Children's Home run by Rochdale Borough Council in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC034922 1 SC034922 Registered provider: Rochdale Metropolitan Borough 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 run by a local authority and provides care and accommodation to four children. Children placed at the home may have been traumatised, subjected to abuse or misunderstood. They will be provided with a stable and caring environment to develop their potential.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager commenced work in the home on 9 November 2015 and she registered with Ofsted on 25 August 2016.

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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

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034922 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/04/2018 Full Good 24/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC034922 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The management team and staff are dedicated to helping children realise that, whatever difficulties they experience, they will support them to make progress. Over time, the children believe that they can achieve. Through the trust and relationships that they build with the staff, who enthusiastically respond to their individual needs, children flourish and make significant progress in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager uses research to inform and improve staff practice. This makes a real difference to the lives of the children living in the home. Staff are well trained in different models of care. They have a thorough understanding of attachment and loss theories and they are regularly supported by a psychologist in the work they do with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children’s education is valued and supported exceptionally well by the management team and staff. They work closely with the children and their schools to help remove barriers to children’s learning experiences. Staff are proactive when difficulties arise for children in school. They challenge school leaders effectively and ensure that additional support and guidance are provided for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for the children and they create a ‘can do’ culture within the home. Staff help children to set achievable goals that are based on the children’s individual wishes and feelings. For example, this may include joining the gym, being in a stage show, horse riding and equestrian management or choosing the destination for their summer holiday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children do not need incentives, as they strive to be successful in all that they do. Staff celebrate the children’s successes with them and they purchase surprise gift boxes that help the children build on their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children are fully involved in their care planning and reflect and review their progress with staff, which is evident across their records. Clear records reflect each child’s daily lived experience and show their journey throughout their time spent living at the home. The children know their current stage of progress and their future plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have successfully moved out of the home. For example, one young person who had lived at the home for over two years developed effective support networks in the community and had acquired the self-care skills that she needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This young person regularly returns to the home she calls home. She showed the inspector her memories of living in the home. These are captured on an electronic tablet and include her favourite backing tracks and positive messages from the staff. This inspirational way of capturing the children’s and young people’s journeys has been shared with other authorities, which are keen to adopt the same process. Inspection report children’s home: SC034922 4

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

Children’s safety is consistently prioritised. Staff respond swiftly and effectively to all concerns raised by children. The children told the inspector that they are safe and feel safe in the home. They confirmed that they never feel intimidated or bullied.

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

The staff have had training in recognising sexual and criminal exploitation, county lines and radicalisation. Online research is regularly used to keep staff up to date with social issues and trends. This helps them to look out for the signs in relation to any risks, and they know what to do should any of the children display these.

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

Risk assessments are thorough and give clear guidance on how to reduce risks. These assessments equip staff with the knowledge required to recognise the individual triggers for each child. High levels of supervision ensure that staff can respond and de-escalate incidents quickly.

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

Children’s behaviour is managed well and supported by clear behaviour plans. Staff support children very well when they experience difficult situations and emotional challenges. Boundaries and expectations are maintained.

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

Children are not going missing from the home. When children have previously gone missing from the home, these incidents have been responded to appropriately by the management team and staff.

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

External professionals, such as social workers, the police, independent reviewing officers, the director of children’s services, councillors and a psychologist are extremely complimentary of the support and work carried out by the staff with the children in the home.

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

The home is comfortable, welcoming and has many displays of the children’s artwork and photographs. High-quality decoration, fixtures and fittings and maintenance ensure that the home is well maintained and safe. The children’s bedrooms are beautifully presented and personalised based on their wishes and preferences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and assistant manager are inspirational, experienced and qualified. They lead by example and go above and beyond to make sure that children feel connected to the staff team. The staff team is very stable, experienced and qualified. Staff demonstrate a clear commitment to their roles and to the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff retention is excellent and provides the children with continuity. The children benefit from a consistent, permanent staff team. Staff reported that there is effective supervision, appraisals and team meetings and a strong group dynamic who know the children very well. All staff participate in a wide range of training. Inspection report children’s home: SC034922 5 Innovative and research-led practice is at the forefront of developments in the home. Children are genuinely involved in decisions about their care, their plans and their day- to-day lives at the home. Decisions are made together in family-style living where staff listen and respond to the children’s views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal monitoring of the home is thorough, and the management team has an excellent overview of the strengths and areas for development in the home. Independent monitoring also supports the management team and staff understanding of the home’s quality of care. Any arising issues are addressed quickly. The whole team demonstrates continued enthusiasm and capacity for developing the service to provide children with high-quality and consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Working always in the best interests of the child, the management team and staff provide effective challenge to external professionals and adapt effectively to the changing needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s case records are very thorough and well organised. They clearly detail work which is undertaken with children. Children’s plans and goals are well communicated, so that all staff and other professionals are working together effectively to help children achieve.

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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: SC034922 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU

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Inspector

Mark Kersh, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034922 7 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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