Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066560 1 SC066560

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Meadows Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people. The organisation has an integrated therapy service available to the children and young people. The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out due to concerns relating to the increased number of notifications of young people’s drug misuse, incidents of young people being missing from home and allegations made about staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff demonstrate suitable insight and knowledge about the triggers and antecedents that may cause a young person to display risk-taking behaviours. Documents offering advice and guidance to staff on how best to care for young people are clear and commensurate with known risks.

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This monitoring visit

When incidents of young people going missing from home occur, staff are active in trying to stay in touch and persuading the young person to return and searching for young people in known areas. There is active and prompt liaison with other agencies and when concerns increase, the manager requests that multi-agency meetings take place to discuss and address those concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Young people have been referred to specialist agencies to address risks relating to drug misuse and this input is ongoing. However, staff have not benefited from specific and focused training in this area. Staff consider that this training would enhance and inform their work with young people. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066560 2 Young people benefit from and value the psychological support that is offered to them via the home’s therapist. Through this support, young people make progress with regards to understanding and managing the emotions they experience and the effect that previous trauma has had on their lives. However, staff are not successful in consistently maintaining all young people’s engagement with the support. As a result, some young people disregard the advice that is offered by staff.

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This monitoring visit

Although staff are persistent in their efforts to support young people, their work has not been reviewed or evaluated by managers for its effectiveness. As a result, the input by staff has had minimal effect on changing some young people’s behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

There are missed opportunities for staff to reflect on their work with young people. Individual staff supervision and team meetings are not focused on reviewing the efficacy of approaches used or seeking alternatives.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations made against staff have been appropriately referred to other agencies and investigated by managers. However, one allegation has not yet concluded due to outstanding feedback from the local authority social worker. Although the manager has sought this feedback, her efforts have not been successful and she did not escalate the matter in a timely manner. During the inspection, the manager rectified this omission and the social worker informed the inspector that there were no concerns regarding the care of the young person.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and senior managers are aware of the concerns regarding the increased risks that some young people are exposed to. As a result, strategies to improve overall engagement of young people, including incentives, house rules, rewards and routines, have been reviewed with staff by senior managers. There are also plans for staff to integrate a psychological approach more thoroughly into their work.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/09/2019 Full Good 12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/07/2018 Full Good 15/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066560 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)) 31 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 31 December 2020 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066560 4 help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous life experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are supported with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standard, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must seek timely responses from other agencies with regards to the outcome of allegations. 15 December 2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066560 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale, Lancashire OL12 9EN

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Inspector

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066560 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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