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

Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 1 SC416267 Registered provider: Time-Out 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 home is one of a number of children’s homes owned and managed by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 December 2017

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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 requires improvement to be 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person continues to benefit from a stable home which provides them with a real sense of home in a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment.  The young person has continued to make good progress in all areas of their life, and has become increasingly safe.  The young person is fully involved in all discussions and decisions about their daily life and care, as consultation with them is central to the manager and staff.  Staff and the manager create a safe and supportive environment which enables the young person to raise any issues or worries. This enhances the young person’s safety and well-being, and ensures that they receive a good level of care.  Professionals confirm that the manager and staff know and understand the young person well. They attribute this to the ongoing progress that the young person continues to make.  When difficulties arise for the young person outside of the home, effective

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Key findings from this inspection

working relationships with key agencies ensure that the young person receives appropriate help, support and assistance quickly.  Staff confirm that their new manager is approachable and supportive. They report that a number of new initiatives have improved working practice.  The manager and staff maintain positive and effective links with social workers, nurses and education colleagues. This enables the young person to continue to grow and develop confidently, and benefit from the positive experiences on offer at this 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

 The manager should ensure that young people’s health needs are clearly recorded in their healthcare plans to ensure that any outstanding immunisations are followed up, as identified within their annual health care assessments. They should also make suitable arrangements for the recording of all medicines received into the home, and ensure that a record is kept of the administration of medication to each child. Furthermore, they must ensure that there is at all times at least one person on duty at the home who has a suitable first aid qualification.  An independent person from the home must provide the young person with a Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 3 missing-from-home return interview within 72 hours of them returning to their home.  The managers’ monitoring of the home should provide a clear action plan identifying how the services to the young person will be improved.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/07/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 4

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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 in the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met, and they receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plan (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i)). This is with particular regard to ensuring that young people’s outstanding immunisations as identified within their annual healthcare assessment are completed. 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the recording of all medicines received into the children’s home, and ensure that a record is kept of the administration of medication to each child. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(c) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31(2)(a)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. In doing this, the registered person must identify any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(2)(c)) 31/01/2018

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Recommendations

 The missing-from-home return interview should be carried out within 72 hours of the child returning to their home or care setting. This should be an in-depth interview and is normally best carried out by an independent person (i.e., someone not involved in caring for the child) who is trained to carry out these interviews and is able to follow-up any actions that emerge. (‘Statutory guidance Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 5 on children who run away or go missing from home or care’, page 14, paragraph 32)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A continued and prolonged period of stability in this home has enabled the young person to enhance their experiences and continue with their ongoing progression. The high levels of close care, support, and supervision that staff provide for the young person enable them to build positive and trusting relationships with the staff, who are acutely aware of their needs and areas of vulnerability. The young person spoke fondly of the staff team and confirmed that they feel that they are central to their plans. They are confident that staff listen to them and advocate for them well when services are slow in meeting their needs. Staff provide the young person with good-quality individualised care and support; this enables the young person to make good progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is committed to ensuring that any barriers to learning are addressed quickly and effectively. Positive and sustained links with schools and colleges enable professionals to identify and address any concerns that the young people raise in the school or college environment. Creative and individualised packages of support identified by care staff and education staff, and effective relationships that these staff have with the young person, have enabled the young person to finish their schooling, achieve formal qualifications and go on to commence a course of their choice at college. Although there have been some further barriers to the young person attending college, the staff continue to support the young person sensitively to address these, so that the young person has the skills, qualifications and knowledge to manage adulthood successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides the young person with new experiences including holidays abroad, trips out and taking part in fundraising activities for charity. The young person has been supported to develop their sense of awareness and gain a greater understanding regarding the wider world. The young person is supported to gain a deeper insight into their own identity and heritage as staff use research from the internet and television documentaries creatively. Furthermore, young people’s tolerance and understanding of difference is being broadened and developed well. This is because staff educate and encourage the young person to engage and ‘give back’ to local charities. Not only does this develop and improve young people’s acceptance and understanding of difference by raising their awareness of some of the difficult challenges faced by other people in need, it also enables them to make a valuable contribution to society.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have enabled the young person to increase their sense of belonging and identity within their family, as they promote and facilitate contact well. The young person has benefited from increased levels of overnight contact with their parents in the family home, in line with their care plan for returning home. This, along with positive contact with siblings and friends, who are welcomed warmly into the home, ensures that the Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 6 young person maintains positive relationships and connections with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that the young person’s placement plans are informative, regularly reviewed and updated, and shared with placing social workers. These plans provide strong evidence that the young person has a wide variety of positive, enjoyable experiences that promote their well-being and development. Photographic evidence of the young person having fun and celebrating their achievements, which is kept in beautiful bound books that the young person can keep and refer back to, supports the record.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with the young person is excellent. The young person is fully involved in all discussions and decisions about their daily life and care. The young person actively participates in meetings which influence the daily life of the home, including decisions about activities, holidays and menu planning. They have regular discussions with staff about matters that concern them and they know that staff respect and value their views and feelings and will go the extra mile to help them achieve their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Following a recommendation made at the previous inspection, the young person is now provided with a well-maintained home. The home environment has been enhanced following the fitting of new carpets in the living/dining room and the redecoration of these areas.

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

Professionals who are responsible for the young person’s safety recognise that supporting young people to become increasingly safe is a key strength of the home. Young people are supported to become increasingly safe, as they are educated well on the dangers associated with risk-taking behaviours such as going missing-from-home and alcohol use, and are given guidance on forming safe and appropriate peer relationships. The individually tailored risk assessments, which provide effective guidance for staff on how to respond to these known and potential dangers, and the supportive and positive relationships that the staff maintain with the young person assist with reducing these particular risk-taking behaviours dramatically.

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

When challenges arise for the young person outside of the home, the staff respond well. Staff react quickly to unsafe situations, such as peer-on-peer assaults, or concerns around inappropriate relationships. The manager and staff support the young person sensitively during these times. Following a recommendation made at the last inspection, the manager now ensures that all the relevant safeguarding agencies, such as the placing social workers and Ofsted, are informed quickly following any significant incidents. Furthermore, the young person receives appropriate support and guidance at these times, as staff ensure that the appropriate advice is sought, and that medical attention is offered as required. Direct work that staff undertake with the young person following any significant events, allows the young person to reflect on the incident so they can make increasing safer decisions in the future. This supportive approach, and

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 7 the nurturing and trusting relationships that the young person maintains with staff, ensures that the young person is becoming increasing safe as they share any potential areas of risk and danger with staff as these arises.

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

Staff provide clear and consistent boundaries and respond confidently and effectively to the young person’s rising anxieties so the young person’s behaviour is managed well. The young person knows what is expected of them and responds well, in the main, to the rules and boundaries of the home as they maintain good routines in a warm and nurturing home environment. When the young person has not conformed with the expectations of the staff, appropriate sanctions are used sparingly. Staff are trained in behaviour management, including the use of physical restraint. The emphasis on de- escalation and positive relationships between the staff and the young person means that physical interventions have not been used in this home since the last inspection.

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

Young people are supported to complain if they are unhappy with the services and support that they receive. The young person confirmed that they have been supported well by the manager to make a complaint against another organisation as they feel that they are not receiving a good level of service. This complaint has been made recently and the young person continues to be supported sufficiently by the manager and staff while they await the outcome.

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

Safe recruitment practice ensures that the young person is kept safe. The provider ensures that new staff are suitably selected and vetted, and that they receive adequate training, support, and supervision. This and a suitable and sufficient induction to the home ensures that staff who are safe, suitable, and trained to carry out their roles well consistently meet the young person’s needs.

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

The young person lives in a large, comfortable home. Staff respect the young person’s privacy, and the size of the home allows them to enjoy their privacy and time alone, while also having the option of enjoying spending time with staff or others visiting the home. Staff and the young person are kept safe in the home as fire safety and health and safety checks are carried out around the home to ensure a safe living environment is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager left her post in October 2017. Following a hand-over period with the previous manager, a new manager is now in post. The new manager, who is new to this role, will commence the required childcare management qualification on his successful completion of his probation. The manager has submitted his application to register with Ofsted and this application is in its final stage.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The small, core staff team are skilled at developing and sustaining positive and effective relationships with the young person. Although the majority of the care staff team do not have the required childcare qualifications, suitable plans are in place to ensure this is achieved within the required timeframe. Staff confirm that their new manager is Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 8 approachable and supportive. They report that a number of new initiatives have improved working practice. The introduction of emotional first aid box, which is a sensory intervention to support young people at times of distress, has now been introduced. This, and improved communication between staff members, and the improved support that staff receive through regular team meetings and supervision, has strengthened and improved the experiences for the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Partnership working is strong as the manager and staff embrace a multi-agency approach to the young person’s care. Parents and professionals are complementary about the level of care and support that the young person continues to receive. All agencies report that the manager and staff communicates with them well and are extremely good at advocating on behalf of the young person to ensure that they get the best possible all-round support. Professionals confirm that the young person has made good progress in all areas of their life because of the experiences they benefit from living in this home, and the opportunities that staff provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

All the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection have been met sufficiently. The managers learn from inspection visits and act upon the recommendations made following the independent visitor’s monthly reports to improve the young person’s outcomes and quality of care. The new manager was quick to respond to the shortfalls and requirements highlighted in this inspection in order to ensure that these requirements are addressed swiftly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Records in the home are adequate. The manager ensures that staff are aware of the young person’s health needs so that these can be addressed adequately. However, the young person’s sustained health is compromised. This is because health needs which are identified in young people’s statutory health assessments do not translate into the home’s healthcare plans. Consequently, the young person has yet to receive their outstanding immunisations, despite this being identified in their statutory healthcare assessment in August 2017. Furthermore, the managers have failed to ensure that all of the staff have received updated first aid training when required. This resulted in the young person being cared for by a member of staff who was not sufficiently trained. Furthermore, recording systems for all of the medicines kept in the home, such as homely remedies, are poor. During the inspection, three homely remedies were present

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

in the home without any records of these. Consequently, it is unclear if, and when, these have been administered and if this has been done correctly and safely. As a result, three requirements to address these areas have been issued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The managers’ internal monitoring systems are adequate. The monitoring, review and evaluation completed by the previous manager enabled them to have a good understanding of the progress that the young person has made. Their consultation with the young person and the partner agencies as part of this monitoring confirmed this position. However, the manager has missed an opportunity to demonstrate their ongoing plans and developments for the service, as they do not identify what actions they intend to take in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for the young person. This hinders the managers’ ability to ensure that any actions required as a result of their monitoring are completed in a timely way. Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 9 The present manager has been effective in supporting the young person to challenge services effectively when they fall short in their duties. That said, the previous manager

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

failed to request and challenge local authorities when they failed to provide independent return home interviews for the young person as required. Consequently, the young person was not offered an independent return home interview in line with statutory guidance, to inform their future care plans.

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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: SC416267 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Time-out Children’s Homes Ltd, Unit 2, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC416267 11 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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