Children's home run by Oldham Children’s Social Care in Oldham

Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 1 SC387671 Registered provider: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 short breaks for up to seven children and young people who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. The home is owned by a local authority.

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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: 1 February 2017

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are cared for by an experienced staff team that knows them well.  Children have developed good relationships with the staff. In turn, staff treat all Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 2 children and young people with dignity and respect, with high importance placed on their individuality.  Placements are made once full consideration is given to the matching of children. This means that the quality of care and support provided is of a good quality, taking into account the individual needs of the children.  Care plans are detailed and child centred. They reflect the needs of children clearly. This means that staff have the correct information to deliver the care and the support that children need.  Staff work together well as a team. They put the children at the forefront of practice. This further enhances the children’s sense of well-being and contributes to their overall experience.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leadership and management is effective. Monitoring systems implemented are contributing to greater structure and measurable outcomes for children.  Good working partnerships with social workers, health, education and parents provide holistic support for children.

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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

 Physical intervention records need to include all relevant information about the methods used and the reason this was felt to be necessary.  Risk assessments should be updated and reviewed to include all known risks and effective strategies for staff to follow.  Staff should ensure that they record children’s views and choices consistently, understanding how they might communicate their feelings through their behaviour, or non-verbally, especially where the child has a disability.  Leaders and managers need to ensure that the home has sufficient, consistent staff to meet the individual needs of each child during their short-break stay.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2017 Full Good 25/10/2016 Full Inadequate 30/08/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 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

12: The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plan, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1) and (2)(a)) In particular, update risk assessments to ensure that additional risks are reflected clearly. 22/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential, and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(d)) 22/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

18: Placement plan for a child who is not looked after The registered person must consult the child’s placing authority when preparing the placement plan. (Regulation 18(6)) In particular, provide social workers with copies of these plans. 22/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)) 22/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should ensure that they record children’s views and choices consistently, understanding how they might communicate their feelings through their behaviour, or non-verbally, especially where the child has a disability that does not allow them to communicate as others might. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people enjoy planned care and support on a short-break basis. Wherever possible, introductory visits enable the transition to the home to be positive and inclusive. Staff provide consistent reassurance and support to children, and this supports the development of secure and positive relationships. One child said, ‘I wasn’t sure about coming here to start with, but I enjoy myself when I am here. We do lots of things and I get on well with all the staff, especially [name] who is my key worker.’ All children have detailed care plans that outline the support they need. Staff check these plans and update them to reflect the progress children make. The introduction of progress reports contributes to the effective monitoring of the service. The home has a good relationship with other professionals. This includes the children with disabilities team, schools and healthcare professionals. The matching of children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

also enhances their outcomes. This is because staff carefully plan the levels of care, support and activities for each child. For example, at the time of inspection, staff supported two children to go out for a meal and to the cinema. This is something the children wished to do. Staff planned this with the children, thereby helping them to make choices about which film they wanted to see and where they would like to eat. The children commented on how much they had enjoyed this experience. Staff support children to access a range of activities and new experiences. This includes the use of local leisure facilities, including parks and community resources. The home also has a range of toys that children can choose to use. There is a sensory area in the home, along with a sensory garden and outside play area. One parent said, ‘There is always something which my child enjoys doing at the home. He loves coming here and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

this shows as soon as I mention it to him.’ Staff interact and play games with the children. They help children to use the swings and trampoline in the garden, sing, and have fun. Staff provide emotional and physical support to each individual child. Throughout the inspection, children appeared settled, happy and clearly enjoyed their time at the home. Education and healthcare remain the responsibility of parents or carers. However, during the children’s visits to the home, staff ensure that their health needs are met. Children have a healthcare plan. Staff follow these to provide continuation of care. When children need medication, team leaders make sure that this is administered in line with the Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 5 prescription. Staff responsible for medication have undertaken relevant training. Recording is clear and monitored. The manager explores any discrepancy in medication

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and a detailed report is completed. These measures minimise medication errors and ensure that appropriate monitoring is in place. Since the last inspection, some children have moved to adult services. The staff liaised with other professionals to make the transition a positive experience. Direct work with adult services continues to improve transition arrangements for children. Key workers have commenced regular sessions with children to gain their opinions and views. However, a record of each session is not always completed. The manager and staff are working on an appropriate format to gather and record the views of children. They will use this to improve the service and experience for all children.

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

Children have positive, trusting relationships with the staff. This helps children to feel secure and protected during their stay. Risk assessments are in place for each child. These outline any known risks and include strategies for staff to use to keep children safe. However, a small number of risk assessments were not updated after all incidents. This does not demonstrate that all staff are fully aware of all known risks, or the strategies to manage them effectively. The manager took appropriate action to start to update these assessments during the inspection process. This will promote and enhance the safety and well-being for all children. All children have personal emergency evacuation plans. These detail the support that each child will need in the event of leaving the building in an emergency. Staff make sure that they adhere to these. There have been no incidents of missing from the home. The home has a clear missing from home policy. This outlines the procedures for staff to

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

follow. All staff demonstrated a good understanding of the policy and the actions that they are required to take if an incident occurs. All children have a detailed behaviour management and positive handling plan. These plans outline potential triggers that may upset children and escalate their behaviour. Staff are aware of these triggers and respond using agreed techniques. These include details of permissible restraint and the technique that is most appropriate for that child. Staff are aware and ensure that such restraint is only used where there is a risk of significant harm to a child or others. There have been four physical interventions since the last inspection. This is due to de-escalation strategies proving effective. Although a record of each physical intervention is completed, it does not include all the required detail. One physical intervention lacked information about why the measure was

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

required. This does not ensure that the manager is able to make an assessment about all strategies used and if this was effective. Detailed impact assessments are in place. The assessments consider the compatibility of each child based on their individual need. This helps staff to provide planned care and support. The home works with parents to try to accommodate their needs. Examples include planned holidays and any changes to the pre-planned dates. Although these are considered, the manager ensures that the safety, welfare and experience for the children is the main focus. This means that the home may not be able to support a change in all Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 6 dates requested. Some parents found this change difficult. However, with a clear explanation, this practice is now embedded and parents accept that the needs of all children have to be considered by the manager. One parent said, ‘It is important to

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

know my child is safe and having a good time.’ Another parent said, ‘Staff know my child very well. They provide him with the reassurance and support he needs when he is upset or unhappy. He enjoys his time here, and I have every confidence in the care and support he receives.’ Staff have undertaken training in safeguarding in relation to children with disabilities. They show a good understanding of statutory guidance. For example, staff know the reporting mechanisms to follow in the event of a concern about the welfare of a child. The home has a complaints procedure in place, and either the manager or senior manager within the local authority responds and addresses each complaint. There have been eight complaints since the last inspection. Records demonstrate the actions taken by the managers to effectively deal with and respond to all complaints raised. This ensures that appropriate action is taken to assess and identify any learning from

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

complaints or any required changes in practice. Occupational therapy assessments for individual children are in place. This means that any equipment that the children use is suitable to meet their needs when using the short-break setting. Where the assessment identified extra specific equipment, the home has accessed this resource. This continues to support and safeguard the children using the service. The home has recently had carpeting deep cleaned and the lounge decorated. Further plans are in place to paint the dining room, kitchen and corridors. The home provides a welcoming and safe environment for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the interim manager has now become the home’s manager. He is aware of the need to submit an application to Ofsted within a 28-day period, to fulfil registration requirements. He has experience of working in, and managing, children’s homes. Senior managers within the local authority have supported the ongoing development of the home. The recent retirement of two deputy managers and the long- term sickness of five staff have affected the number of consistent staff working at the home. The local authority has recruited six extra casual staff to cover absences. However, the staff work across the three children’s homes within the local authority. This has not always been an effective solution. Senior managers are aware of this and they have considered action that can be taken to address the shortfall of staff. This includes the recruitment of a deputy manager. This will assist and strengthen management roles

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and oversight of the home. Staff report that the team is working cohesively and the manager is supportive. When the home closed for three weeks, the provider used the time as an opportunity for team building and staff training. This acted as a strong foundation on which to build. Plans for extra specialist training are in place. This includes training for staff to support specific healthcare needs of children. This will further enhance the support and service provided by the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 7 Staff receive regular supervision, enabling them to reflect on, and develop, their practice. Appraisals have also commenced. The home’s development plan outlines the service’s future short-term plans. Team meetings take place on a regular basis. This supports communication across the team to continue to develop practice. Monitoring systems are in place. This includes independent monitoring of the home. This

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

further supports the manager in driving forward improvements, such as making sure children have comprehensive care plans in place. These care plans detail the individual care needs of each child and the desired outcomes of the placement. Staff also include the views of the child. Parents and social workers contribute to the care plans. However, not all social workers have signed the plans to confirm their agreement with the desired outcome in place. The manager acknowledged that this is an area for improvement. The statement of purpose is up to date and is available to all interested parties. The children’s guide requires further work to make it accessible in a variety of formats, including pictorial. This work is ongoing. Written and verbal feedback provides parents and carers with information following a child’s stay. In addition, home school diaries support communication with both school and home. The manager and staff are proactive in gathering the views of parents and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

carers. Future plans for gathering views about the home include coffee mornings. This will support parents to contribute their views to the development of the home. The home has met the requirements made at the last inspection. One recommendation in outstanding. This is in relation to developing and recording key-worker sessions and children’s questionnaires. This will support children to contribute their views about the home.

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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: SC387671 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UT

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Inspector

Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC387671 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 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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