Lower Roach End Farm

Inspection report children's home: SC005048 1 SC005048 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for eight children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager ensures that children and young people are safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people build sound, trusting relationships with staff, who Inspection report children's home: SC005048 2 provide good care, support and consistent boundaries.

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Key findings from this inspection

 All children and young people attend school and are fully engaged with the organisation’s education provision.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children’s and young people’s views and opinions are central to the running of the home and are carefully considered in all decision-making.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager ensures that contact with significant family members is encouraged, supported and maintained well.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager provides staff with ongoing support, supervision and training that reflect children’s and young people’s needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff promote children’s and young people’s interests and provide good support for them to achieve in their chosen activities.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager has not ensured that risk assessments are reviewed to reflect the changing needs of children and young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager does not have a development plan in place to highlight and monitor improvements to the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/05/2016 Full Good 27/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC005048 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 14/05/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should support the development of the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s and young people’s care plans support the local authority plan. A social worker confirmed to the inspector that the home works in partnership with them effectively. They have no concerns about the care provided to children and young people and are regularly kept updated. A social worker said, ‘[Name] has continued to thrive in his placement.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are in good health. Staff ensure that they are registered with primary healthcare services. Staff receive clinical oversight from the organisation’s therapists that provides them with opportunities to develop strategies to improve the emotional well-being of young people. Appropriate arrangements are in place for the Inspection report children's home: SC005048 4 safe management of medicines to promote the safety and well-being of children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children and young people attend the organisation’s on-site school. School and home staff have regular communication regarding children and young people. This ensures that there is consistent care and support both in school and in the children’s home. Staff work hard to engage all the children and young people in learning opportunities, providing individual support when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are effective at improving and sustaining relationships between children and young people and members of their families, even when there are challenges. This ensures that children and young people remain close to individuals who are important to them and benefit from being involved in a wider support network outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is thorough planning for children and young people who are joining the home. This involves rigorous compatibility checks, introductory visits and having tea with the other children and young people. When children or young people move on from the home, there is good liaison and planning to ensure that they are fully supported. On a number of occasions, staff have stayed in contact with children and young people. This promotes positive transition for young people and reaffirms their sense of being cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make a positive contribution to the home. They are well engaged and are encouraged to express their views and opinions to staff and the manager. Children and young people share their views through their key-worker sessions and house meetings. They directly influence their care, activities, meal choices and house rules.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people engage with positive activities outside the home through which they can develop sporting talents and musical abilities. This provides them with opportunities for fun and enjoyment and the acknowledgement given to their significant achievements builds young people’s self-esteem.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practice that includes indicators of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation, and promoting children’s and young people’s welfare. They have a positive understanding of children’s and young people’s individual needs and vulnerabilities and they take appropriate action to address them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Personalised risk assessments help to inform staff about the issues pertinent to each child and young person. However, not all risk assessments have been reviewed. This can place children and young people at risk, as it means that staff do not have clear, up-to- date guidance to support effective safeguarding practice There have been no reported incidents of children or young people going missing from the home since the last inspection. The manager has ensured that the home has a clear protocol for responding to and managing any incidents in order to secure the safe return Inspection report children's home: SC005048 5 of children and young people if they do go missing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have received training in positive behaviour management and restraint. No restraints have taken place since the home’s last inspection and the use of sanctions is low.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people live in a home that provides a safe and secure environment. Staff complete regular health and safety checks and follow a range of safety procedures to protect children and young people from potential hazards. These include fire drills, to ensure that children and young people know what to do in case of an emergency.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager ensures that children and young people are protected by the organisation’s recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment can be confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of children and young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home is a large farmhouse set in a rural location. It is well furnished and decorated and was having a bathroom refurbished at the time of inspection. There is comfortable living space with large communal rooms for children and young people to get together and other rooms for them to have privacy if they wish. Children and young people can personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual tastes and personalities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an appropriately qualified registered manager in place. The manager has been in post since May 2014, and holds a diploma in leadership health and social care at level 5.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a well-qualified, trained and stable staff team in place. Staff are well supported through regular supervision and annual appraisal, and benefit from a range of training to develop their knowledge, skills and professional practice. All staff either have the required level 3 diploma qualification or are working towards it within regulatory timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for development in order to improve the care provided to children and young people. However, the home does not have a development plan in place to support and monitor these improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the statement of purpose document clearly demonstrates the aims and objectives of the home. This makes it possible for parents or placing authorities to have a clear understanding of services available. The young person’s guide is written in a format that is appropriate for the children and young people who live in the home. It contains good information relating to how they will be cared for when living at the home and how they can make a complaint about their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor provides oversight of the running of the home and makes clear reference to areas of practice that need to improve for the benefit and safety of children Inspection report children's home: SC005048 6 and young people. Consultations with children and young people and professionals are undertaken. These consultations influence the progress of the home and the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s collaborative working is effective. The manager has formed positive relationships with a range of agencies, including the police, the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the missing-from-home coordinator. The local police community support officer visits the home to meet the children and young people on a regular basis. These arrangements have ensured that clear lines of communication have been established should any of these services be needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The one requirement raised at the last inspection has been met. The children’s guide is now appropriate for the children and young people in the placement.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC005048 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire, SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan: social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC005048 8 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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