Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Assurance visit report: SC394283 1 SC394283

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a local authority setting that is registered to accommodate up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2012 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 23 January 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Sustained effectiveness

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC394283 2

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The care of children

Young people continue to benefit from well-planned care that promotes their needs effectively. Staff take an active interest in the young people’s welfare and young people receive warm and consistent care and support. Staff maintain creative ways to support young people, even when they reside outside of the home. One young person receives outreach support while residing with their family member. A second young person received staff contact and support from the home while living in their previous custodial placement. A social worker reported:

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The care of children

‘I am very happy with the support the home has provided. He has had a number of placement moves over the past two years and [the home] has supported him to feel safe and settled in their care…they have gone above and beyond with supporting him.’

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The care of children

Staff ensure that young people experience safe contact with their families. As a result, young people sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

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The care of children

Some young people do take risks with their health by smoking substances. Individuals have continued to receive support and advice from staff who are informed by specialist teams. This helps young people in their attempts to manage their habit.

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The care of children

Young people are encouraged to attend school or other alternative educational provision. However, not all young people are currently engaged in some form of education.

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The safety of children

The home remains settled and young people are kept safe and feel safe. There have been no physical interventions, complaints or allegations since the last inspection.

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The safety of children

There are clear risk assessments and risk management plans in place which are followed in practice. This means that the risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Young people become increasingly safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them.

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The safety of children

Staff take appropriate action when young people are absent or go missing from the home. They are familiar with the home’s procedures and work closely with the police to locate young people promptly and secure their safe return.

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The safety of children

Young people’s behaviours are managed effectively by staff. Consequences to address negative behaviour are balanced, fair and proportionate. Assurance visit report: SC394283 3

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Leaders and managers

Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The registered manager has recently returned to work on a phased return. However, she was having to self-isolate at the time of this visit in line with government guidance in relation to COVID-19.

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Leaders and managers

While young people benefit from well-qualified and experienced staff who promote their needs effectively, training has not been consistently completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited training records are available in the home. No face-to- face training is currently taking place. However, staff have been provided with a laptop computer to complete virtual meetings and online training.

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Leaders and managers

The home has met the requirements from the last inspection. Leaders and staff make good use of the home’s external monitoring activities to secure the home’s continuing improvement. Staff meet the aims and objectives, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has completed a six-monthly quality of care review to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home. However, the report lacks areas for future development, evaluation and does not take account of the views of relevant stakeholders.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16 schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8).

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15). Assurance visit report: SC394283 4  Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least

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Recommendations

once every six months; also see regulation 13 (2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the quality standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2). This relates specifically to the improved content and evaluation of the review and evidence of the views of stakeholders.

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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

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC394283 5 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

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