Children's Home run by Trafford Borough Council in Trafford

Inspection report children’s home: SC032475 1 SC032475 Registered provider: Trafford 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 five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or have learning disabilities. The registered manager has been in post since March 2007.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 21 to 23 November 2018

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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: 19 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: SC032475 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/12/2016 Full Outstanding 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC032475 3

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Recommendations

 It is essential that homes understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child’s placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in the future and for other children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5) With specific regard to senior managers overruling the registered manager’s impact risk assessments on new referrals to the home.  Where immediate searching of a child’s room is necessary, there must be reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. Records of any items removed from the child’s room must include where they are safely stored or disposed of. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20)  The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life

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Recommendations

history. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history according to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) With specific regard to reviewing progress through more detailed link-work sessions.  Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and add further information to them. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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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, ‘I never thought I could turn a corner and get things right. Since I have lived here, I have been given new opportunities that I never thought I would ever have. The staff have done this for me.’ Care planning is focused, relevant and routinely updated to reflect the changing needs of young people. Although challenging, plans are now 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. Consequently, young people who previously presented as disengaged from adults make significant improvements in their lives. To develop this further, staff should ensure that link-work sessions contain greater detail.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This will enable young people to review the work undertaken with them and help them Inspection report children’s home: SC032475 4 understand their individual journeys. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Young people come to the home with a history of educational disruption or non- attendance. Staff strive to change young people’s perception of education by consistently promoting both school attendance and attainment. Consequently, all young people routinely attend bespoke educational placements. Additional support is provided by an educational tutor who visits the home on a regular basis. This enables young people to really start to develop the skills to study and achieve to their best ability. Consequently, young people are preparing for GCSE and AQA examinations and have a real sense of belief in their future. This is exceptional progress. Staff understand the value of including families, where possible, in the planning for

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

young people’s care. They work extremely hard to develop trusting relationships and work with families to achieve the best outcomes for young people. This has proved successful. A father said, ‘I was so worried that my child would keep on the wrong path and come to harm. This home has helped him to completely change his path and now he is doing better than I could have imagined.’ 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 and try out new activities. Young people engage and enjoy trying out new activities and meeting new people. Two young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

people are currently training with a professional boxer and another young person is developing his music career and has recently performed in front of the lord mayor. Likewise, all young people have undertaken and passed their cycling proficiency test and are encouraged to cycle to school and activities. A young person said, ‘I never imagined I could perform in front of people. I was nervous and didn’t believe in myself. The one thing staff do here is definitely help you to believe in yourself.’ 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. In addition, young people complete monthly feedback booklets, staff development questionnaires and engage in monthly teen

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

meetings. To develop this further, staff should continue to support young people until they are comfortable to review, comment and further develop their individual plans. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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

Young people’s safety is suitably protected in the home. Some young people have a significant history of gang involvement, criminal behaviours, drug misuse and distribution, and violence. Since living at this home, young people have engaged in a range of interventions, support packages and activities that allow each individual to express themselves in a safe and non-judgemental setting. Since the last inspection in December 2017, young people are no longer involved in gangs or crime, and the Inspection report children’s home: SC032475 5 majority of young people do not engage in the use of cannabis. Young people are now focused and continue to make significant improvement. Risk assessments are developed in partnership with placing social workers. On the whole, they detail the action to be taken to reduce and minimise risk and the response to identified risk. Physical intervention is rarely used in the home. Staff focus on de-

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

escalation and redirection techniques in order to defuse situations. On the whole, this has proven successful. Records are clear and provide a detailed account of all interventions taking place, including the young person’s debrief and a review of the risk assessment. Young people understand that there are occasions when a room search may be necessary. On the rare occasion that this has occurred, records clearly demonstrate the reason why a search has occurred. However, although records clearly state if any items have been removed from the bedroom, they do not state where these items are to be safely stored. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Detailed individual missing from home plans are in place and this ensures that the correct procedures and strategies are implemented without delay. Staff work with the police and have provided individual vulnerability and risk profiles for each young person

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

to ensure that they are prioritised in the event they should be missing from home. Young people know how to complain. Information is provided in the young people’s guide and organisational complaints documents. Since the last inspection, there have been no complaints made by young people. The ethos of the home is based on the theoretical framework of the nurtured heart approach. This enables young people who may be estranged from social norms to begin to form confidence, self-belief and begin to trust the adults providing care for them. Consistent routines, incorporating individual behaviour management programmes, identify negative external triggers and help young people to slowly begin to take positive control. Likewise, steadfast positive reinforcement enables young people to recognise their achievements, rather than focusing on negative aspects of their lives. A social worker said, ‘The staff are extremely supportive and go the extra mile. They have made

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

such a difference in the lives of young people.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since March 2007. He holds a master’s degree in social work and has extensive experience in working with children and young people in a residential setting. The registered manager is supported by an experienced and qualified staff team. Good internal monitoring systems provide the home with a clear approach to the overall monitoring of care. Records highlight areas for development and are a reflection of some of the matters identified within this inspection. The home employs a committed and enthusiastic staff team, with the majority of staff suitably qualified at diploma level. The training of staff at this level ensures that they are suitably qualified in the care and management of young people. Likewise, staff receive Inspection report children’s home: SC032475 6 ongoing training on the theoretical framework of the nurtured heart approach, receive consistent mandatory training and relevant online focused training. A staff member said,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘Training is great. The nurtured heart approach works really well with the young people. We see amazing results. If we need anything more specific, it is always sorted out. It’s relevant to the work we do, and it makes for a better and stronger team.’ Staff receive good support from the registered manager. Formal supervision sessions take place regularly and informal support is available on a daily basis. A staff member said, ‘The manager is always available should we need advice or support. He has great relationships with the young people and staff.’ Since the last inspection in December 2017, the home has admitted eight young people and discharged five young people. Many of these referrals are emergency placements. The registered manager was able to evidence that impact assessments were completed for all referrals. However, on several occasions where the registered manager deemed the referral to be inappropriate, senior managers overruled this decision and young

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

people were placed in the home. Records evidence that placing young people who may not be an appropriate match for those already resident, or who have previously been discharged form the home, creates unnecessary disruption. A recommendation is made to address this matter. The manager and staff demonstrate that they are committed to developing and improving practice. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress young people make from their initial starting points. The manager is aware of the procedure for notifying Ofsted of incidents under Regulation 40 and submits notifications accordingly.

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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: SC032475 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trafford Council, Town Hall, Talbot Road, Manchester, Trafford M32 0TH

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032475 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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