Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC390577 1 SC390577 Registered provider: Meadows Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of several children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s school and therapy department.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Positive action has been taken to address the requirement from the previous inspection. Children’s bedrooms have been redecorated and refurnished, bringing them up to the good standard of accommodation seen elsewhere in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Further improvements have been made by addressing three recommendations. Staff have made a concerted effort to encourage and support one child to successfully overcome their anxieties and increase their levels of independence. Staff are aware that further work is required in this respect, but progress so far is good, relative to the child’s starting point. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC390577 2 All staff have received training in the management of self-harming behaviour. This has enabled them to better understand the motivational factors associated with this type of behaviour and to manage safely the incidents that have occurred since the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to have their performance reviewed annually. Improvements have been made to this process and it is now custom and practice to capture and use the views of children and professionals when completing staff appraisals.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been only one child living at the home for most of the time since the last inspection. Staff have continued to provide her with a good standard of care and individualised support. She has made notable progress in many aspects of her life including education, life skills, independence and behaviour. Testament to this is her readiness to live with other children, which has been a real challenge for her in the past. The child said, ‘Things are going well for me. I have changed for the better, especially my behaviour.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A second child has been admitted to the home recently. A lot of thought has gone into identifying the right match for the child already in placement, and early signs are positive with both children getting on well overall.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A system for monitoring children’s progress and outcomes has been introduced recently. Key workers set individual targets that are linked to each child’s care plan. Although relevant, the recorded targets are often not specific enough to measure and the analysis of progress too vague to determine what future work is required.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Strategies for managing potential risks and vulnerabilities are recorded in each child’s risk assessment. However, the limitations placed on free time for one child is disproportionate to the assessed level of risk. This creates potential for inhibiting the opportunities for the child to further develop socially and to take age-appropriate risks.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff take a calm and tolerant approach to behaviour management. They place a great deal of emphasis on engaging children in meaningful and reflective conversations when incidents of poor behaviour occur. This has helped one child to better manage her own behaviour, evident in the reduced frequency and intensity of challenging behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All staff are trained in the use of restraint, and approved holds are outlined in each child’s individual crisis management plan. However, these plans do not make clear for staff what action they should take if the need for physical restraint occurs while working alone; for example, only two-person holds are currently approved by the organisation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/07/2018 Full Good 01/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Interim inspection report children’s home: SC390577 3 23/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

Specifically, review each child’s risk assessment to ensure that the risk management strategies relating to free time are proportionate to the child’s age and level of risk.

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Recommendations

 In a restraint situation, staff should use their professional judgement, supported by their knowledge of each child’s risk assessment, an understanding of the needs of the child (as set out in their relevant plans) and an understanding of the risks the child faces. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.53)

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Recommendations

Specifically, ensure that individual crisis management plans provide specific direction for staff should the need for restraint occur when lone working.

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

Specifically, improve the quality of monthly outcome monitoring records by ensuring that they include achievable and measurable targets, how these targets have been reviewed and what further work is required to support the child’s progress.

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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 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC390577 4 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale OL12 9EN

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Inspector(s)

Paul Scott, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC390577 5 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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