Children's Home run by Dalepeak Limited in Oldham

Inspection report children’s home: SC005553 1 SC005553 Registered provider: Dalepeak 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 is owned by a limited company and it provides care and accommodation for up to five young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since August 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 October to 1 November 2018

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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 outstanding

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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: 24 October 2017

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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: SC005553 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2017 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Good 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC005553 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of young people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12) In particular, ensure that staff have attended training in first aid.  When a child returns to the home after missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible authority must provide opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive consistent levels of care and support from staff who have high aspirations and are committed to supporting them to achieve good outcomes in all areas of their lives. This is reflected in the positive relationships observed between staff and young people. Although there have been several changes within the staff team, this has been managed well and has not had an effect on the young people living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people currently living at the home have made progress. This includes attending education, which, for some young people, has been a significant improvement. Staff work in partnership with education providers. Working together has improved the education attendance for young people and it is clear that young people have made progress in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare needs are clearly identified, and staff support young people to attend all healthcare appointments. In addition, the provider has an in-house psychology service which staff can ask to provide additional support to help to meet the emotional health needs of the young people. Staff also appropriately challenge when specific healthcare assessments have not been completed. Examples of this include a request for a specific assessment in relation to Asperger syndrome to ensure that the young person can access additional resources to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views of young people remain central to decision-making in regard to their current plans and those for their future. This means that young people have an active voice in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a large but homely environment. The staff encourage and support young people to take an active role in personalising their own bedrooms as well as being Inspection report children’s home: SC005553 4 involved in choosing the decor and pictures in the communal areas of the home.

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

Comprehensive risk assessments are in place. They are individualised for each young person, and clearly identify risk and the strategies in place to manage and reduce known risks. They are reviewed each month, alongside the placement plan, or sooner if required. All staff are informed of changes made, during handover meetings. This means strategies are consistently implemented to address presenting areas of risk, thereby helping to safeguard young people.

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

Staff take the necessary action when young people are missing from the home. This includes phoning and searching for young people in areas where they may go, arranging to collect them and putting plans in place to minimise the likelihood of a young person going missing. For example, additional activities are put in place to engage young people, as well as regular individual discussions and support to help them understand about measures to keep themselves safe. Staff ensure that all young people who have been missing have a return interview with someone independent of the home. However, the staff do not consistently receive feedback from these visits to establish whether the reason for a young person leaving the home relates to something that is happening in the home. This does not enable them to address issues if this is the case.

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

Young people said they feel safe and cared for by staff. One young person said, ‘Staff always discuss the importance of being safe and make sure that I am. They understand I need to have my own space and time out with my friends and will arrange to pick me up at a place and time we have agreed.’

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

Staff implement consistent behaviour management strategies. When consequences to negative behaviours are implemented, these are monitored and assessed to make sure they are appropriate and effective. The views of the young person are also sought in relation to consequences issued. Overall, young people said they feel that consequences are fair and proportionate. Staff recognise the importance of positive consequences and praise and make sure these are given when young people demonstrate positive behaviours.

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

The manager attends regular meetings with the designated officer and managers from other children’s homes within the local area. This enables the sharing of good practice and effective partnership working.

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

Recruitment and selection are in accordance with safer recruitment practice. This means that suitable steps are taken to safeguard young people from adults who are unsuitable or may pose a risk of harm.

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

Regular health, safety and fire procedures are followed. This further supports the safety and welfare of young people and staff within the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC005553 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has been registered since 2012. He has the necessary qualifications, skills and experience to fulfil his role and duties. He is supported by a deputy manager who has the relevant knowledge and experience of working within residential childcare settings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There has been a change within the staffing team due to staff moving on to further their careers. This has been managed well to avoid unnecessary disruption to the young people at the home. The management team has high aspirations for all young people and this is reflected throughout the staff team. All staff demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting and enabling young people to achieve in all areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff advocate on behalf of the young people to ensure that their wishes and views are heard and respected. This includes appropriate challenges to other professionals where there is a shortfall in support being provided. Examples of this are where there has been a delay in a response from the placing social workers to paperwork and agreements being forwarded to the home, or delay in visits, impacting directly on the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive supervision monthly. This helps them to reflect on practice and develop their skills. This support is further underpinned by monthly team meetings which are used to discuss the day-to-day running of the home, outcomes for the young people, training, and relevant information in relation to current research and practice. This helps the manager arrange for additional training resources to complement the in-house training and development programme. For example, a police officer from the Phoenix team is delivering training to staff in relation to criminal exploitation and county lines. Further training in relation to child sexual exploitation is also being planned. This training will further enhance the skills of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Over half the staff team hold the required qualification in caring for young people. Those who do not hold the qualification begin this training course following their probationary period. All staff complete a range of mandatory training programmes and relevant courses to provide them with the necessary knowledge to fulfil their role. However, not all staff hold a relevant first aid qualification. As staff work with young people on a one- to-one basis, this is important. The manager has taken steps to address this by ensuring that a first aid course has been sourced, and staff without this qualification have been nominated to attend.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager undertakes regular monitoring and has a good understanding and oversight of the home. He recognises the strengths and areas for further development. This monitoring is further supported by independent monthly monitoring, contributing to the oversight of the home and outcomes for young people. The manager takes effective action to respond to any shortfalls identified. He has also ensured that the requirements and recommendations made at the inspection in October 2017 have been addressed effectively. Inspection report children’s home: SC005553 6

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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: SC005553 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Richard House, 9 Winckley Square, Preston PR1 3HP

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Inspector

Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005553 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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