Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 1 SC065072 Registered provider: Timeout Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The experience of living in this home has had a significant impact on young people’s lives. This is because the manager and staff provide a high standard of care that has brought about stability and significant change.  Feedback from young people and professionals is consistently positive and highly complimentary of the services and support available in this home.  Young people develop strong and meaningful attachments with the manager and staff who are committed to ensuring that they receive the best care and support possible delivered in a parent-like manner.  Young people’s views, wishes and feelings are integral to all aspects of care planning and care practice. They are regarded as individuals in their own right and their individual identity is promoted well.  Care planning is based on the principles of thorough assessment, monitoring and review, and is underpinned by strong cohesive relationships with a range of

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Key findings from this inspection

third party professionals and agencies.  A well-integrated therapeutic model that promotes resilience, stability and emotional growth underpins all aspects of care practice.  Staff fully understand each young person’s needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities and are highly effective in the management and reduction of these over time.  The home is effectively managed in the best interests of young people. The manager provides excellent leadership that enables staff to deliver high-quality, child-focused care and is fully supportive of them in their role.  Monitoring is of an exceptionally high standard and contributes to the continuous improvement of the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/08/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of each young person’s specific and unique needs. Staff take an interest in young people’s lives. They have worked effectively with each young person to develop and maintain strong attachments that have created a real sense of belonging and stability. Young people talk positively about their experiences of living at this home. They speak affectionately about staff and recognise how staff have helped them to improve their lives. One young person said, ‘Everything is great and this [is] an awesome place to live.’ While the other young person summarised by saying, ‘This is a really nice place to live. It is my home and there are lots of nice people here who know me really well and have helped me loads.’ Both young people said that if they were an inspector they would judge the home to be outstanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Equality is promoted and diversity is celebrated. Young people are respected as individuals in their own right and are fully supported in their pursuit of their individual identity. The provision ofgood information and support enables them to be socially and culturally aware and make informed choices around issues such as religion and faith and sexual identity. This inclusive approach has empowered one young person explore her sexuality safely while being fully supported by staff who she trusts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s views and opinions are integral to all aspects of daily life in the home. The manager and staff routinely engage young people in meaningful discussions and activities that enable them to influence the day-to-day running of the home and, more pertinently, decisions about their care. One social worker said, ‘Staff listen and respond to the views of young people. Their needs are always given the priority.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care planning and care practice are highly individualised. The home’s records are of a high quality and provide a good insight into each young person’s individual needs, progress and development. Each young person has a child-friendly version of their care plan, which they have been fully involved in developing. As a result, young people have an age-appropriate understanding of their own needs and goals and know what support they can expect to receive from staff and others involved in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Good support for young people enables them to participate in all aspects of care planning including their children looked after reviews. They are helped to prepare their own report for this meeting, which is a focal point for discussion. This, combined with the extremely detailed and analytical reports provided by staff, and staff advocating on behalf of the young person, ensures that informed decisions are made in their best interest. One social worker said, ‘(Name) was really well supported in preparation for the review and to share her views. The reports were extremely detailed and clearly indicated progress. (Name) has developed in all areas to the point that we have changed her plan. Her needs are fully met here and we cannot offer anything better. This is the best place for her and this is what she wants.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 4 Young people are making good progress with their education. Levels of attendance and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

engagement are consistently high, with both young people either meeting or exceeding expectations. The manager and staff recognise the importance of education, and work collaboratively with teaching staff to ensure that the right level of encouragement and support is provided. They are good at recognising potential barriers to participation and are proactive in their efforts to overcome these. For example, they have listened to the views of one young person who wants to attend a mainstream secondary school. Despite her vulnerabilities and other risks, they have worked collaboratively with a range of education professionals to identify a placement and develop a risk-led transition to a mainstream school. Although this is in its early stages, it is going exceedingly well as the young person proudly told the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s physical and emotional health needs are well met. Staff assess and monitor young people’s health to ensure that they are aware of and able to respond to, any issues or concerns. When necessary, they make referrals to specialist healthcare services and work closely with them to support young people to address any known or emerging health needs. This, combined with therapeutic support, has had a very positive impact on reducing presenting needs such as enuresis and sexually harmful behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people said that if they express an interest in any particular activity staff do their best to sort it for them. Young people spoke about activities such as attending guides, dog walking, spending time with friends and raising money for charity, and were particularly keen to tell the inspector about the imminent holiday to the seaside, which they have chosen as a preference to going to Disneyland Paris. As well as the fun aspect, staff are good at promoting social growth. They encourage and support young people to develop safe and positive friendships in the community and welcome these friends into the home after consulting with their parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise the importance of young people maintaining contact with their family members and other important people. They work closely with young people and their social workers to ensure that opportunities, as limited as they are, are fully explored and supported where it is safe to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One of the most striking features about this home is how homely it feels. There is a real sense of family, with young people regarding this as their home. It is decorated and furnished to a good standard and is personalised throughout with photographs of young people and staff enjoying good times.

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

Safeguarding arrangements are highly effective and keeping young people safe is integral to daily practice. Young people confirm that they feel safe and are confident that they could talk to a number of staff members, including the manager, if they were worried or concerned. They say that bullying is not an issue and show a great deal of understanding about how the actions of one can affect others. One young person is the appointed school ambassador for bullying and has delivered presentations to a number Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 5 of young people and staff within her school and the organisation.

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

Staff are trained in safeguarding and take their responsibilities in this respect seriously. Risk assessment and risk management are of a consistently high standard and both young people show significant improvement from their starting points.

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

The manager brings a wealth of safeguarding expertise based on her past experience as a social worker. She continues to promote a culture that enables young people to take age-appropriate risks in a well-thought-out and safe way. This is underpinned by an educational approach that helps young people to recognise and explore their own vulnerabilities, as well as the risks posed by others. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in the improved choices that both young people are making in respect of their own behaviour and safety. One professional said, ‘They continuously promote (name)’s development. The manager provides strong leadership that makes sure everything is considered. They are willing to manage risks and this has helped (name) have experiences that her peers would have. They manage risk well and consider age and need. Everything is spot on.’

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

Young people choose not to go missing from home and there have been no incidents of this type for nearly 12 months. For some young people, this is a significant achievement and is indicative of how settled they are. Care plans and risk assessments take account of the potential for them to go missing and assess their vulnerability should they do so. Levels of supervision are proportionate to the needs of each young person and agreed responses, known by staff and agreed with the police, are in place in the event that they do go missing.

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

There are good safeguarding systems and procedures for staff to follow in the event of an allegation or safeguarding concern. There have been no referrals of this type since the last inspection. The manager is acutely aware of her safeguarding responsibilities and maintains good links with a range of agencies and professionals such as the police, including the child sexual exploitation team and representatives from the local authority safeguarding team. When necessary, the manager shares information and ensures that she is up-to-date with local safeguarding knowledge by attending the local authority provider forums. She has used the knowledge provided by these contacts to construct a detailed locality risk assessment, which is used effectively to manage risk in the community.

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

The organisation’s therapist plays a major role in helping staff to develop individualised responses that are based on each young person’s specific needs. As well as providing direct support to young people, she attends staff meetings ensuring that responses to behaviour are regularly discussed and reviewed. The therapist said, ‘The team understands their role in supporting each young person. They have completely taken on board a good parenting model and everyone assumes a role in applying this. The progress young people have made in managing their behaviour and developing coping mechanisms is a testament to the whole team.’

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

Relationships are a major strength. Young people have formed some exceptionally Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 6 strong attachments with the manager and staff. These are used effectively to apply clear and consistent boundaries and expectations in a calm, sensitive and parent-like manner. Staff talk to young people and support them to develop better ways of managing their anxieties and frustrations. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in how young people are better regulating their own behaviour. Positively, since the last inspection, there have been no restraints and only 27 sanctions, the majority of which are restorative in nature.

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

Safer recruitment practice is followed to ensure that only those suitable to work with vulnerable young people do so. Young people have been involved in the recruitment of staff with their views forming part of the final decision to recruit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is registered for this and another home, which is due to reopen imminently after a significant period of being closed. Her second home being closed has enabled her to focus on developing this home and her skills as a children’s home manager, which she was new to in April 2016. She is social work qualified and is in the process of completing her level 5 diploma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly motivated and drives a strong child-focused approach to caring for young people. During her time in post, she has consistently promoted an agenda of improvement, which has contributed significantly to improving young people’s lives. Feedback from a number of professionals confirm this with one social worker saying, ‘Management is key. The manager has been very careful matching the young people and developing the staff team. They are very flexible and ensure that everything they do is in the best interests of the young people. This has had nothing but a positive impact on (name).’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is well supported by a competent and experienced senior. Collectively they lead the team with enthusiasm and drive. They consistently communicate their high aspirations for young people and staff, and ensure that the home operates in line with its statement of purpose. The small staff team is highly motivated in its role and exuberates a passion for its work. Staff spoken to during the inspection recognise the significant journey that the home has travelled and attribute much of this to the leadership and standard setting of the manager. They are particularly proud of the progress and development of their young people, who they talk about with a genuine air of parent-like affection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people benefit from one-to-one care and support from a competent team of staff members who each have a comprehensive understanding of their needs. There is a clear focus on professional development and staff confirm that they are well supported in their day-to-day role. They receive regular, quality supervision, which they say is helpful to them in terms of developing their practice and better understanding each young person’s needs. They are extremely complimentary about the managers ‘open door’ policy and how she has introduced a research-based approach to working with young people. One member of staff said, ‘(Name) is inspirational. She is passionate about the young people, Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 7 staff and the home in general. She is supportive and always approachable no matter what. She is the best manager I have ever had and I have learned so much from her.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff have their performance reviewed annually and this includes the views of young people and stakeholders. Feedback is consistently positive, with professionals and young people recognising how each member of staff has contributed to the progress made. One young person wrote, ‘(Name) is like my care dad.’ This comment is indicative of the strong, supportive attachments that young people have developed with staff, a factor that was evident throughout this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff are proactive in their efforts to develop strong and effective links with partner agencies, including the placing authorities, safeguarding agencies, the police and healthcare providers. Professionals confirm that the manager is appropriately challenging in her insistence that young people receive the services and support that they deserve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows what the home does well and is clearly focused on continuous improvement. She makes good use of a range of quality assurance processes to ensure that all aspects of the home’s performance and young people’s progress are routinely monitored, evaluated and evidenced. She makes every effort to involve her staff in these processes, recognising the importance of their contribution in taking the home forward. For example, she recently undertook an exercise with the team whereby they realistically evaluated their practice, young people’s progress and the home’s performance generally, against the new inspection framework. Areas for improvement were identified and incorporated into purposeful development plans that have been used as working documents and have without doubt contributed to the journey of improvement.

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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 differences 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 whom 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: SC065072 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Timeout Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Timeout Children’s Homes Limited, Unit 2, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge HX6 4DH

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Inspector(s)

Paul Scott: social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 9 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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