Children's home run by ROC Northwest Limited

Inspection report children's home: 1256134 1 Registered provider: Roc Northwest Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 31 October 2017

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness. The manager and her new deputy manager, who both joined the organisation shortly before the last inspection, are passionate about improving the lives and experiences of young people at this home. The manager continues to do her utmost to achieve this while she is waiting for Ofsted to consider her registered manager’s application. The management team demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development at the home. While acknowledging that there is still work to be done, managers are confident that, with their internal and external monitoring processes and detailed action plans, their good progress will continue. The manager and staff work well with social workers, education colleagues and health professionals to ensure that young people continue to make good progress and

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

experience positive opportunities at this home. The manager and staff understand young Inspection report children's home: 1256134 2 people’s needs well and advocate well to ensure that they receive the services they require. They are intuitive to any changes in young people’s behaviour and respond quickly. The staff share young people’s changes in behaviour quickly between themselves and their partner agencies, and they are proactive in getting prompt additional help and support. This ensures that young people receive the services they need quickly and that their needs are continually met. The staff maintain positive relationships with young people and use these relationships effectively to help young people meet their own goals and targets. Young people are positive about their experiences at this home. They confirm that they maintain positive relationships with the staff and that they feel at ease and confident about raising any

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

issues or concerns with them. Consequently, some young people have been well supported to address their difficulties, which has enabled some to move on from the home successfully. When young people move into the home in an emergency, this is done in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Young people new to the home are welcomed and cared for well by the staff team. The manager works well with the young people and all the necessary agencies to ensure that young people’s transitions into the home are planned and coordinated. Those who have joined the home since the last inspection speak positively about their experience. The new management team has demonstrated its commitment to improving the services available and support given to young people at this home, and has suitably addressed the five requirements and six recommendations made at the last inspection. Consequently, the improvements highlighted below have been made, ensuring that

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

young people’s safely is enhanced and that they continue to make progress at this home. The manager and staff take young people’s safety seriously. They listen to young people and respond to their comments and concerns promptly. Improved recording systems and strengthened partnership working ensure that all incidents are now appropriately documented and that all safeguarding agencies, including Ofsted, are informed of any significant events quickly. This means that any investigations which may be required are undertaken swiftly. This promotes the safety and well-being of young people. The staff team and young people now have a clearer understanding of the risks associated with the local area and these risks are now clearly identified in young people’s risk management plans. These plans now identify specifically how the staff will support, manage, supervise and monitor young people to safeguard them from the known risks,

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

such as the main road and the stone quarry. Furthermore, the staff now undertake direct work with young people, which supports young people to gain a better understanding of the local area and how to keep themselves safe. The use of physical interventions is reducing in the home. This is because staff support young people to manage their emotional responses more appropriately. Following a requirement made at the last inspection, the management team is now systematically evaluating records of physical intervention more quickly. This and the guidance from the independent visitor ensure that these records continue to improve. This allows the reader to gain a better understanding of how young people are supported by the staff at this home. Inspection report children's home: 1256134 3 Young people no longer go missing from this home. That said, following the last inspection, the management team now fully understands the local missing-from-home

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

protocols and has improved the home’s processes so that all statutory guidance is now followed. Young people will now be provided with an independent return interview when they return to the home, as the manager has sought out additional support and guidance from dedicated teams who specialise in this area. Following a recommendation made at the last inspection, young people now benefit from a warm, safe and comfortable home environment. Young people are involved in choosing the decor for their rooms and are encouraged to keep their individual spaces safe and clean. The new manager now ensures that the staff undertake regular checks and ‘walk-rounds’ of the home to ensure that the physical environment is maintained to a good and safe standard. Living in such an environment enables young people to develop a sense of belonging and a sense of pride in a home that some view as their own home. Although the management team accepts that further work is still required, young

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

people’s case records have now improved. These now contain sufficient detail to allow the reader to establish what action has been taken following any significant event. Furthermore, young people’s records are now written in a child-friendly way, and signed and dated by the author.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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’. Inspection report children's home: 1256134 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Roc Northwest Ltd, Roc House, Ward Green Lane, Ribchester, Preston, Lancashire PR3 3YB

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1256134 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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