Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 1 SC069293 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes 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

This children’s home is run by a private company. The home specialises in treatment programmes for children and young people who present with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties as a result of attachment disruptions in early childhood. The staff team directs its skills towards developing trusting relationships. It is registered to take up to two children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in November 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 December 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 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: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/05/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 2 19/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/06/2016 Full Outstanding 23/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able understand and where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19) In particular, the registered manager should develop a stable staff team.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home’s staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), teachers, clinicians and other health professionals etc. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23) In particular, the registered manager should explain to key professionals and other members of the young people’s networks the importance of providing feedback for the development of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people make exceptional progress from their starting points. The home has provided them with the greatest stability that they have experienced. Children and young people know that, even at times of difficulty, their carers will look after them and prioritise their needs above all else. One young person said: ‘I like living here. I like the staff a lot. I get on best with my keyworker. I am looking forward to Christmas. It was my idea to decorate the house. I really like it.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people make remarkable improvements with their physical and emotional health. Significant medical issues improve greatly, meaning hospital admission is no longer required. Children and young people who have traumatic histories respond extremely well to the care provided by the home. Staff work closely with health professionals who are experts with children and young people who have complex needs. As a result, children and young people make substantial progress and improve their ability to cope with adversity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people attend mainstream school. This is a significant development for one young person, who had attended alternative education. Staff help children and young people with their school work. Staff work closely with teachers and heads of year to ensure that children and young people receive the support they need in school. For one young person, this has resulted in an excellent school report, despite ongoing Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 4 personal and family issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people attend routine medical appointments, including with the dentist and optician. This has resulted in improved general health from when they moved into the home. Staff encourage children and young people who had not attended such appointments previously. This means that children and young people are now used to their routine physical health needs being checked. They accept this as part of their day-to-day life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage children and young people to take appropriate responsibility for their own needs, including their physical and emotional health. They learn important skills about their self-care, while living in a safe place. They know that staff will not allow them to come to harm, for example if they do not take medication. They develop a better understanding about what happens if they do not look after themselves well. This will become increasingly important as they grow up and prepare for independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people spend quality time with key family members. For some, this involves regular trips to a different area of the country. Staff also coordinate visits with other carers. Children and young people are also encouraged to see friends out of school, including going for sleepovers. Children and young people know that staff care about this aspect of their identity. This helps them to feel better about themselves and more secure in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people engage in a range of activities. Staff encourage them to try new experiences. This helps to develop their self-esteem and build social skills. Staff join in these activities, if it helps children and young people to feel confident about taking part in something they have not done previously. Children and young people know that staff will do whatever they need to help them to achieve their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff seek the views of children and young people in regular conversations and meetings. This ensures that their needs and wishes are understood. Children and young people take part in recruitment events, which adds value to the selection process. Children and young people suggest different activities, which staff support whenever possible. For example, children and young people asked to decorate the house for Christmas. The result was quite remarkable. This showed children and young people that staff value their input. It also demonstrated that children and young people are invested in living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff take issues around children’s and young people’s identity and sense of self very seriously. Children and young people talk to members of staff about issues that are very personal to them. They know that they will be treated with respect. As a result, children and young people have increased self-esteem and self-confidence. They know their carers accept them for who they are and that they will not judge them.

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 5 Children and young people are safe while living in this home. They do not use drugs and alcohol. Children and young people are not at risk from sexual or criminal exploitation. For more than a year, no one has been missing from the home. This is because of the high-quality care provided by staff, which includes promoting safe links with key family members. Because of this, children and young people are safer and have a better understanding of the consequences of risk-taking behaviour.

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

Risk assessments reflect the individual needs of the children and young people. They are specific and are reviewed at least once per month. Staff use risk assessments judiciously, which helps to keep children and young people safe.

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

Staff take a proportionate view of the risks the children and young people face. This means that they do not face rigid responses when a more balanced approach is better. Staff consult with other professionals if this helps to make assessments more rigorous. As a result, children and young people are safe. However, they also feel that their carers are interested in them as individuals and that they worry about them on a personal level. This is essential to their developing sense of self-worth.

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

Staff undertake research to help them care for the children and young people. This includes a wide range of topics, such as physical health, emotional health and issues of identity. Such research results in staff having exceptional levels of knowledge. They use this to work creatively with the children and young people in their care. Children and young people respond very well to these efforts. For some, this has brought about life- changing opportunities.

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

When children and young people are new to the home, staff spend time building relationships with them. Staff learn about the children and young people, including their vulnerabilities and risks. This means that staff know what to do if a child or young person is in trouble. Children and young people feel valued from the outset. They also feel that staff will be able to cope with their difficulties, which might not have been their experience to date.

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

Staff attend training to help them understand and manage the issues that affect the children and young people in their care. In addition to core training events, staff attend extra training when a particular need arises. This training has direct and immediate value with the children and young people in the home. Children and young people feel that staff are competent to deal with their issues, including trauma. This helps them to have confidence that staff will look after them and keep them safe. The clinical lead for the wider organisation said: ‘There is something about this team. They are open to new ideas and training, they are very receptive to working with young people who are stuck.’

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

Staff have undertaken appropriate physical intervention training. They are calm and in control when managing challenging situations. They only use restraint when essential for the children’s and young people’s own well-being or that of others. Staff are not daunted by children and young people who are upset or resisting expectations. Staff are good at Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 6 assessing the level of intervention required. They know when children and young people need additional monitoring, for example if there is a risk of self-harm. This means that children and young people know that members of staff genuinely care about them. They know that staff will stay with them, even when a situation is far from easy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational leader. She expects and gets very high standards from her staff for the children and young people in their care. She trusts her staff to perform well in their roles, but she is there for support when needed. A new member of staff said: ‘I find the registered manager very supportive of the whole staff team. She rings the home every morning at about 7am to check that everything is ok. This is nice. It shows that she is thinking of us. She is part of the team, even when she is not here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has systems in place to track the progress of the children and young people. These systems include projects that staff do with the children and young people. This work is creative, innovative and fun. Children and young people can see at a glance their journey from when they arrived at the home. The registered manager ensures that successes are celebrated, whether significant or small. Because of this, children and young people begin to believe in their own abilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Members of staff receive regular supervision. New members of the team have supervision frequently, to ensure that any issues are quickly addressed. Staff also have performance reviews to encourage their broader development. This includes working towards positions of seniority within the home. This rigorous approach means that the registered manager always knows how well her staff are performing. If children and young people are at risk due to performance issues, the registered manager addresses them robustly. The registered manager will end a contract if the safety of the young people requires this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager wants to maintain a stable staff team. One member of staff said: ‘It’s not just a job, it really matters that the young people are safe and are being helped to be safe in the long term. I love that I am part of that process.’ Several members of staff left after the registered manager took up her post. A recommendation is made that the registered manager understands why this has happened and ensures that she retains the current, skilled workforce.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has created positive relationships with other professionals. This has had a significant impact on the children and young people in the home, because of the expertise professionals bring. The registered manager uses the links with key members of the professional network to advocate on behalf of the children and young people in her care. This means that their needs predominate, rather than those of professionals or organisations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager focuses on the needs of the children and young people. If the Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 7 home cannot meet their needs, despite the skill and efforts of her team, she accepts that a placement might need to end. The registered manager does so only in extreme circumstances. Since the last inspection, one young person left the home when their needs required specialist provision. The registered manager ensured that the ending of this placement was as positive as was possible. The other children and young people were supported. This approach safeguards the children and young people who live in the home. They are not placed at risk due to the particular needs of another child or young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has systems in place for reviewing the progress of the home, including a review of care documents. The registered manager also completes a home development plan, that is prepared with the help of the children and young people. Ensuring that the views of the children and are captured helps them to feel part of the running of their home. The registered manager also ensures that an independent person visits the home once per month. The registered manager must ensure that useful feedback is gathered from professionals and family members. This is essential for her reviews and those of the independent visitor. A recommendation is made in this respect.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager ensures that staff complete files to a good standard. She has monitoring systems in place to check that the written documents are good quality. Handover from one shift to the next is detailed and includes a written account of pertinent information. The shift system is organised so that there is always one member of staff on duty who was present at the home the day before. This means that one member of staff will always know what has been happening for a child or young person in the previous 24 hours. This continuity of staffing is extremely helpful for children and young people. Their day-to-day needs are held in mind by staff, and significant or even less obvious issues do not go unseen.

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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: SC069293 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dominic Macauley

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Inspector

Jane Titley: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC069293 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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