Children's home run by Rochdale Borough Council in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 1

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Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority. The home may provide care and accommodation for up to six children or young people who may have emotional and/ or behavioural difficulties. The home uses the ‘No Wrong Door’ model and offers outreach support. At the time of the visit, two children were living at the home. Following this visit, the number of children or young people that the home can accommodate reduced.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has recently submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to review progress made against the compliance notice served at the previous monitoring visit on 20 January 2021. The notice related to regulation 12, protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

As a restriction notice is also in place, this was also reviewed at the visit to ensure that no children had moved in. This visit took place on site and included speaking to children and professionals. Two children have continued to live in the home and one child has been discharged since the last visit. There have been no admissions.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have made efforts to ensure that each of the steps identified in the compliance notice are met. Managers and staff are making huge efforts to implement a more consistent, child-focused culture in the home. Staff have recognised that building relationships with the children is a priority. The inspector saw children engaging positively with staff throughout the day.

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This monitoring visit

Several areas of the home have been decorated and re-furnished. Children’s bedrooms are also being decorated and personalised and have been cleaned and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 2 tidied regularly. Children are investing more in the home, and their choices have been integral to this refurbishment.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have attended a range of training since the last visit to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children placed. The clinical psychologist and speech and language therapist have continued to work with the team to help build this understanding.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans and detailed scripts have been provided to staff. This ensures that all staff are consistent and keeping children safe. The plans guide staff on how to take appropriate steps to prevent children from being at risk. As a result, children have not been missing from home for almost a month. Both children have slept at the home every night since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

When children were missing, staff made some attempts to follow and locate them. Managers have identified times when more effort could have been made by staff and have addressed this appropriately. In response to poor recording, a new missing from home record has been devised. This improved management oversight will increase staff accountability in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are trying to implement routines and boundaries for children. However, the number of professionals working in the home makes it feel less homely. Plans are in place for staff with alternative tasks to work in an attached room with a separate entrance. Until this is possible, a review of who is in the home and when is essential. This will ensure that children know who is directly responsible for looking after them and reduce any inconsistencies.

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This monitoring visit

Children spoken to confirmed that some changes have been made since the last visit, including staff waking children earlier for home schooling, helping to tidy bedrooms and following children if they leave the home without authorisation. One child said, ‘It’s all right here you know.’

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed creative work with children on fire safety. The use of materials and television programmes has helped to engage children more. This meets a previous requirement. As a result, children are more aware of the risks and smoke in their bedrooms less.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are beginning to work collaboratively with the wider system to address complex safeguarding issues. This is reducing the risks to the children in the home.

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This monitoring visit

It is clear that the changes made are beginning to have a positive impact on children. One social worker said, ‘I definitely feel progress has been made. There is better communication now. The staff make so much more effort to encourage [name of child] not to go missing. I feel things are much better.’

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This monitoring visit

Following the visit, a case review was held. The compliance notice was considered to have been met. The provider subsequently requested a variation to reduce the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 3 numbers of children who could be accommodated in the home, which was agreed. The notice of restriction was lifted.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/03/2020 Full Good 20/08/2018 Full Good 18/09/2017 Full Good 01/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 4

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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, the 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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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to implementing clear expectations and routines and supporting children’s education when they refuse to go to school. 13 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 5 This is carried over and will be monitored at the next visit. The care planning standard is that children —

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to managers carefully reviewing staff’s skills and the potential impact when children move into the home prior to making a decision of suitability. Managers should carefully plan to ensure that young people are prepared for moves into and from the home.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to staff having a clear understanding of the current supervision arrangements for children meeting with family.

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Requirement Due date

This is carried over and will be monitored at the next visit. 13 March 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is proactive in clarifying if return home interviews have taken place and that any responses, views and feelings from young people involved in the interview are recorded clearly on records in the home. This is to ensure that risk assessments and strategies can be updated in the home, to enable staff to help safeguard young people and prevent them from going missing from home in the future. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sylvia Eboigbe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1237582 7 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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