Children's home in Rochdale

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the monitoring visit in June 2016, the newly appointed registered manager had made considerable progress in addressing the shortfalls identified at the inspection in May 2016. He has continued to provide strong and inspirational management through a challenging period in the home, during which staff have moved on and young people have displayed an increased amount of risk-taking behaviour. The registered manager has ensured that he has addressed all the requirements made at the last inspection. The significant impact of the registered manager’s and staff’s care on the young person currently living in the home is clear. A social worker said: ‘Staff have worked extremely well under difficult circumstances with my young person. Staff are child centred, alert to her needs and excellent advocates. The registered manager’s management is clear and organised.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one young person has moved on to a new placement. He benefited from the effective care planning that staff used to support him in this transition. Staff took him to visit his new home and provided important information to ensure that his new staff team was prepared to meet his complex needs. The young person reflected that his time living in the home had been ‘Good… the best bits were playing football with my staff, the trips and playing with my friends.’ In the months before he moved on, staff were proactive in reintroducing the young person’s birth family to him and he was able to have face-to-face contact with them in the home. This promoted his sense of identity.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person joined the home with a plan of preparation for the transition to semi-independent living. She quickly settled and developed positive relationships with staff. The young person’s independent reviewing officer commented: ‘It is a compliment to staff that my young person settled so quickly.’ Staff engaged her in an intensive period of preparation for adulthood and her skills in independent living improved considerably; for example, she learned more about budgeting for food shopping and cooking. The young person’s child sexual exploitation worker commented: ‘My young person seems happy and settled. Staff work well with her and are continually reinforcing her independent living skills.’ Staff have worked, since the start of the placement, towards the young person moving into semi- independent living. They have prepared a hamper of food, toiletries and essential kitchen items for her, as well as saving her money ready for her to use when she

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

moves. Staff have organised a goodbye meal for the whole team and the young person has chosen hair extensions as her leaving gift. This ensures that the young person understands how much staff care about her and provides her with a sense of belonging.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff recognise that changes in the young person’s patterns of behaviour reflect her complex difficulties, which result from her early life experiences of abuse and neglect. They continue to be emotionally and physically available to the young person as her risk-taking behaviours escalate. Staff work effectively, as part of the team around the young person, to manage these risks, keeping risk assessments and placement plans regularly updated to reflect the current situation. The team around the young person values staff’s partnership working with a therapist. One member of this team commented that: ‘The manager and staff have been extremely responsive to changing care plans and have offered my young person consistency and care through a difficult transition with high standards of communication.’ A member of the child sexual exploitation team stated: ‘I feel staff go above and beyond to keep XX safe.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff understand what to do when the young person is missing and follow protocols, agreed with the police and placing authority at strategy meetings, to ensure a swift response, given the high level of risk-taking behaviour that the young person displays. Staff always look for her in familiar places and have a broad network of contacts among the young person’s family, friends and friends’ carers, who they maintain contact with to seek out her whereabouts. They ensure that the placing authority always offers the young person an independent return interview when she has been missing. Staff spend considerable time completing direct work with the young person regarding child sexual exploitation, how to keep safe online and how to develop positive relationships. They make good use of visual aids and child-friendly documents to assist her understanding. When the young person is out in the community, staff maintain regular contact with her and go and meet her

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

at agreed intervals. The young person is not happy with this level of supervision. However, the placing authority, the police and the therapist agree this is necessary in order to safeguard her. The young person’s social worker said: ‘This is a very difficult time with this transition. She is very impulsive and consistently puts herself in high risk situations – I see the strong staff team around her as a protective factor.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager ensures that he responds to complaints and allegations in a timely manner. He works with the local designated officer to resolve allegations swiftly while safeguarding young people and staff. He works with members of the local community when there are complaints to ensure that they are satisfied with his actions to address neighbours’ concerns. Staff, including those who have moved on from working in the home, report feeling well-supported by leaders and managers, through the informal and formal supervision that they receive, to continue in this challenging role. The registered manager maintains the home as a welcoming and friendly environment which reflects the interests of the young person living in the home.

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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 08/06/2016 Monitoring visit No judgement 04/05/2016 Full Inadequate 01/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/09/2015 Full Good

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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 0300123 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, workbased 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

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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