Children's Home run by MGM Care Services Ltd in Telford and Wrekin

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

Both young people have made progress in their education, and are developing age- appropriate life skills, such as using public transport and preparing meals. Young people’s achievements are the result of staff providing them with nurturing relationships and a highly structured environment. This has helped both young people to make meaningful progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff organise routines for the young people well by using various communication techniques that remind young people what is happening. For example, young people are able to access a monthly planner in the lounge and a daily planner in the hallway. Consequently, young people know what to expect, and their anxieties reduce.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one young person has become unsettled. While the manager quickly highlighted concerns to the appropriate agencies, he has not escalated his concerns effectively to the placing authority to ensure that all risk assessments reflect the level of risk and the need to increase staff supervision, including at school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to live in a safe environment where they are protected from harm. The registered manager is diligent in understanding the risks that young people present in the home. He rigorously monitors young people’s activities, and shares his observations with staff regularly. For example, he encourages young people to return their DVDs to staff after use. This helps to reduce the risk of young people using the edge of a DVD to self-harm or harm others. The registered manager also shows awareness of the balance required between safeguarding and privacy. For example, he has adjusted the internet access and the use of the bedroom alarms, based on individual risk. This has ensured that young people are able to take appropriate levels of responsibility for their own safety, and have support in place at times when they are less emotionally stable to make safe decisions.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff encourage young people to personalise all areas of the home. For example, staff have helped young people to display their school photographs in the lounge, football hero posters in the games room, and pictures that young people had drawn are displayed in the vegetable patch.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has addressed the two previous recommendations. This has resulted in all staff, including new staff, now working towards their appropriate qualification in residential childcare, and staff having access to updated care planning for each young person.

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a small, private children’s home looking after up to two young people aged from 10 to 17 years, who may have learning disabilities and/or emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/09/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/07/2015 Full Good 24/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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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

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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