Children's Home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tameside

Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 1 SC357979 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 local authority children’s home offers care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a qualified and experienced registered manager who is supported by a qualified, stable and dedicated staff team.

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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: SC357979 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/08/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/07/2016 Full Good 29/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 3

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Recommendations

 Children should be in full-time education whilst they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. (‘Guide the to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14).  Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and add further information to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6). This specifically relates to the outcome of a complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people form excellent relationships with staff. The inspector observed a genuine display of warmth, affection and care between the staff and young people. A young person said, ‘The staff are great. They really do care, and this helps me because I know everything will be alright.’ Young people benefit from care planning that is focused, relevant and routinely updated to reflect their changing needs. Plans are developed in partnership with young people, families and external agencies. This wrap-around support ensures that young people are provided with a high level of directed assistance that enables them to make sustained progress within their placement. Young people come to the home with a history of educational disruption or non- attendance. However, staff in this home understand the relationship between childhood trauma and the impact on confidence, self-esteem and learning. Therefore, staff strive to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

change young people’s perception of education and consistently promote both attendance and attainment. Consequently, most young people have a bespoke education placement and make excellent progress. Where young people continue to struggle, they are supported by an educational tutor who visits the home on a regular basis. However, where a young person is not yet emotionally ready to attend a suitable education placement, their personal education plan does not clearly reflect how this is to be progressed. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Staff understand the value of including families, where possible, in the planning for young people’s care. They work extremely hard to develop trusting relationships. This has proved successful. Young people are supported to spend holidays with family members, have regular supported contact, and families are involved, where possible, in special occasions. The work to re-establish relationships with young people and their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

families has proven to be extremely valuable. Consequently, all young people currently Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 4 living in the home now have a plan of rehabilitation back to family members. Transition planning is extremely focused and regularly reviewed. Young people fully engage with the development of their plan, individual targets and review their progress on a monthly basis. Likewise, staff understand the impact of change for some young people and ensure that a contingency plan is agreed by the placing authority, young people and their families. This means that young people will continue to receive support from staff whom they have a trusting relationship with, particularly in times of crisis. A young person said, ‘Staff always say to us that we have to pop in for dinner or a chat. Other young people still do, and I think that is great.’ The home has been awarded the National Health Service gold standard certificate for

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

healthcare promotion in the home. This is because healthcare is prioritised. Young people are provided with additional external support from a variety of agencies including counsellors, advocates, drug and alcohol support services and the looked after children’s nurse. Young people engage with services. This means that they receive the best help and support to manage their emotional health and make effective changes in their lives. Young people are supported to take on the challenge of new activities. A weekly programme of activities includes the gym, youth club, go-carting, football matches and cadets. Young people develop in confidence and social skills and this helps them to make and sustain friendships within the community. Photographs displayed in the home are a testament to the unique and valuable experiences and memories that young people make at this home. A young person said, ‘I love the activities, they are fun.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Consultation with young people is prioritised in the home. Observations of engagement between staff and young people demonstrate how young people’s views and opinions are respected, encouraged and also challenged. Staff are in tune with young people. The use of social media is positively promoted using the home’s dedicated Facebook page. Items such as news reports, awards, training in healthcare, relationships and drug and alcohol misuse, as well as the online diary of appointments, enable young people to feel in control of their lives and communicate with staff on matters that they might otherwise avoid. In addition, young people engage in weekly meetings, complete staff development questionnaires and regularly provide feedback to managers about how the home is run.

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

Young people’s safety is prioritised. Detailed impact assessments ensure that all young people placed at the home are assessed against the needs, interests and aspirations of those already resident. Likewise, individual risk assessments are balanced against a full chronology of life events. This means that risk is measured, and appropriate individual strategies are in place to address any concerns. Redirection and de-escalation techniques are a consistent feature in this home. Each young person has a de-escalation plan which is based on the individual personality and traits of the young people. This method ensures that young people in crisis are managed in a way that supports the best outcomes and enables young people to gain control of their emotions in a supportive and positive environment. The use of physical intervention is minimal, with only one incident occurring since the home’s last full inspection in

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 5 August 2017. Records provide a clear reflection of any intervention taking place, including key-work sessions and debriefs. From their initial starting point, young people’s risk-taking behaviour has considerably reduced while living in the home. For example, young people with a history of being missing for extended periods no longer engage in this type of behaviour. Where a young person presents as absent, staff respond in accordance with the current risk assessment, resulting in the young person being returned home quickly. Evidence of consistent, focused key-work sessions, coupled with praise and reward, highlights the level of engagement with young people and the progress that they make towards reducing and managing risk. Behaviour management is consistent and effective. Young people and staff form excellent relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Therefore, young people work

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

with staff to identify areas for development and receive a suitable reward for the progress they make. Staff are consistent in their approach, and this enables young people to work within the house boundaries. The registered manager and staff work seamlessly to ensure that young people receive a consistent approach to unwanted behaviour and praise and reward for progress and development. Young people know how to complain and receive valuable information from the home and their placing authority to guide them in this area. Since the last inspection, there has been one minor complaint made in the home. Evidence highlights that these matters were prioritised, investigated and fed back to the young person. However, in order to develop this further, staff must ensure that young people record their views on the outcome of the complaint in order to demonstrate their satisfaction or otherwise. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by a registered manager who is qualified at NVQ level 5. She has a wealth of experience within the field of emotional and behavioural difficulties and managing residential services for young people. She is supported by a dedicated team of staff who are all qualified at NVQ level 3. The work undertaken with the young people accommodated in the home is based on two theoretical frameworks, namely attachment theory and the I-Generation study of young people in society today. The consistent use of these theories in practice enables the staff to plan the care of young people while considering the impact of life experiences and abilities. Staff work hard to ensure that young people are offered experiences and life chances compatible with their peers. This positive and proactive response enables young people to grow in confidence and self-esteem and try out new opportunities, thus gaining a true sense of achievement. A social worker said, ‘This is a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

great home. Young people make great progress and communication is second to none.’ Young people live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets and exceeds the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose, and young people, social workers and families are clear about the service and support that the home provides. Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 6 Exceptional external monitoring systems provide the home with constructive challenge regarding the quality of care in the home. The detailed monitoring reports highlight the home’s progress towards its identified development goals, such as gaining accreditation for the significant positive impact on young people’s emotional health. Likewise, regulation 45 internal monitoring reports are completed in accordance with regulatory timescales. This means that a bi-annual review of the home’s overall development, achievements and areas for development is routinely undertaken by the management

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

team. The home employs highly committed and enthusiastic staff who are all suitably qualified. Staff receive consistent and relevant training in the home and this ensures that they have appropriate knowledge in the care and management of complex young people. Staff receive a high level of consistent support from the registered manager, and the strong, committed and skilled team aspires towards, and achieves, consistent positive outcomes for young people. The manager is aware of the procedure for notifying Ofsted of incidents under regulation 40. The home has a good record of submitting notifications accordingly. At the last inspection in August 2017, three recommendations were made to improve practice in the home. The manager and staff have further developed risk management plans to include the work to be undertaken with young people to minimise and reduce risk-taking behaviours. Records of sanctions now show a correlation between the behaviour and the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

consequence, thus enabling the young person to better understand the impact of their behaviours. Furthermore, transition planning is significantly improved. Young people are now provided with clear plans which detail the steps to be taken in order to make a successful transition into semi-independent living. The manager and staff demonstrate a commitment to developing and improving practice. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress that young people make from their initial starting points.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 7 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: SC357979 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Market Street, Hyde, Tameside SK14 1AL

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC357979 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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