Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Oldham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC066072 1 SC066072 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 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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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2018.

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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 good

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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: SC066072 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/06/2018 Full Good 29/08/2017 Full Outstanding 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/07/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC066072 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children‟s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the „Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 18/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 18/07/2019

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Recommendations

 First aid boxes should be provided and maintained. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 35, paragraph 7.13) Specifically, ensure that first aid boxes are well stocked and portable.  The registered person should reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 47, paragraph 9.40) Specifically, the registered manager should critically evaluate staff decisions when calling the police to ensure that this level of intervention is necessary.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Specifically, expedite the plans to provide staff with additional fire training that makes them competent in the use of fire extinguishers.

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Recommendations

 Some records may be kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 14.2) Specifically, ensure that children‟s records are well organised and labelled correctly. Inspection report children‟s home: SC066072 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work in a determined way to deliver a programme of individualised care and support. They work hard to develop and maintain positive relationships which underpin the culture and ethos of the home. When children accept this help, they make progress relative to their starting point.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living at the home and both were very positive about their care experiences. They recognise the lengths that staff go to when helping them to be safe and to maximise their life opportunities. Children spoke about being more confident and comfortable with their identity, making progress in education, including sitting GCSEs, and being ready for semi-independent living. One child said, „I like living here and want to stay as long as I can. The staff want the best for me and have helped me a lot. My best achievement is being comfortable with who I am. I don‟t think that I would be if it wasn‟t for the staff.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has been admitted since the last inspection. Although this was an emergency admission, the manager made every effort to try to ensure that the child‟s needs would not have a negative impact on those children already living in the home. While initial signs were positive, levels of engagement soon declined and behaviour became challenging and unsafe. Staff made every effort to change this behaviour with little success, and concerns about the impact on another child escalated. The manager was quick to recognise this, served notice on the placement and worked with the placing authority to achieve as much of a planned transition as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children‟s care is generally well planned and focused on their individuality. They are encouraged and supported to explore their identity, and difference is unconditionally accepted and celebrated by staff and children alike. Staff are working closely with therapists and are facilitating referrals to specialist gender identity development services. The effectiveness of this unconditional support is evident in the progress that one child has made in becoming comfortable in his identity. A therapist said, „Staff have done a great job supporting [name]. They are really in tune with his needs and give him the confidence to express himself.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All staff are trained in the administration of medication and first aid. Managers ensure that practice in this respect is safe and responsive to each child‟s individual needs. However, there is a need to improve the way that first aid equipment is stored to ensure that first aid kits are well stocked and portable.

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

Staff demonstrate a good insight into each child‟s behaviour, risks and vulnerabilities. They are consistent in their implementation of carefully considered strategies, which are outlined in individual plans and risk assessments. Inspection report children‟s home: SC066072 5 Staff have responded well to the high levels of children going missing from care. They have been proactive in their responses and have ensured that specialist agencies and professionals have been involved, where necessary. A professional from the police specialist child sexual exploitation team said, „They have been fantastic at sharing information. I have attended team meetings, and the staff have engaged in training sessions including child sexual exploitation, missing from home and county lines.‟

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

Staff have worked hard to reduce incidents of missing. They take on board the reasons children give for their behaviour and make every effort to make changes to their plans, such as increasing family contact. When options have been exhausted and their efforts ineffective, the manager has acknowledged their inability to safeguard, and alternative placements have been found.

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

Staff take a patient and non-confrontational approach to managing children‟s behaviour, which has at times been exceedingly challenging from one child. They make good use of the strong relationships they have with the children and the de-escalation techniques they have acquired through behaviour management training. Children generally respond positively to this approach, which means that the need for physical intervention is infrequent. On the 18 occasions when it has been used, it has been done sensitively and in a proportionate and caring manner.

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

The police have been called to the home on four occasions to assist staff in the management of one child. Detailed reports are completed following such incidents. However, these reports do not evidence how the manager has critically evaluated staff decision-making to ensure that this course of action was necessary. Furthermore, the manager has failed to notify Ofsted of these incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has grown in confidence and ability since coming into post in April 2018. She has responded well to the issues raised at the previous inspection, including successfully addressing all the requirements and recommendations raised. This is indicative of the manager‟s commitment to an improvement agenda that maximises the opportunities for the children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing arrangements have improved significantly. There has been a dramatic and necessary reduction in the use of agency and relief staff over the last 12 months. Several staff have been recruited and inducted well, further strengthening the existing core team. Together, they show an unconditional commitment to the children in their care. One child said, „It is a lot better than last year. Having the same staff makes it much easier to talk to them about things that are personal to me. They always try to give me the best advice and are there for me when I need them.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The procedure for preparing non-core staff for working in the home has improved. Managers now ensure that available information in the form of „pen-pictures‟ is read and understood prior to temporary staff working with the children. This, combined with a Inspection report children‟s home: SC066072 6 comprehensive handover, ensures that staff have a basic knowledge of each child‟s current needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities and reduces the potential for poor decision-making as seen at the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they are supported well by the manager who is always available when needed. They have regular supervision, which is beneficial to their professional development. Regular performance reviews take place to ensure that staff are working towards their annual appraisal targets. The manager recognises the need to make the next round of appraisal targets more purposeful and challenging if she is to maximise the potential of this staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training needs are recognised and provided for well, and all staff are up to date with mandatory training. The manager has been quick to arrange specialist training, such as on child sexual exploitation, in response to the emerging needs of the children in the home. Following an incident of fire setting in the home, the manager has recognised a need for further training for staff in the use of fire equipment. This training needs to be expedited to ensure that any future incidents of this type can be safely managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes good use of external scrutiny and internal quality assurance measures to identify and address shortfalls. This includes making better use of the six- monthly review of the quality of care for strategic and long-term planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children‟s case records are detailed and regularly updated and provide a detailed picture of each child‟s needs, progress and experiences. Some essential information, including a care order, a personal education plan and the formal minutes of a children looked after medical are not on file. In addition, some electronic records are not organised well. This makes it difficult for staff to access some information, as seen at this inspection.

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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: SC066072 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

Paul Scott, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC066072 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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