a high standard.’ Staff promote young people’s contact with family and friends where that is safe and in their best interests. They encourage them to explore their identity so that young people improve their understanding of their cultural background.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support young people to engage with education. They encourage young people to attend the most appropriate education provision which meets their needs. Staff keep in daily contact with schools, when necessary, to ensure consistency of care for young people. They are proactive in tackling issues of bullying at school and pragmatic in seeking the best solution for young people. Staff encourage young people to complete homework and to revise for their impending GCSEs. Staff support young people to explore their next steps and to visit colleges and apply for their chosen course. Staff promote young people’s independence skills as they prepare for adult life. Young people develop self- confidence as they learn how to use public transport, prepare their own CV and apply for jobs. The registered manager understands young people’s needs and plans well. She works effectively with the team around young people to meet their needs. There is

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

insufficient recording of her efforts to escalate concerns with placing authorities when young people’s behaviour escalates. This is not helpful for young people in understanding staff’s important role in advocating for them, or for the registered manager when she reviews and monitors the effectiveness of the care provided. The registered manager usually informs Ofsted of all significant events in the home in a timely manner. However, systems are not in place to ensure that this continues to be the case when there are issues with the home’s internet connectivity. At the last inspection Ofsted recommended that the registered manager address issues of child sexual exploitation risk and radicalisation risk in the home’s location risk assessment. This has not been progressed, although the registered manager has ensured that staff now benefit from training regarding radicalisation. Before the young person moved out two months ago, she caused damage to the home

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and to furniture. The registered manager has not addressed this promptly, which does not provide a nurturing environment for young people. Staff are skilled at de-escalation techniques and, as a result, they rarely use restraint in the home. There are shortfalls in the registered provider offering debriefs to staff and young people following the use of restraint and in an independent person reviewing the registered manager’s use of restraint. This prevents the effective review and monitoring of the effectiveness of restraint. Staff endeavour to keep young people safe. They understand their individual risks and develop strategies and complete direct work to safeguard young people. Staff are alert to risks associated with the internet and social media and work with the police to protect young people. Staff understand what to do when young people go missing. They follow them and try to encourage them to return. Staff maintain

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

contact with them and their friends and families, as well as the police, to ensure that young people are at risk for the minimum time. Young people do not benefit from independent return interviews and staff do not record their efforts to ensure that placing authorities fulfil this obligation. This represents lost opportunities for information to be gathered to inform strategic planning to manage young people’s behaviour of going missing from home. The open relationships between staff and young people ameliorate this shortfall.

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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 an independent social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19/02/2015 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) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met In order to engage with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met, the registered person must ensure that staff: (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. 21/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so, has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm that it is accurate. The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person has added to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(c)) 21/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 The review of the home’s premises includes the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location in relation to child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, staff should record their contact with placing authorities when requesting services or communicating concerns about young people’s escalating risk-taking behaviour. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, staff should immediately remove damaged items and ensure that repairs and redecoration take place in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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 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 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. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the

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Information about this inspection

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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