Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children's home: SC477939 1 SC477939 Registered provider: Meadows Care Ltd

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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 for two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home forms part of a large social care 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 requires improvement to be 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff understand young people’s complex needs and behaviours within the context of their therapeutic model. As a result, young people receive nurturing care which allows them to progress.  Staff are skilled at building effective positive relationships with young people Inspection report children's home: SC477939 2 which helps them to settle and invest in their home.  The registered manager is ambitious for her young people and advocates strongly on their behalf.  Some young people have made considerable progress in addressing their risk- taking behaviours.  Staff work effectively in partnership with professional stakeholders and families to provide consistent care for young people.  Young people rarely go missing. Staff are proactive in preventing young people going missing and respond swiftly to risks of child exploitation identified when young people are away from the home.

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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

 Staff need to consistently follow risk assessments, particularly when this requires them to supervise young people.  Leaders and staff need to understand and comply with their child protection policy.  Staff recording should be evaluative and demonstrate young people’s engagement and response to direct work sessions.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/09/2016 Full Good 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC477939 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure that:- 2(b) the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In particular, that staff follow risk assessments to continually supervise each child to protect them from harm. 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse and neglect. In particular, that senior managers who provide advice and guidance understand and promptly implement the child protection policy and that staff understand the importance of using non-leading questions when young people allege they have been abused or harmed. (Regulation 34(1)(a)) 28/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, that staff record in detail the impact of their direct work on young people's understanding and development. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations. April 2015. Page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children's home: SC477939 4 Staff provide individualised care which meets young people’s specific behaviours and needs. Since the last inspection one young person has moved in to the home in a planned way. The registered manager ensured that their transition was carefully organised so that there was the opportunity for visits and an overnight stay before moving in. Staff have quickly got to know the new young person. A social worker said: ‘Staff quickly got to understand my young person’s triggers and so are able to respond promptly – they are very vigilant.’ As a result young people are able to make good progress. A parent commented: ‘It is a weight off my mind that she is being cared for properly and is coming on in leaps and bounds. I have seen a massive improvement.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people value the positive relationships they develop with staff. One young person said: ‘I like the staff best because they are approachable and they make the home feel homely.’ Both young people make progress in developing skills in readiness for adult life. For example, one young person is able to travel to and from college independently. They have successfully completed their first year at college so that they are able to progress on to the second level of their course. Staff liaise effectively with college. A tutor said: ‘I have found the staff are always available to speak to and generally communicate well with the college. I feel that they do promote his education and encourage him to progress on his course. My young person is clearly very settled at the home and speaks fondly of the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another young person doesn’t engage in education within the home following a period of disengagement from school prior to admission. Staff support this young person to secure a college placement so they can continue their public examinations alongside a vocational course. The young person said: ‘I can’t wait to start college in September.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to complain but have not done so since the last inspection. Staff manage minor grumbles effectively through a restorative approach. They spend time with young people and develop a detailed understanding of their histories and needs. Staff encourage carefully assessed contact between young people and their family and friends when that is safe and in their best interests. At times this involves staff taking young people considerable distances to promote their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with therapists to provide a consistent approach to young people’s emotional health. They keep their in-house therapists updated and are able to take on-board their advice and follow their therapeutic care plans. Staff understand the value of reflective practice themselves and nurture young people in-line with the therapeutic model of care adopted by the organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers provide suitable training and supervision of staff. They report receiving appropriate support from their registered manager and experienced staff mentor newly appointed staff so that they all feel well prepared to confidently manage young people’s risk-taking behaviour. The home is a relaxed and homely environment. Young people have plans to develop their shared space and have begun to personalise their own bedrooms. This demonstrates young people’s strong sense of investment in their home. Inspection report children's home: SC477939 5

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improvement to be good

Some young people’s behaviour is not becoming increasingly safe. A young person has alleged that in the past staff did not always follow risk assessments which allowed them to engage in serious risk-taking behaviours in the home. The registered manager responded promptly and appropriately in informing the local and placing authorities and the police. She has been robust in her challenge to a placing authority which has not recognised the need to investigate this significant allegation of harm between young people. There are shortfalls in the management of this by senior managers within the organisation in referring this inappropriately to the designated officer. On other occasions staff have not followed child protection policies by asking leading questions. This prevents the placing authority and police being able to effectively investigate and protect young people from harm. Leaders and managers have taken steps to begin to

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improvement to be good

address these shortfalls. This includes amending risk assessments so that staff are clear when they need to ‘fully supervise’ young people.

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improvement to be good

Another young person is making good progress in terms of their risk-taking behaviour. Staff understand what to do when young people are missing. They follow young people and maintain phone contact with them. They look for them in familiar places and contact their family and friends. An independent person from within the organisation completes return interviews when young people have been missing which informs strategic planning. Staff are alert to risks associated by the sexual exploitation of young people in their relationships outside the home and the registered manager involves the local child sexual exploitation team as necessary. Staff recognise the risks the internet can pose and monitor young people’s social media and internet use. They take action when young people access sexually explicit materials and complete direct work with them. The way staff record direct work is not always helpful as it lacks detail or evaluation of the impact

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improvement to be good

of the work on young people’s behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s detailed understanding of young people’s behaviour means they are able to respond appropriately to subtle changes in their presentation. They are skilled in de- escalation techniques and have not used restraint since the last inspection. Staff are effective in helping some young people to become increasingly safe. For example, staff work in partnership with in-house therapists and the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) to develop and implement therapeutic care plans. As a result, some young people’s suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harming reduces. A CAMHS worker said: ‘The safety of the young person has improved and life threatening behaviours have decreased. The care home has always had a nice, nurturing feel to it and atmosphere. I have been happy with the home and progress made by the young person.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the appropriate skills and experience to manage the home. She is currently completing the level five diploma in leadership and management in residential child care. She is child-focussed and has overseen a planned admission to the home. She completed an impact risk assessment and the transition was well-thought Inspection report children's home: SC477939 6 through and has been successful. Young people who are new to the home quickly settle, with the young person stating ‘‘staff are the best thing about thing about the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious for young people and has a good understanding of their progress and plans. She has developed monitoring systems to drive forward improvements to the quality of care provided. She has met the previous requirements set at the last inspection to ensure staff record all incidents and staff take prompt action when there are safeguarding concerns. The registered manager is committed to learning from practice and feedback and to developing the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

She understands the progress that young people are making and is passionate in promoting their outcomes. She ensures staff obtain young people’s views regarding all aspects of their care, including their placement plans. Both young people report that they now feel safe living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager recognises the homes strengths and weaknesses. She ensures that training, development and induction are effective for individuals and as a team so that young people benefit from consistent care. When young people are new to the home the registered manager updates staff’s training which ensures they are able to safely manage young people’s risk-taking behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager safely recruits staff to her team. She completes appropriate checks and assessments to prevent unsuitable people from being recruited and having the opportunity to harm young people.

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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: SC477939 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Meadows Care Ltd, Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale, OL12 9EN

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Niel Shelmerdine

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Inspector(s)

Rebecca Quested, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC477939 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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