Children's Home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 1 SC040733 Registered provider: Salford City 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

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run and managed by the local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 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

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/08/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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Recommendations

 As well as longer-term support for children to move on from the home effectively (regulation 6(2)(b)(vi)), the home has an important role in supporting each child leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection in January 2019, four young people have left the home. Three young people have been placed in alternative accommodation, while the other young person has successfully moved back to their family home. Most young people make some progress depending on their initial starting points. A social work professional emailed:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘I would never have any hesitation in placing any of our young people at [name of the home] as I know they will receive excellent key-work sessions, activities and an excellent standard of care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good-quality care in a stable and caring environment. This helps them to develop positive and trusting relationships with staff. The staff’s positive and proactive work with partner agencies ensures that young people receive the help and support that is needed to meet their needs. Feedback from a professional in a questionnaire said, ‘The staff have worked hard to provide a safe, caring home for young people and young people appear to have good trusting relationships with staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide young people with continuity of care so that they have stability and consistency in their lives. One young person, who continues to engage in risk-taking and offending behaviour, is engaging with a number of services designed to help them address this behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked tirelessly to try and improve young people’s attendance at, and Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 4 engagement in, education, but this has had mixed success, and some young people’s attendance has been irregular. At the last inspection, one young person was refusing to attend any education. Since then, they have successfully taken part in two residential programmes that are tailored to develop new skills and build confidence. This helps to them to feel good about themselves and improve their life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a healthy environment in which their physical, emotional and psychological health is well promoted. For example, they have access to drug and alcohol services, sexual health advice and the looked after children’s nurse. At the last inspection, one young person had a worrying eating pattern; staff have followed this up with a referral to a dietician. A clinical psychologist works closely with staff to help them support young people’s emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to develop the practical skills that will support their transition to independent living. However, one young person refuses to engage in any independence work. This could potentially impact on his ability to live independently in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of contact for young people. They actively promote contact to ensure that young people sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff have supported one young person to repair their family relationships and improve the quality of contact with their family.

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

Staff actively promote the welfare and safety of young people, irrespective of the challenges this presents. Staff work hard to try and keep young people safe and help them to consider the choices they make. However, one young person does not always accept the advice and guidance offered by staff and other professionals. At times, they place themselves at risk through their actions.

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

The manager takes a highly proactive approach to safeguarding. For example, staff follow young people when they go missing and look for them in known hot-spots. Since the last inspection, the number of missing from home incidents has reduced. That said, there are serious concerns for one young person’s safety when they are away from the home. The manager attends fortnightly strategy meetings or professional discussions, and this ensures a multi-agency approach to managing the risks for that young person.

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

Staff help young people to understand the impact of their negative behaviour. There is effective use of restorative practice in the home, and this enables young people to understand the impact of their behaviour. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. At the last inspection, a requirement was made in respect of physical intervention records. Improvements to the records mean that the manager is able to identify effective practice and respond to any concerns in staff practice.

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

Young people’s risk assessments identify their individual risks and vulnerabilities. The manager and staff demonstrate a strong understanding of young people’s risks and their Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 5 role in keeping young people safe. Following a requirement at the last inspection, young people’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. This ensures that staff have the most current information about young people to inform their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is effectively and efficiently managed and the team provide high standards of individualised care. The registered manager has a good understanding of the progress that each young person is making and she continually strives for improved outcomes. Effective partnership working ensures the best all-round support for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people benefit from having a stable staff team. Staff have worked for the local authority for a number of years and are experienced and suitably qualified. Since the last inspection, staff have had training about autism spectrum disorder, sexually harmful behaviour and attachment in order to give them a better understanding of the young people they are currently supporting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately resourced and is meeting the aims and objectives as set out in the statement of purpose. However, there are only two members of staff on duty throughout the day and evening and this can have an impact on the availability of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She uses inspections and the independent visitor reports to drive improvements. She has addressed all the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 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: SC040733 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Salford City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5DA

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Inspector

Michelle Bacon, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040733 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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