Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 1 SC064836 Registered provider: Meadows Care 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 is a private children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people.

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Information about this children’s home

Work with young people is person centred in approach, helping to create a therapeutic environment in which to work with children or young people who may have been psychologically damaged by events in their lives.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017. He is suitably skilled, experienced and qualified for the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2018 Full Good 26/09/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 3

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Recommendations

 It is good practice to note the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, April 2015, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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Recommendations

This is with specific reference to ensuring that supervision records are of a consistent standard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress living at this home. Staff genuinely want children to achieve and work hard to support them to make progress. Because of this, young people make good progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships that young people and staff share are excellent. Young people quickly develop bonds with the child-centred and nurturing staff team. Young people trust staff and quickly learn that the home is a safe and supportive environment. One young person said, ‘I like it here because staff look out for me. I know I can talk to them, and they do try and help sort things out for me. It’s not what I expected; it’s better.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect and value family relationships and understand the significance of these for young people. Staff work with young people and families to support positive contact and to improve difficult relationships where possible. Staff demonstrate skill and experience and advocate well for young people. This ensures that their expressed needs are always met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to a range of specialist support in the home to support their emotional well-being. For example, they actively engage in weekly therapeutic sessions. This has helped young people to understand and come to terms with previous life experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The wishes and feelings of young people are central to the way in which the home is run. Young people have a purposeful say in how they would like to be cared for, and what they hope to achieve. As a result, young people feel motivated to work towards the goals they have set for themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy an array of leisure opportunities, including boxing club, going to the gym and trips out. This builds confidence, provides young people with new experiences and allows them to have fun. Staff continue to encourage young people to make and Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 4 sustain friendship groups. Staff manage this safely and in the best interests of the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Independence planning is good. Young people are steadily developing their independence at a pace appropriate to their individual ages and understanding. For some, this may be preparing small meals, attending to personal hygiene and tidying their rooms. For others, this may involve travelling independently and learning how to budget.

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

All young people feel safe and are safe in this home. They enjoy excellent relationships with staff, feel genuinely cared about and listened to and are confident that any concerns that they have will be addressed.

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

Staff demonstrate lots of empathy and understanding. This gives young people the reassurance they need to feel safe and supported.

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

Staff are regularly trained in safeguarding procedures and have a good awareness of the different needs of the young people and how to respond to these.

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

Staff are effective in the application of identified risk management strategies. They can identify triggers to certain risky behaviours and work hard to help reduce situations that may cause significant harm to young people. Because of this, most of the young people’s risk-taking behaviour reduces as they settle at the home.

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

Behaviour support plans are detailed and individual to each young person. They inform the staff of the presenting behaviours and the strategies to use. The strong emphasis on de-escalation and distraction is having a positive impact on young people. As a result, the home is very settled.

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

Incidents of missing from care are managed well, and staff follow multi-agency guidance to support the young person’s safe return. Clear records are maintained, and therefore the reader has a good insight into the incident. This helps inform practice and reduces the likelihood of re-occurrence.

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

Safer recruitment practice is followed. All staff are subject to careful vetting prior to starting work in the home.

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

Young people, staff and visitors benefit from a physically safe home environment. This is achieved through regular health and safety assessments and environmental checks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home benefits from a well-qualified and experienced registered manager who demonstrates strong and effective leadership. The registered manager has consistently Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 5 high expectations of staff and high aspirations for young people. He ensures that each young person has a positive experience of living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people spoke positively about the way in which the registered manager and staff treat them as individuals. The young people are invested and confident in their relationships with staff. They have a meaningful voice within the home and are confident that the registered manager and staff will listen to and resolve any concerns that they might have. One young person said, ‘I know registered manager) and staff have got my back and want me to do well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is well staffed by a stable, motivated, competent and dedicated staff team. Staff and managers display a passion for their roles. They have created a genuine family feel to the home, which young people commented positively on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff meet as a team on a monthly basis. These meetings are well structured and meaningful. The registered manager uses these meetings as an opportunity to enhance practice, for example by reviewing research and discussing policy developments. In addition, staff have the opportunity to present their own learning to colleagues. This promotes self-reflection and personal and professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The training needs of staff are clearly identified and met. Staff are well trained, appropriately skilled and well qualified. Staff have a positive work ethic and share and implement the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy in caring for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff spoke very highly of the registered manager and team leaders and enjoy working at the home. Staff confirmed that supervision has been expanded to include opportunity for reflection. That said, some of the supervision records completed by team leaders do not fully capture this level of reflection. This is a missed opportunity to demonstrate the impact and quality of supervision sessions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals and family members are very complimentary about the home. Comments include:  ‘I can’t praise the staff team and the manager highly enough. The way my child has come on is excellent. Staff are honest, transparent and excellent role models and keep my child safe. I have no complaints at all, just praise.’  ‘The manager is excellent. He fully understands what therapeutic care means. This is instilled in staff practice.’  ‘Communication with home is fantastic. Their safeguarding is of a high standard and they regularly check things out to ensure the child’s need are continually being met.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager uses internal and external monitoring well to ensure that young people’s experiences and progress continue to be enhanced. Any shortfalls or areas for development that the manager identifies through his improved and updated internal monitoring systems are highlighted and addressed quickly. Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 6

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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: SC064836 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Ceri Evans, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064836 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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