Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 1 SC064530

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Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

Supported by the organisation’s therapy department, the home’s purpose is to provide therapeutic treatment programmes for up to two children or young people who have experienced early childhood disruptive attachments. If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s school.

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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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2018 Full Good 04/09/2017 Full Good 25/10/2016 Full Good 17/05/2016 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 3

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outstanding

The lives of children and young people have significantly improved because of living at the home. The home provides them with exceptional individualised care, structure and therapeutic support.

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outstanding

The staff build safe relationships, which helps the children and young people to feel accepted. The safe relationships create a foundation for the children and young people to make significant progress. The ‘secure base’ model of care creates a home where children and young people have a sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Staff support children and young people to attend school. Attendance and attainment have improved since they have been living at the home. One young person gained functional skills GCSE qualifications and enrolled on a college course. Another young person now attends school regularly, and is making sustained progress and aspires to succeed. For some children and young people, this is exceptional progress, given their starting points.

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outstanding

Staff support the healthcare needs of children and young people by empowering them to attend their health appointments. They have access to specialist support. Staff also support children and young people to develop personal care skills that are relevant to their age. Children and young people receive therapeutic care, which has a positive impact on their emotional health. As a result, children and young people are developing personal resilience, self-esteem and better coping strategies, which allows them to live a healthy and happier life.

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outstanding

When children and young people have setbacks, they are supported to reflect on them and resolve them restoratively. As a result, children and young people are supported to develop empathy, feel nurtured, and to experience fun, laughter and love.

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outstanding

The children and young people take part in regular recreational activities with the staff, in youth groups and the local community. Children and young people make new friendships, learn new skills and support others by taking part in voluntary work. They have exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For instance, one young person has learned to sing using sign language and is part of a group that has been nationally recognised for the amazing things it does.

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outstanding

The home is well decorated, and bedrooms are personal, cosy and warm. The home has lots of resources, including books. Children and young people do varied activities. They are able to be creative and play games that promote relaxation and meditation. House topics are diverse and support children and young people to learn about keeping safe, the risks of county lines, and relationships and living together. Good hygiene was the most recent topic discussed in response to the current worldwide public health concerns. Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 4 The staff go the extra mile. They provide exceptionally personalised care to the children and young people. One young person is being supported to go to her country of birth to explore her cultural heritage, and all children and young people are provided with personal items to support them in ways that are appropriate to their stage of development. Children and young people choose their own short-term

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outstanding

and long-term goals. As a result, they are proud of their achievements and are eager to keep progressing. A social worker commented, ‘They do a fab job – what they have done so far for (young person) is outstanding [and] how the home is working and planning support for (young person) really is going the extra mile.’

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outstanding

Children and young people are learning new life skills. The learning is diverse and includes areas such as healthy living and household chores, overcoming setbacks, building confidence, and taking age-appropriate risks. One child is thriving with her new routine after only being at the home for a short period of time. (child) said, ‘Routines are the best thing – I love it.’ Another young person has moved on to semi-independent living after making significant progress.

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outstanding

Children are kept safe and feel safe. The staff team’s effective use of therapeutic parenting and their detailed risk assessments are the reasons for this.

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outstanding

On admission to the home, children and young people have a high level of supervision, and excellent routines provide structure throughout the day. The one- to-one staffing ratio supports them to settle into the home. Children and young people are well matched and from the first day develop positive peer relationships by spending ‘family’ time together. Over time, the staff support children and young people to take age-appropriate risks, which increases their life opportunities.

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outstanding

Behaviour is well managed. Restraint is rare, and when it does occur, children and young people are protected. The staff use every opportunity to help children and young people reflect on their behaviour and repair any upset to relationships using restorative practice. Routines are a key feature in the home, and this provides the children and young people with predictability and security.

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outstanding

Incidents of children and young people going missing and other safeguarding risks for children and young people have reduced. The staff work in partnership with various specialist agencies, and as a result, children and young people thrive. Creative key work sessions take place on social media safety, stranger danger and safe relationships. Children and young people now tell staff when something feels unsafe.

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outstanding

Staff have an in-depth understanding of the children’s and young people’s emotional health needs. There is a high level of therapeutic support from the clinical team. Children and young people attend therapy sessions that take place away from the home. The therapy and the care in the home are supporting children and young people to make exceptional progress. Self-harm and other harmful behaviours have Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 5 significantly reduced. One young person said, ‘I used to hurt myself, a lot, but now I’ve learned better ways to cope.’

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outstanding

Staff have a connection with the children and young people and take pride in their progress. Also, children and young people are proud of themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a positive culture and ethos in the home. The staff have high aspirations for the children and young people, and there is a consistent approach to parenting. The staff are very supportive of one another, which underpins this consistent approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff have left the home, although the team is stable. There is a robust recruitment procedure that is under review to further strengthen the home’s recruitment of new staff. Supervision is regular and child focused, and there is ongoing support from the clinical team. From the start of a staff member’s induction, there are high expectations of the therapeutic carer role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff progress within their roles. There is a focus on ongoing professional development. Staff are well supported, and training is responsive to the needs of the children and young people. For example, specific safeguarding training was prioritised by the manager to support the staff to care for a child who was recently admitted to the home and who had added safeguarding needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s ‘secure base’ model of care underpins the staff team’s approach to parenting. All children and young people have a treatment plan, which is reviewed every 12 weeks between the staff and the clinical team. The treatment plans give the staff a holistic understanding of the children and young people. This is a home where children and young people feel accepted, listen to and understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One staff member said, ‘We create a sense of belonging and acceptance, and support them to invest in the home to make it their own. Relationships underpin everything we do.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The wishes and feelings of children and young people help to determine what they are working towards while living at the home. The plans focus on key areas, including social skills, life skills, education, home routines and extra-curricular activities. Their records and photos tell the story of their journey and experiences. This is in line with the local authority’s care plan for each child and young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has strong working relationships with several other services. These services are sourced in response to the children’s and young people’s wishes, feelings or needs. The home is well respected by other professionals, who recognise the home’s qualities. One social worker commented, ‘They are welcoming. They have been clear [about] what service I can expect from them, and what they need from me going forward to support (child). There is good communication, and I have regular updates on how (child) is doing.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 6 The new manager reviews the quality of the home and the care delivered to the children and young people. There is a development plan in place. The home is well organised, and all records are kept up to date. Consultation with third-party stakeholders does not always take place, and as a result, the quality assurance and development of the home are not as strong as they could be.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 7

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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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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, the registered person should ensure they seek views of third-party stakeholders.

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that Covid-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of Coronavirus by Time-Out Children’s Homes Ltd. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC064530 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Ripponden Mill, Mill Fold, Ripponden Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dominic Macauley

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Inspector(s)

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064530 9 to 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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