Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Inspection report children’s home: SC064858 1 SC064858 Registered provider: Salford 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 registered to accommodate four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This is a short-term reception home. The home will provide a Police and Criminal Evidence bed for young people irrespective of gender, and who are aged 10 to 17 years old. Greater Manchester Police should provide staff with information regarding the nature of the offence committed, and any known risks, as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose document.

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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

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is a short-term reception home and, as such, it regularly admits young people in emergencies. This means that, at times, the young people living in the home are not always compatible. On occasions, the home has been pressed to take some young people when no alternative placement could be found, and some young people have stayed longer than anticipated because of the delay in finding a placement suitable for their needs. Since the last inspection in June 2017, there have been 25 admissions to the home, and 23 of these were emergency admissions. The high turnover of young people has meant that staff have not always been able to build positive relationships in order to influence Inspection report children’s home: SC064858 2 change in some young people’s behaviour. There have been occasions where some young people have influenced others to engage in anti-social behaviour in the home. Incidents of risk-taking behaviours, including self-harm, drug and alcohol misuse, and

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

going missing from the home, can sometimes have an impact on the welfare and safety of individual young people. That said, staff continue to deliver a good standard of care. Young people’s education outcomes vary. Some young people have made good progress from their initial starting points. For example, a number of young people have achieved 100% attendance during their stay. One young person successfully engaged in an arts project run by the youth offending service. However, one young person is refusing to fully engage in their educational placement since coming to live at the home in January 2018. The staff were observed trying to encourage the young person to complete some reading and artwork, but once this was done the remainder of the school day was unstructured. There is no timetable in place to help staff structure the young person’s day when they refuse to attend school. The home is providing care and support to an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

person. The manager and staff built up a good network of services to assist the young person, including the services of an interpreter. The young person confirmed that the staff are kind and that they are being well looked after. The staff supported another unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person to transition to a foster placement. The move was well planned with introductions, and the young person has remained in contact with the staff at the home. This demonstrates that the young person built some positive attachments during their stay at the home. The range of complex needs relating to individual young people means that, at times, relationships can be tense. Behaviour management strategies have not always been effective, and in some instances the police have been called to the home to help support staff with young people’s challenging behaviour. Consequently, this has led to some young people being arrested and, in one case, a young person was detained overnight.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This places young people at risk of being criminalised. Young people have been missing or absent from the home, and this places them at risk of harm, including sexual exploitation. When a young person goes missing from the home, staff respond appropriately. Records demonstrate that staff follow young people and make every effort to keep in contact, so that young people return to the home as quickly as possible. The manager and staff have a strong working relationship with the missing-from-home team. The requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have in the main been met. However, managers recognise that more work needs to be done in relation to improving relationships and the quality of the records. For example, one young person’s records refer to their previous placement and do not highlight the care arrangements for this placement. Suitable risk assessments are in place to help monitor and reduce young

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

people’s individual risks. However, one young person’s risk assessment has not been updated from their initial starting point. That said, staff understand and manage risk well. Staff spoken to commented that they have been through an unsettled period. Senior managers demonstrate a clear commitment to improvement and raising standards for Inspection report children’s home: SC064858 3 young people. The authority is currently undertaking a full review of its residential services. The review is in the early stages, but will help to drive forward improvements across the residential services.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/05/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; In particular, the home should ensure that children are helped to understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and on the safety and well-being of others. 29/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC064858 4

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Recommendations

 Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. Ensure accurate, succinct and evaluative record keeping. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the

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Recommendations

impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC064858 5 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 address: Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5DA

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Inspector

Michelle Bacon, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064858 6 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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