Children's home run by Pathfinders (childcare) Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC008435 1 SC008435 Registered provider: Pathfinders (childcare) 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

A limited company owns and operates the home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, which have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. The home offers placements on both a planned and emergency basis. The manager was registered in March 2015. During the inspection, the inspector had the opportunity to speak with the young people living at the home. In addition, professionals were also consulted to gain their views and opinions.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC008435 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2017 Full Good 27/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/09/2016 Full Good 10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC008435 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that staff complete ‘Prevent’ training.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff provide exceptionally effective care to young people. This individualised care and support have contributed to the significant progress they have made. This has been commented on positively by placing social workers and independent reviewing officers working with the young people. A social worker said, ‘This placement has been exceptional for the young person. From high levels of missing from home, reduced engagement in education and not engaging with professionals, the young person has not been missing for over a year, engages in full-time education, takes part in a range of activities and is learning to trust and engage with peers and professionals alike.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are extremely positive about living at the home and the difference it has made for them. One young person said, ‘If I was a social worker and looking for a place for a child to live, then I would choose here. It is a nice place to live, staff help and care about me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people attend education on a full-time basis. When one young person had trouble at school, the manager arranged for staff from the home to provide support at school. This worked exceptionally well and enabled the young person to become confident, participate in their lessons and complete their GCSE exams. Another young person received an end-of-year reward from school. They have sustained their attendance at school on a full-time basis. This is now reported as 92%. This has increased from 75% on a part-time timetable. This means that young people make good educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff understand and support young people’s health. Detailed healthcare plans completed by the home, in consultation with healthcare professionals, reflect the young people’s individual healthcare needs. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of these and are proactive in looking at alternative resources to further support the young people to improve their health and well-being. An example of this is helping a young person with reduced mobility to improve this through exercise and equipment to minimise the risk of falls. Staff also hold regular one-to-one sessions and cover a range of healthy living choices with young people to help them make positive and informed decisions in relation to their health. Inspection report children’s home: SC008435 4 The manager and staff promote the ethos clearly that this is the young people’s home. The young people are consulted fully about their care and experiences. Their wishes and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

views are clearly threaded throughout their individual care plans and evidenced in their journals. The young people also confirm this. One young person showed pictures and shared her experience of attending her school prom with the inspector. She had been supported to do this by staff and had been excited to share this experience with her family as well. Another young person had requested the opportunity to have some ski lessons. This was arranged by staff during the summer holidays. Other activities, including swimming, trips to leisure centres and walks in the local community, are also part of the range of activities young people take part in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are helped to understand their history and to have contact with family and friends. Contact arrangements are promoted by the staff in accordance with their agreed plans. Staff facilitate transport and welcome young people’s family to the home, to join in and celebrate their children’s achievements.

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

Young people feel very safe and well cared for by the staff. One young person said, ‘I know the staff really want me to be safe and they make sure I am.’ All staff have received training in safeguarding and demonstrate an excellent understanding of what to do if they have any concerns about a young person’s safety or well-being.

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

Since the last inspection, 14 months ago, there have been no incidents of young people going missing from care. The staff have worked exceptionally well with young people who prior to coming to live at the home, had regular periods of going missing. This placed them at significant risk of harm. However, the care and support provided by staff have positively addressed this. One young person said, ‘I don’t want to go missing; I feel safe and like living here.’ A social worker said, ‘Due to the structures put in place by the staff team, [name] no longer absconds and presents as being happy and settled in placement and says that he feels listened to and valued by all of the staff team.’

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

Comprehensive risk assessments are in place for each young person to help staff support young people to manage risk-taking behaviours. These strategies are discussed with them and explained why they are in place. Regular one-to-one sessions are held to further enhance their understanding of risks associated with their behaviour. Through regular reviewing, these documents remain live, making sure that the approaches identified continue to provide appropriate safeguarding measures for each young person.

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

Staff discuss with young people safer use of the internet. This includes educating the young people about the risks of disclosing information to unknown people and not responding to people they do not know. The home has safety settings which are installed on young people’s computers to minimise the potential for accessing inappropriate content.

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

Behaviour management in the home is effective. Young people benefit from clear and Inspection report children’s home: SC008435 5 consistent boundaries. They receive regular praise, rewards and incentives to promote positive behaviour. Sanctions are used sparingly, their effectiveness monitored, with the aim of them to be restorative, helping young people to address their behaviour through clear insight and understanding. Their views of sanctions and positive rewards are clearly recorded, enabling them to reflect on their achievements and address any negative behaviours they may present.

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

The home provides a homely, warm and welcoming environment, with all health and safety checks in place, including environmental, fire and locality risk assessments. This helps to maintain the safety of young people and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has high aspirations for young people. This is reflected in the inspirational leadership and management of the home. She makes sure that the young people remain central to decisions made about their care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The young people benefit from care and support from a consistent staff team, with the clear majority holding relevant qualifications to underpin their practice. Those staff who do not hold qualifications benefit from comprehensive induction and, following their probationary period, commence the level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. All staff complete mandatory training in safeguarding, child protection, first aid, medication administration and behaviour management. Additional training is provided on a wide range of subjects to further underpin knowledge base and practice. However, not all staff have completed ‘Prevent’ training. The manager and responsible individual are aware of this and are currently sourcing appropriate training for staff to complete.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager makes sure that parents and external professionals are fully updated in relation to the young people’s progress and outcomes. One social worker said, ‘The manager is excellent in ensuring that everyone is updated with correct information. She, along with staff, provides consistent nurturing care and support, they listen to and value the views of the young people and this is reflected in the significant progress young people have made since living at the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say that they are fully supported, receiving regular supervision which enables them to reflect on their practice and develop their skills further. They also meet regularly as a team to reflect on and share good practice and discuss their learning from training and development opportunities. This provides further continuity of care and support to the young people.

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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: SC008435 6 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: SC008435 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pathfinders (childcare) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Middle Red Lumb Farm, Red Lumb, Rochdale OL12 7TX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Cooper

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Inspectors

Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC008435 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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