Children's home run by Pathfinders (childcare) Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 1 SC046621 Registered provider: Pathfinders (childcare) Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 21 to 22 December 2017

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 This home has made a real difference to the lives of the young people who currently live there. Staff are excellent role models and adopt a parent-like Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 2 approach to their care.  Based on their starting points when first entering the home, young people make excellent progress in all areas of their lives. Staff ensure that both the young people have lots of individual attention and, therefore, they benefit from high levels of individual care.  Young people have the opportunity to enjoy fulfilling and valuable experiences on a day-to-day basis. Their talents and interests are recognised and encouraged.  Challenging behaviours are dealt with in a calm, consistent and predictable manner, which results in young people having a clear understanding of boundaries.  Staff have a good understanding of risks to young people’s safety and well- being, and are clear about the measures required to keep young people safe.

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The home looks and feels like a family home. It provides a warm and comfortable environment where the young people clearly feel at ease and are confident in their surroundings.  The manager is highly skilled, committed, and leads by example. She manages the home to an extremely high level. The staff team is highly skilled and well motivated to continually develop its practice through training opportunities.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The registered person must ensure that staff benefit from regular reflective supervision.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Outstanding 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/11/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Staff supervision must enable staff to reflect. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

From individual starting points, young people make exceptional progress because of the high-quality care they receive from competent and dedicated staff. The staff team members are enthusiastic, skilled and knowledgeable, and have high aspirations for each young person. The ethos of the home is to provide a warm, welcoming environment that supports and promotes positive outcomes, and this is something that the whole team embraces.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Observations throughout the inspection indicate that young people feel a strong sense of belonging at the home. This is a place where they feel accepted, nurtured and treated as individuals. The manager and staff team are committed to ensuring that young people experience as many different opportunities as possible. This has proved effective in helping young people to broaden their horizons and build self-confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Educational attendance by young people at this home is excellent. One young person had poor attendance levels at the time of their arrival. However, he has made excellent progress and is now attending school every day. The manager and staff maintain daily contact with education providers, which ensures that the package of education is meeting young people’s individual learning needs. Staff help young people to aim high and make good use of incentives and rewards to encourage participation. As a result, young people are flourishing and are able to plan for their future with an anticipation of being successful.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is extremely positive about the standard of care, the level of communication from the home, and the resulting positive outcomes for young people. One social worker remarked that: ‘[Young person’s name] is well settled at the home and he likes living there. He considers this as his home. He has built up good relationships with staff. This is due to the dedication and consistency of the staff team. His behaviour has improved and he feels happy and secure.’ Parents are equally positive, and a parent said: ‘Staff are doing a wonderful job. I have seen huge improvements in my child’s behaviour and he has achieved excellent attendance at school. More than anything, my child is content at this home.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care planning and care practice are highly individualised. The home’s records provide a Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 4 good insight into young people’s individual needs, development and progress. They are regularly reviewed and updated by the manager and staff to ensure that they are current and relevant. Staff ensure that the young people are well supported and able to share their views and opinions. These are regularly sought through day-to-day discussions, and formal young people’s meetings. Young people spoken with during the inspection confirmed that their opinions genuinely matter, they feel respected and trust that staff have their best interests at heart.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people engage in activities in the local community. Staff support them to develop their individual interests, for example in dancing, gymnastics and singing. This boosts their self-confidence, especially when they have the opportunity to perform their dance routines to staff. This level of interaction within the community represents significant progress for the young people.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff team supports young people to stay in touch with their family and have a good understanding of their family history and relationships. Detailed individual contact plans ensure that the time young people spend with their families and friends is safe and a positive experience for all involved.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have lovely bedrooms. They take pride in decorating them and keeping them clean and tidy. They enjoy a very comfortable and welcoming, homely environment which strongly reflects their interests and creativity.

p.4

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

Young people become increasingly safe when they come to live at this home, and remain so. Effective safeguarding practice contributes to young people’s strong sense of safety and well-being. Risk management elements of care planning are very carefully considered for each young person. There is clear identification of the risks, potential triggers for risk-taking behaviours, and strategies to minimise or manage risks.

p.4

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

Staff demonstrate careful, young-person-centred thinking about their approach to positive behaviour management. Their conflict management is effective because of consistent implementation of boundaries so that young people know where they stand. As a result, sanctions are extremely rare. Staff prefer to use restorative techniques to help young people confront their unacceptable behaviours, take responsibility, make restitution and reflect on how they can handle future situations more constructively.

p.4

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

Staff work very effectively as a team, and this means that young people begin to understand the difference between socially acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Staff are skilled and meticulous in using de-escalation techniques to channel young people’s behaviour in a positive direction. As a result, physical intervention has not been used since the last inspection.

p.4

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

The young people do not place themselves at risk by going missing from home, nor are they known to be subject to the risk of sexual exploitation. Nonetheless, the risk is Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 5 clearly understood by staff. The staff team members have all received training on such issues and are highly alert to the signs and triggers.

p.4

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

Young people said that they feel safe, and other agencies and family members consulted as part of this inspection reported a high level of satisfaction with the home’s actions in respect of keeping young people safe. Young people can easily identify a trusted adult who they feel confident will listen to them, should they have any concerns.

p.5

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

Staff take issues such as bullying very seriously, and young people are regularly encouraged by staff to discuss their views about living together. This helps address any emerging issues and promotes mutual respect. Staff have regular discussions with young people to explore specific issues and topics that arise. This included the use of derogatory language, being respectful to each other, and understanding risk. Young people confirmed that they feel able to discuss a wide range of safeguarding issues with staff, and have confidence that the staff team would take action to resolve any issues they may have.

p.5

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

Young people live in a physically safe environment. They are protected from any hazards by a comprehensive range of detailed health and safety procedures, risk assessments and checks. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks, including fire drills with young people, to ensure that the premises are safe and young people know what to do in case of an emergency.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational leader who acts as a positive role model for new and existing staff members. She is extremely passionate about supporting young people and is committed to helping them achieve their full potential. The manager fosters a clear determination, energy and motivation to improve the home, and this is an ethos the team embrace. This successful approach promotes the effective development of a child-centred service.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high, and there is good communication between staff to ensure that care is consistent. The team members work very closely together and have positive relationships, which adds to the settled and happy feel of the home. The consistency they offer in their approach greatly benefits the young people, and there are positive relationships across the board.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff spoken with during the inspection report high levels of satisfaction with the supportive ethos of the registered managers. All staff receive regular planned and structured supervision. Staff confirmed that supervision has been expanded to include opportunity for reflection. However, supervision records are brief and do not fully capture this level of reflection. Team meetings, daily handovers and annual appraisals are also used to ensure that the team is clear about the aims and objectives of meeting young people’s needs. This results in a high-functioning team of staff with a strong commitment to the young people in their care. Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 6 Staff confirmed high levels of satisfaction with the frequency and range of training opportunities on offer for their own personal development. They also feel genuinely listened to and involved in the continual development of the service. There is a strong

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

sense of shared responsibility and accountability and, as a result, staff morale is excellent.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Positive working relationships with other agencies are evident, and effective working relationships and very good communication with parents and social workers are developed, which helps to ensure a cohesive approach to achieving the best outcomes for young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular internal and external monitoring systems are robust. Reports are of high quality and demonstrate sustained improvement over time. The manager continues to strive to improve all aspects of the home, consulting with the staff team in the development of processes to ensure that there is safe and consistent child-focused practice. Shortfalls are quickly identified and prompt action is taken to effect improvements. This results in a home where there is ambition to provide continued outstanding care for young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager completes an annual development plan that clearly identifies goals, targets and aspirations for the young people accessing the service. The plan is realistic, yet challenging, and serves as a positive indicator of the manager’s commitment to driving the service forward.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC046621 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathfinders (childcare) Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Middle Red Lumb Farm, Red Lumb, Rochdale OL12 7TX

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Cooper

p.7

Inspector(s)

Ceri Evans, social care inspector Louise Redfern, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC046621 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.

p.7

Inspector(s)

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector(s)

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8