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

Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 1 Registered provider: Timeout Childrens Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to two children aged between six and 17. The provider’s statement of purpose states that children can be of either gender and may have severe emotional and and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 3

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outstanding

Children are exceptionally well cared for. They form strong and positive relationships with staff and feel safe and secure. One child wrote, ‘They (the staff) treat me like family, they support me and support my dreams.’

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outstanding

Children’s progress from their starting points is excellent. Staff have very high aspirations for children and support their engagement with education. Children have excellent attendance at school. A child has been supported to remain in his existing school and is continuing to engage in regular sporting activities with his group of friends. Staying in touch with friends and his community means that he will retain a sense of belonging to his community and can maintain his friendship group. This will help him to feel secure.

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outstanding

The inspector spoke with a teacher at one of the children’s schools. The teacher is very happy with the positive and regular communication from staff and remarked, ‘Staff have very clear boundaries and are helping [name of child] work through some difficult issues.’

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outstanding

Staff communicate well with each other and are consistent in their approach to caring for the children. There is a strong emphasis on using the home’s preferred model of care to support the staff in offering consistent and reliable responses to children. This means that staff provide a safe, stable routine and clear boundaries. Positive behaviour is encouraged. An individually tailored and realistic reward system is in place. As a result, children have something positive to aim for each day.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that they provide children with opportunities which expand their life experiences. Children have access to lots of different activities in the home. In addition to home-based activities, children are encouraged to attend local clubs, such as rugby and youth clubs. One child has been given the opportunity to use a recording studio and has created a song which many of his peers have listened to. This has increased his self-esteem and confidence. Another child is part of a project which donates food to a local food bank. This increases his knowledge and connection with the local community and encourages kindness and compassion. These are all qualities that will increase his sense of well-being.

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outstanding

Staff offer warmth and acceptance to the children in their care. Children choose to spend time, and have fun, with staff. Children have developed respectful relationships with each other and with staff.

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outstanding

The children feel safe and valued. Their ability to form and maintain relationships successfully will enhance their resilience and ability to manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviour as they grow up. This helps children to move on to the next Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 4 stage of their lives, whether this is going back to live with their families, moving on to foster care or living independently.

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outstanding

The home is comfortable, warm, well furnished, and decorated to a high standard. There are photos of the children displayed in the home which validate the shared opportunities to enjoy spending time together while engaging in various activities. A significant amount of care and attention has been taken to provide a calm, welcoming home with a family feeling.

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outstanding

The staff know the children in their care very well. Each child has a detailed risk assessment which is regularly updated to reflect any changes for the child. The risk assessments are realistic and effective. Individual sessions between staff and children link into their identified risks and needs and are tailored to support them to understand themselves and to move forward positively. The result of this work has meant that physical interventions with children have reduced significantly over time. Children feel very safe, well supported and happy in this home.

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outstanding

Children receive high-quality, individualised care. Each child has a very detailed plan and visual map displayed on the wall to support their behaviour and development. Children can refer to their maps each day, see their achievements and measure their own success. This builds their confidence and encourages a sense of accomplishment and well-being.

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outstanding

Managers have a good, research-based understanding of child development and the effects of early life experiences. The preferred model of care encourages children to have a sense of family membership or belonging. Other therapeutic models are employed when it is felt necessary to support with individual issues.

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outstanding

The knowledge acquired through the research-based approach enables managers and staff to make effective decisions about how to support each child. The supportive approach and expectation of positive behaviour have meant that children’s emotional needs are well met and there have been no incidents of children going missing from home or of being at risk of exploitation.

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outstanding

Children’s behaviour is analysed and managed extremely well. Staff take the time to understand what the children need individually and put measures in place to support their positive behaviours. Children have easy access to weekly therapeutic support which builds their self-esteem and helps them to manage their feelings.

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outstanding

Responses to children are measured and consistent across the staff team. Staff make extremely good use of models of therapy to help them to understand the children and their behaviour. Staff provide a safe and secure environment, and children are clear about their boundaries. This means that children learn how to manage their behaviour and get positive responses from people outside of the home, which builds their confidence. Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 5 Children are actively encouraged to build up their independence skills within safe boundaries. They are supported to spend time with friends in the local community and to keep in touch with other children they have formed relationships with who have left the home. This means that children are equipped with the skills and understanding to manage their own safety effectively and have freedom to spend time with friends. This increases their resilience and prepares them for adult life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is very experienced in providing good outcomes for children. She is passionate about her role and successful in providing a caring and therapeutic environment where children thrive and are supported well. The manager knows the children and the staff team extremely well. She is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and uses thorough and effective monitoring systems to identify when change or improvement are needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team embraces the opportunity to seek feedback regularly from involved agencies and to use that feedback to improve the service. The team reflects, and acts, on the feedback given following independent visits, Ofsted inspections and monthly consultation with the therapeutic team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to regular reflective supervision with the manager or senior staff member. They also have access to biannual appraisals to support them to identify any learning needs or development opportunities. The organisation supports staff development with a structured career pathway. One member of staff told the inspector, ‘I have developed significantly since I started the role. This has been through continuous support by the registered manager, ongoing training and regular supervisions.’ Staff have access to regular therapeutic consultations which assist them to offer intelligent, informed care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a stable staff team. There is a small number of regular bank staff who support staffing arrangements when needed. Staff trust the manager and feel secure in their roles and in the quality of care they offer to children. Children know the staff who are caring for them extremely well and know who is going to be there for them all the time. The stable staffing arrangements and consistent rota system provide a predictable environment, which helps children to feel safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have excellent working relationships with partner agencies, schools and family members. This ensures that children are at the centre of a network of support and, as a result, have the best possible experiences. The inspector received feedback from a parent who said, ‘They really understand him and support him.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 6

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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: 1280370 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Timeout Childrens Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1280370 8 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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