Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC483688 1 SC483688 Registered provider: Roc Northwest Ltd

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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 children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to seven young people who may have social and/or behavioural needs and/or learning disabilities.

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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

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/04/2017 Full Outstanding 24/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/09/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC483688 2

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (Regulation 12(2)(a)(v1)(vii)) 17/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about their care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Direct work must take place which relates to matters that are significant to the child. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development 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)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally

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Recommendations

appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and Inspection report children’s home: SC483688 3 understand the importance of careful, clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the young people who live in this home have made good progress as a result of the care and support they receive. Young people are engaging in education, enjoying positive friendships and activities, and have been supported to significantly reduce high- risk behaviours. A parent commented, ‘When [X] moved there he was really struggling. I was so worried about him. Now he is doing so well. He is going to school and becoming more independent. He has flourished.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people and their parents spoke highly of the staff and the registered manager. They described positive and comfortable relationships and expressed confidence in the care and support provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Following a requirement raised in a previous inspection, the registered manager has made improvements which demonstrate that young people’s wishes and feelings are considered on a day-to-day basis. One young person has been encouraged to access an independent advocate to discuss concerns around his contact arrangements. Young people now contribute to each staff member’s annual appraisal by giving feedback. Further improvements could still be made by ensuring that direct work carried out with young people consistently relates to matters that are significant to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff strongly support young people to achieve in education. All young people are in full-time education and are achieving good attendance. One long-term resident has recently taken a number of GCSEs, and is considering further education options. This is from a starting point of having not engaged in education for several years, on his admission to the home. There is effective liaison with young people’s schools and the registered manager addresses issues in a prompt manner. For example, one young person recently experienced some bullying at school, which was immediately raised by the registered manager and quickly resolved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring that young people are supported to maintain contact with their loved ones, where possible. This supports young people’s emotional well-being and sense of identity. In one example, the registered manager has appropriately challenged external decisions and has made arrangements for additional support, to assist the young person in maintaining regular contact with his family. Both the young person and his parent raised this with the inspector and expressed their gratitude.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from regular opportunities to engage in fun and fulfilling activities. Their talents and hobbies are encouraged and they are supported to discover new interests. At the time of the inspection, the young people were busy preparing for a Inspection report children’s home: SC483688 4 summer holiday together, which was the source of much excitement.

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

There is good evidence that young people who live in this home are significantly safer due to the care and support they receive. Young people report that they feel safe and well cared for. One young person described how staff cared for him recently when he felt poorly. He said, ‘I stayed off school and I lay on the settee with a blanket, and it was nice because the staff stayed with me all the time.’

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

A requirement was made at the last inspection, as it was identified that staff did not always follow the home’s safeguarding procedures. Since then, staff have been provided with refresher training. However, it was identified during this inspection that a staff member had failed to deal with a potential safeguarding concern in the correct manner. The registered manager had already identified this issue and took the correct action, therefore there was no negative impact on the young person involved. However, the requirement will be repeated because safeguarding practice is still inconsistent.

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

Young people rarely go missing from this home. This is despite a number of young people who currently live at the home having a history of going missing. Similarly, young people with some history of high-risk behaviours, such as offending or being involved in anti-social behaviour, have settled well and given no cause for concern in relation to their behaviours outside the home.

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

Staff support young people to develop positive behaviours. Individualised guidance is in place for each young person, which assists staff in responding to challenging situations in a consistent and confident manner. The skills of the staff team in de-escalating potentially challenging situations are demonstrated in the significant reduction in incidents that reach crisis point.

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

Young people are encouraged to reflect on negative behaviours, and on some occasions requested to make reparation. In most cases, any such measures are clearly recorded and monitored by the registered manager to ensure that they are fair and proportionate. However, there were a small number of examples where young people had been given sanctions which had not been appropriately recorded. A recommendation is raised to support further improvement in this area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager in place. The registered manager demonstrates the ability to reflect on practice and take positive action in response to feedback. This means that young people benefit from a constantly improving service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people benefit from stability. This is supported by the registered manager’s Inspection report children’s home: SC483688 5 thorough approach to impact risk assessment and matching of young people. Careful consideration is given to the needs of any young person being considered for the home, as well as the impact they may have on the young people already living there, before agreement is made to admit them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they feel well supported. They have access to regular supervision and team meetings, which give them the opportunity to discuss matters such as training, personal development or any concerns. Recent improvements to supervision processes have helped to ensure that practice issues are consistently and effectively addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One new staff member spoke positively about his experience of induction. He felt that he received a good level of support and training to equip him for his role. The registered manager carefully monitors training, and ensures that any staff requiring additional support receive it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager makes effective use of processes for monitoring safety and quality across the service. The registered manager demonstrates the ability to identify patterns or trends that may indicate practice issues. There are suitable processes in place for evaluating significant incidents and ensuring that any potential learning is identified. This helps to ensure that the service constantly develops.

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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

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: SC483688 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483688 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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