Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC442402 1 SC442402 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 home is one of a number of children’s homes owned by a private provider. The home provides care and accommodation for two children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities.

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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 good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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

Date of last inspection: 6 December 2017

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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: SC442402 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/05/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC442402 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that assessments and plans are up to date with the most current information and strategies. 04/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 04/01/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Progress for children living in this children’s home is outstanding. Stability for both children has been achieved as a result of them living at this home for several years. One child who has had numerous placement moves in the past told the inspector that this was ‘the best’ placement he had lived in and that he thought it was ‘outstanding’. An Inspection report children’s home: SC442402 4 independent reviewing officer told the inspector that ‘he is much more settled in this placement than he has ever been previously’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff have high aspirations for the children. Attendance at school is excellent. Communication between school and staff is reported to be very positive, and one professional said that this is ‘one of the reasons [child’s name] has made such good progress at high school’. Staff use creative individualised plans to encourage and develop independence skills for children. This has meant that one child with complex needs is now enjoying new experiences and learning skills such as getting on a bus, shopping and self-care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have developed excellent relationships with the staff and manager, and recent changes to the staff team have been managed sensitively. Children, their families and professionals involved in their care speak positively about staff members and the care they show to children. Children enjoy a range of activities and enjoyed holidays with the staff. One child had their first holiday abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff at the home promote positive contact between children and their families. The family of one child regularly visit them at the home for contact, read them a bedtime story and are part of their bedtime routine. Another child has been supported to have overnight contact with their mother, who told the inspector, ‘If it wasn’t for them, [staff] it wouldn’t be happening.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to participate in wider consultation about residential care and how this should be delivered through a group organised by the provider. The manager regularly invites the children’s advocate to the home to engage with children and provide opportunities to discuss their care.

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

Staff provide children with a safe place to live. Incidents are decreasing, and for one child incidents of restraint have significantly decreased. There have been no incidents of children going missing from home. Staff understand the need for children to become independent, and help children take appropriate risks and manage their behaviour. One professional told the inspector that one child ‘has learnt strategies for dealing with his emotions and worries’.

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

Staff use incentive charts to encourage and promote positive behaviour; consequences are rarely used. Key-work sessions address key issues for children and help them understand how to keep themselves safe. One child who smoked tobacco has been supported in understanding the effects this has on their health, and staff have enabled them to engage with a specialist service. As a result of this intervention, this behaviour has now stopped.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks and behaviour of children. However, risk assessments and individual behaviour management plans do not clearly identify the most up-to-date information for children. While this is not having an impact on the care or Inspection report children’s home: SC442402 5 safety for children, new staff coming to work in the home may not be able to identify risks for children and understand what strategies are needed to manage behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a passionate and enthusiastic manager who has a strong commitment to improving the outcomes for children. The registered manager has a background in working with care-leavers, and as a result of this experience is keen to ensure that children leaving care are equipped and prepared for adult life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads a team of staff who are keen to ensure that children live in a homely and caring environment. Relationships between the children and staff are sincere and positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication is a key strength of this home. Professionals and family members spoke of excellent communication, and the availability of staff and the manager. A professional from a child’s school told the inspector that staff produce ‘excellent reports’ for review meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of the home; however, he is not yet making best use of systems to review and analyse incidents and learn from internal and external review to improve the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is good. Staff speak positively of the training and induction they receive. Not all staff are yet qualified in line with regulation, but they are working towards this.

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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: SC442402 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Community Service Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC442402 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 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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