Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 1 SC460593 Registered provider: Meadows Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s school and therapy department.

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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 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 manager has been recently registered with Ofsted, having been in post since September 2017. She is suitability experienced and is in the process of completing the level 5 diploma.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

It is positive that the manager has continued to maintain the good standards of individualised care seen at the last inspection. This is because she promotes a strong, Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 2 child-focused ethos that is understood, and is successfully implemented by staff who give young people’s individual needs and safety a high priority. The impact she has made since her arrival is recognised by professionals and staff. A therapist said, ‘The manager has made a real difference. The team feels supported and well-led. Her approach suits the staff team and benefits young people.’ Written feedback provided by staff said, ‘‘[Name]’ is a brilliant manager and is excellent in her role. She always supports young people and staff’, while another wrote, ‘Carla is good at her job. She is always thinking of the young people.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people have left the home since the last inspection. One has successfully made the transition to independent living and another has moved to a different home within the organisation due to risks in the community. In both cases, the staff worked closely with professionals, ensuring that the young people were appropriately supported through their respective transitions. Two young people have moved into the home. Good consideration has been given to matching young people’s needs, despite the short window for planning on one occasion. As a result, the current young people are settled and content living with each other, despite being very different in their needs, personalities and tastes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care planning and care practice are highly individualised and based on good assessment, monitoring and review. These processes are strengthened through cohesive and well- used links with a range of health, social care, safeguarding and education professionals and agencies. A ‘team around the child’ approach is promoted and ensures that each young person’s known and emerging needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities are consistently met. When talking about one particularly complex young person, the therapist said, ‘The manager and staff are excellent at putting plans in place and supporting necessary work. The work staff do is the reason that [name] is doing so well.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff, who provide them with one-to-one care, attention and support. Staff encourage young people to reflect on their own needs and take an educational approach to addressing factors such as managing risk and improving behaviour. Young people are responding positively to this approach. For example, one young person with a history of placing themselves at significant risk through going missing from home is choosing not to go missing, and behaviours of this type have reduced significantly.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s views and opinions are integral to the day-to-day running of the home. They are actively involved in conversations about daily life and are encouraged and well- supported to influence decisions that relate to their care. The manager is a strong advocate and has high expectations of third-party stakeholders. For example, she presented strong challenge when the organisation’s school was not delivering the agreed curriculum for that young person. She engaged relevant professionals in a planning meeting that agreed with this analysis and formulated a plan that would better meet the young person’s educational needs. However, her challenge has been ineffective and the agreed plan is not being implemented, much to the frustration of the young person who says she feels let down by the school. For example, she expressed frustration that teaching staff do not attend the home in accordance with her timetable and said she is

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 3 often waiting around for schoolwork to be provided. The manager and staff agree that this is an unacceptable arrangement and have made every effort to improve this situation. However, as it stands this young person is being let down by the organisation in terms of meeting her education needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The three requirements from the previous inspection have been suitably addressed. The electric gates have been fitted with a manual override to ensure that they can be opened in the event of a power-cut. Staff have been given detailed guidance on how to use the override key and where this is to be kept when not in use. However, it took staff an unreasonable amount of time to locate the key when requested during the inspection. All staff are now receiving regular practice-related supervision, which they feel is beneficial to the work they do. The regulation 44 monitoring reports have been reformatted to ensure that the independent visitor makes a clear statement as to whether staff safeguard young people and promote their welfare. These statements have been consistently positive since the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recommendation relating to case records is repeated. As at the previous inspection, not all young people have a copy of their most recent local authority reports and minutes on file. There is evidence that the manager has chased these documents on a number of occasions but has not been sufficiently robust in challenging the delay.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2017 Full Good 06/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/04/2016 Full Requires improvement 25/02/2016 Interim Declined in 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 04/04/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that agreed education timetables are implemented consistently.

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Recommendations

 All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) This is with specific reference to ensuring that important local authority reports and minutes are in each child’s file.

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) This is with specific reference to challenging the child’s placing authority when they fail to provide important information.

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) This is with specific reference to ensuring that the emergency override key for the electronic gates is available at all times.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 5 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: SC460593 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Meadows Care Ltd, Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale OL12 9EN

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Inspector

Paul Scott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 7 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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