Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Kirklees

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

The home provides care for children and young people aged between 10 and 18 years of age. The staff team provides a therapeutic environment. Therapy is delivered as identified in the children and young people’s placement plans. The aim of the home is to meet the needs of the children and young people who reside there, to help them stabilise, and to ensure that they can feel safe, secure and cared for by a team of highly motivated and qualified residential support workers.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the service registered with Ofsted in March 2018. She has worked for the organisation for five years and has been in a leadership role for over two years. She is currently working towards a level five qualification in leadership and management of residential childcare settings.

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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: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/05/2017 Full Good 06/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/04/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 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 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 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes ─

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time, and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. 10/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 4 Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate.

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Requirement Due date

Within 5 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(3))

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Recommendations

 Staff should have sufficient understanding of relevant health services, including the functions of the designated nurse for children looked after in their area. They should support children to navigate these services, advocating on their behalf where necessary and appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.8)

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce development plan. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12) In particular, ensure that the staff team accesses enhanced training on safeguarding topics that are relevant to the needs of the children and young people living at the home, such as child sexual exploitation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are provided with a high standard of care from a nurturing and dedicated staff team. Children and young people have developed close relationships with the staff team, which has contributed to helping them feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people with a history of non-engagement and disruption to their education have been helped to return to education routines. Leaders and staff have been proactive in working with other agencies to overcome any barriers to learning. One young person, who has been home educated for a considerable period of time, is starting at a local college. This is good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are registered with local healthcare services and have accessed specialist support to meet their needs. There have been occasions when input Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 5 from the designated nurse for children looked after may have been useful to provide their opinion on potential treatment options or additional advice. A best practice recommendation is made in respect of this matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people access a range of positive activities, which has contributed to ensuring that there is good progress in their social development. Children and young people have small pets in the home and have learned how to care for animals in a responsible manner. This has improved their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team understands the importance of promoting and enabling children and young people to have contact with family and friends. One young person’s friend regularly stays overnight at the home. This has helped her to sustain an important friendship and has promoted a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people can influence the care they receive at the home. The staff team works hard to create memory books and records of positive achievements that children and young people can keep. This helps children and young people to build relationships with members of staff and each other, and improves their confidence and self-esteem.

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

Children and young people feel safe at the home. They can identify trusted adults who they can talk to about their feelings and concerns. One young person said: ‘If I had any worries I can talk to any of the staff here.’

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

Children and young people who were engaged in high-risk taking behaviour have ceased this behaviour. Children and young people are not going missing from the home. This is excellent progress. One social worker said: ‘[Name of young person] has worked hard to prove she no longer goes missing from home and the CSE team has closed to her. The home has supported her every step of the way.’

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

On occasions, children and young people were in conflict with each other. The staff team has implemented distract and divert techniques and this has improved the relationships between children and young people considerably.

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

Children and young people have comprehensive risk and behaviour management plans. The staff team implements agreed strategies and boundaries to provide a consistent approach. The members of staff have worked with children and young people to complete qualitative key-work sessions and help the children and young people to take responsibility for their behaviour and to develop the resilience they need to cope with their emotions.

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

The staff team has physically intervened when necessary to keep children and young people safe. Restorative approaches are used to encourage children and young people to reflect on their behaviour and make positive changes. Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 6 Sanctions that are given are proportionate and appropriate. They are not always recorded in the manner expected in regulation. The manager is very proactive and reads the incident reports to ascertain whether sanctions have been given fairly. The observations of the manager are not always recorded, which does not allow for future analysis of patterns and trends.

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

The staff team has had safeguarding training and understands how to keep children and young people safe. Some staff team members have not had training on enhanced safeguarding topics, such as child sexual exploitation. A recommendation is made to address this.

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

The children and young people have undertaken direct work on a variety of topics to enhance their understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed, competent and very child-centred. The staff team speaks highly of her leadership capabilities and the support it receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is accessing a variety of training and development and receives regular supervision. This helps the staff team to meet the complex needs of the children in its care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have successfully recruited a full staff team and are able to provide stability and consistency for the children and young people in their care. The use of casual staff has diminished significantly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring of the home is consistent and provides an excellent evaluation of the service provided. Leaders respond constructively and positively to any identified development areas. There is a comprehensive development plan in place for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning processes are child-centred and demonstrate that the team is heavily invested in ensuring that the needs of the children and young people in their care are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from placing authorities and other partners is very positive. One social worker said: ‘The care and support that has been offered to [name of young person] is exceptional. [Name of young person] is well settled.’

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 7 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: SC460593 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC460593 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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