Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 1 SC450728 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Home Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to accommodate two children or young people between the ages of six and 17. The aim of the home is to provide every child with nurturing and reparative experiences throughout their placement. The home specialises in treatment programmes for children presenting with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties, as a result of attachment ‘disruption’ experiences in early childhood.

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Information about this children’s home

The team around the child at the home provides an effective and integrated approach which is met by therapeutic carers, education provision, and individual therapy. The in- house therapeutic service ensures that developmental needs of children and young people are assessed, and daily strategies implemented, in order to support the child towards recovery.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the service has over 10 years of experience working in residential childcare settings and is currently working towards a level 5 leadership diploma.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2017 Full Good 11/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Good 04/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 3

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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, the 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 children’s view, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ─

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7(1) and (2)(a)(i)) 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’ which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that ─

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Requirement Due date

within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(1) and (3)(c)) 31/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 4

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) With particular regard to the maintenance of the home including the guttering, repairing the decking to the rear of the home, replacing the interior floor in downstairs communal areas and improving the decor and carpet in the staff’s bedroom.  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development

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Recommendations

and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) This is with particular regard to the addition of alcohol use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are well cared for by a committed and nurturing staff team. The staff have prepared the young people well for their transitions into a semi-independent living arrangement and into foster care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational outcomes are very good. The young people are supported by the staff to fulfil their individual aspirations. The staff ensure that the young people attend their further education provisions regularly and encourage them to reach their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and staff have a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare needs of both young people at the home. The young people are registered with local healthcare Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 5 services and are encouraged to eat a balanced diet and lead an active lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are consulted about the general routines of the home through regular house meetings. The records of these meetings do not always demonstrate that their views and suggestions have been responded to accordingly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The routines at the home are nurturing yet structured. The young people largely adhere to boundaries but feel that routines are too restrictive in some areas. The motivation for decisions taken by leaders and staff is fuelled by what is considered to be in the best interests of the young people. The consideration given to achieving a healthy balance between a young person’s age, their ability to make independent decisions and their welfare is not always apparent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are supported to engage in positive structured activities in the community. One young person opts for unsupervised time with a friendship group. This has helped both of the young people to develop skills for independence and provides them with a sense of belonging. The staff help the young people to nurture and sustain good relationships with peers, which helps to build their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people engage in positive therapeutic support provided by in-house clinicians. The young people have been supported to achieve a greater level of emotional well- being and are equipped with the tools to manage their feelings in a healthy manner in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have been supported to gain skills for independence which include learning how to cook, performing household tasks and travelling independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home requires some maintenance and repair to make it more welcoming and homely. This work has already been planned, but a recommendation is made to ensure that it remains a priority.

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

One young person went missing from the home. The staff responded proactively and searched the local area, as well as contacting the police and local authority. When a young person goes missing, independent return interviews are requested, and appropriate meetings arranged to address the root cause.

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

Behaviour is managed well. There have been few incidents of challenging behaviour. When incidents have occurred, the staff have recorded these matters comprehensively and the manager has evaluated them thoroughly to aid future learning.

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

There have been no instances of the staff needing to manage behaviour through physical intervention. Behaviour management plans are tailored accordingly to the needs and risks of each young person.

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

When appropriate, the staff have sanctioned the young people for instances of negative Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 6 behaviour. These sanctions are restorative in nature. The manager has not made a record of the debrief with the staff and the young person, as required by regulation.

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

Risk assessments are individual and contain a wealth of appropriate strategies for staff to mitigate risk to the safety of the young people.

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

One young person has had a recent incident of alcohol use. The staff have responded appropriately and have helped her to understand the risks associated with this behaviour. The young person’s risk assessment could be enhanced to include alcohol use.

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

The staff team takes internet safety seriously. The staff have educated the young people about the risks associated with the use of social media. The staff are monitoring and supervising internet use with consent from the young people and in line with individual risks and agreed plans with the placing authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a permanent manager who is registered with Ofsted and demonstrates a high level of commitment to her role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is provided with a good standard of support from the organisation, and is currently working towards a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff benefit from regular and varied training opportunities, which provide them with the necessary skills to care for young people to a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager conducts regular, effective supervision and holds team meetings that enable the staff to contribute their views on care planning and behaviour management for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of good standards of monitoring and evaluation of practice, which have secured good developmental progress for the young people at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service is meeting the aims and objectives outlined in the statement of purpose. Placing authorities and partner agencies have provided positive feedback about this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One social worker said, ‘[The young person] has made great progress within this placement.’ Another social worker said, ‘As far as [the home] goes I have been really impressed with them.’

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 7 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

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: SC450728 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC450728 9 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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