Children's home run by Manchester City Council

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1251073 1 Registered provider: Manchester City Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is an adolescent support service provided by the local authority. It provides short stays for up to four children, and emergency placements for one child at weekends and on bank holidays. In addition, the service provides intensive, time-limited support to children on the edge of care, and their families. This includes planned day visits for children.

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Judgement at last inspection: outstanding

Date of last inspection: 1 September 2017

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home provides a highly effective outreach support, and short-break, service for young people and their families. It can demonstrate effectively the positive impact and difference it has made to their lives. Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and benefit from engaging with adults whom they look up to and learn from.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s transitions to and from the home are extremely well planned and managed. This ensures that they are admitted to and leave the home in a controlled and positive way. Young people benefit from effective, high-quality support from staff during their day visits and short-break stays. The home provides young people with a safe place to stay, in times of crisis. However, young people are under no obligation to stay, and if they do, they do so voluntarily. A young person reports, ‘This is the third time I’ve come here. They’re great. It’s really good coming here but I’ve never stayed… I would like to Interim inspection report children’s home: 1251073 2 stay, one day, but I don’t need to.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home consistently meets its aims and objectives, as set out in the statement of purpose document. The home delivers an outstanding quality service for young people and their families that contributes to significant change and improvement in young people’s lives. The home provides young people with a safe, warm, comfortable, highly supportive, caring and nurturing environment. Young people benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care, delivered as part of a comprehensive care package that promotes their needs effectively. Young people report, ‘As soon as you walk in, the weight and anxiety has gone. It’s time to chill. You know when you get here it’s time to forget about your worries.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people who are referred to the service are often experiencing high levels of family crisis and are at risk of entering the care system. The home works constructively and proactively with young people and their families, social workers, schools, police, health professionals and all other professional agencies to support young people and their families to prevent family breakdown. Consequently, young people are able to remain in the care of their own families with individually tailored plans and bespoke support packages. A social worker reports, ‘Staff are very responsive to children in a crisis and are very flexible in the work they do, and have been very successful in keeping families together.’ A mental health practitioner and counsellor reports, ‘I think this place is brilliant… In the six months that I’ve been here I have seen how they have changed young people’s lives.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home maintains highly effective partnerships with a diverse range of professional agencies to ensure that young people benefit from the best possible help and wraparound support. This includes access to therapeutic support at the home to promote the emotional and psychological well-being of young people. Young people confirm that they feel safe when they stay in or visit the home, and have a strong sense of personal safety. Young people report, ‘They’re amazing, helpful and outstanding… It’s like a little break to get away from the world… It’s a safe space away from anxiety.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff employed to work with vulnerable young people are selected and vetted carefully. This ensures that young people are protected from unsuitable people. Visitors to the home are closely chaperoned, and there is suitable monitoring of such people. Staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s specific needs and vulnerabilities, and take appropriate action to address them. They ensure that young people are kept safe and are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. The Signs of Safety model underpins all aspects of the home’s practice. The use of clear assessment and safety planning promotes the safety and well-being of young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff share and consistently implement the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy in caring for young people. Staff are absolutely committed to improving the lives of disadvantaged families and helping the most vulnerable young people. A staff member reports, ‘I am passionate about working with children not coming into care… This is the best team I have ever worked with and the passion is always there.’ Interim inspection report children’s home: 1251073 3 Staff help families to overcome any issues they may have. This includes providing a mediation service to help young people and their families resolve their conflicts positively. Staff advocate on young people and their families’ behalf, and in doing so, they ensure that young people and their families benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. Staff introduce young people and their families to other helpful agencies to build their wider support networks for the future. This approach empowers

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

parents, and enables them to access services that would otherwise not be available to them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of sanctions, if used at all, is kept to an absolute minimum. There have been no restraints or sanctions since the last inspection. Significant incidents are rare; however, when a serious incident has occurred the home informs the appropriate authorities to ensure that young people are supported and protected from harm. Should young people go missing, there are effective procedures and arrangements made to promote their safe return. The registered manager exercises strong and effective leadership of the operation of the home. She ensures that staff are managed professionally, and are well supported and led. Young people benefit from resilient, reliable, well-qualified, trained and experienced staff who champion their needs effectively and contribute to change and improvement in their lives.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are effective arrangements for monitoring the quality of young people’s care. The performance of the home is scrutinised independently each month. Identified weaknesses are addressed to improve the care provided for the young people. Leaders and managers make good use of the home’s internal and external monitoring activities to secure improvement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has met and addressed the only recommendation made at the last inspection. Young people’s plans now include the work that the home intends to carry out with young people and their families, so that everyone is familiar with and knows what goals and targets they are working towards.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are no requirements or recommendations made as a result of this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/09/2017 Full Outstanding Interim inspection report children’s home: 1251073 4

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Manchester City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: P O Box 532, Manchester M60 2LA

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1251073 5 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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