Children's home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 1 SC034012 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home that offers care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has an experienced and qualified registered manager.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 16 to 17 September 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2018 Full Outstanding 15/05/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6). With reference to young people adding their comments to key documents that are kept on file.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people thrive in a warm, nurturing and supportive environment. They feel part of one big family in the home. An enthusiastic and supportive staff team ensures that young people make outstanding progress, and achieve socially, emotionally and educationally.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have a strong say in the running of the home. This is supported through house meetings and day-to-day conversations with staff. Young people have a say in the decoration of their bedrooms and the communal living space. Consequently, young people have a real sense of belonging and ownership of their home. The home is inviting, relaxing and homely in its appeal.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people know that staff genuinely care about them and keep them safe. Young people have trusting relationships with staff and know they are listened to. Young people make significant progress in their lives and are fully supported to achieve their future goals. The structure and boundaries of the home ensure that young people feel safe. Young people are encouraged to develop healthy relationships with one another and any safeguarding concerns are managed effectively by staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One young person has transitioned to live with a family member. This has been an excellent outcome for this young person who, since leaving the home, is continuing to attend further education and employment. He continues to have regular contact with the home and regards staff as his extended family.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are linked to local primary care services and their health needs are met in the home. Staff ensure that young people attend medical appointments when necessary. Young people are supported to understand their emotions through therapy sessions, allowing them to express their emotions in a safe environment. Young people know they can also talk to staff at any time. If necessary, the home links with specialist therapeutic support services. This service offers research-based intervention for young people and guidance for staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Previously, some young people have struggled in mainstream education. Now, all young people attend education and there is creative thinking around educational opportunities. Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 4 This means that young people have realistic education plans and they can achieve and do well in areas they are interested in. Staff offer lots of support and encouragement to young people and will attend meetings in school to advocate for young people. Staff have also challenged headteachers to ensure that young people can attend the school of their choice.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people engage in a range of social activities and clubs. This helps young people to develop socially, emotionally and physically, and build healthy attachments with their peers. Young people have free time in the community. For some young people, there is close monitoring of these activities; however, young people know this is to keep them safe. Young people negotiate with staff to ensure that they keep within the rules and boundaries of the home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The daily lived experience for young people is positive and trusting. Young people have excellent relationships with staff. Young people phone staff when they have arrived at college/school, and when they are on their way home. This shows that interactions and communication between staff and young people are based on trusting and loving relationships.

p.4

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

Young people know they can rely on staff and that they are listened to. Individuals are empowered to make responsible decisions about their own lives. Young people have detailed and thorough link-work sessions; they are supported to understand complicated and serious matters in a sensitive and child-friendly manner. Consequently, young people understand complex issues and decisions about their lives. Young people do not always sign their recordings and do not like the label of being a child in care. However, it is important that the home adapts a system that is comfortable to young people as unsigned paperwork may mean that a young person has not fully understood or evaluated what has been written about them.

p.4

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

Young people are supported to have positive contact with family members. One young person is supported to have extended family contact a few nights a week. The long-term care plan for this young person is to transition home. Staff are working extensively with the young person and the family member to ensure that both parties are fully supported with the plan. Staff have built up a trusting relationship with the young person and staff have also offered additional support to the family member. Consequently, there are no longer missing-from-care episodes. Staff will go above and beyond to support young people.

p.4

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

Local authority safeguarding procedures are followed to address missing-from-care episodes and child exploitation. The home’s manager will attend panel meetings and strategy meetings with the police to ensure that young people are discussed. The meetings ensure that there are strategies in place to keep young people safe and reduce risk. Detailed and clear risk assessments ensure that there is a safety plan in place that helps keep young people safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 5 Young people have the consistency of an established staff team whose members know them extremely well. This is very important, as some individuals have had several changes in social workers. Care plans for young people have not always been very clear and the home’s manager has taken on the role of creating placement plans that best meet the needs of the young people. This avoids drift and delay in planning outcomes

p.4

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

for young people and also ensures that young people are aware of what is happening to them.

p.5

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

There have been four complaints since the last inspection. Staff have acknowledged the complaints and responded to young people with clear action points. This ensures that young people have an opportunity to express how they feel if they are not happy and that they feel assured that their complaints are taken seriously and dealt with appropriately.

p.5

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

All young people feel safe, secure and happy in the home. One young person said, ‘It’s amazing! There’s always someone to speak to, go out with. I’ve been on lots of days out that I would have never experienced without them. They always support me and my family whenever we need it and never fail to put a smile on my face.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since July 2016. She has several years’ experience of working with children and young people, is a qualified social worker and has achieved her NVQ level 5 in social care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly committed and has the interests of young people at the centre of her practice. Child-centred practice is at the heart of the home. The registered manager has strong leadership and management skills and will robustly challenge poor care planning from the placing authority. The registered manager takes full responsibility for young people when they are placed in her care. She is highly proactive in her approach and will challenge social workers and managers in the best interest of young people.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager runs the home alongside her highly knowledgeable and experienced deputy manager, who is an asset to the home. The registered manager is safe in the knowledge that the home will run efficiently when she is not there. Systems and files are all very clear and up to date, demonstrating a highly organised and efficiently run home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a really committed and child-centred staff team. Staff retention is very high, and some staff have been at the home for many years. This ensures continuity of care for young people, but also means that staff know the young people very well. Staff are nurturing in their approach and this practice forms the essence of how they work with young people. Staff create a culture of mutual respect, and young people know that staff genuinely care about them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive a comprehensive, mandatory training package. This is in addition to training Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 6 that is bespoke to the needs of the home. Staff have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and development and this drive helps to improve their practice and support young people. Staff fully embed knowledge of attachment theory in their day-to-day practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager openly acknowledges strengths and weaknesses and, more importantly, recognises the limitations of the home. This ensures that while young people have key staff in the home to help and support them, the team welcomes the expertise of others to help support young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professional and family feedback is very positive. One professional said, ‘Staff are attuned to relationships with young people. They are aware of their social and emotional needs and they adapt to young people.’ Another professional said, ‘They get the young people 100%. Staff are amazing and supportive to young people. They really care about them.’ A parent said, ‘Staff are really helpful and friendly. I have no qualms with them. They always communicate with me. Staff are brilliant.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager utilises internal and external monitoring systems to evaluate the progress of the home to good effect. This process also helps to continue to improve practice. The registered manager has recently suggested a new format for the independent monitoring reports, to promote further constructive challenge. This shows that the manager is continually striving for improvements and values the monitoring process.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC034012 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Market Street, Hyde, Tameside SK14 1AL

p.7

Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034012 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8