Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC416464 1 SC416464 Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated home provides care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides support, assessment and therapeutic intervention for children in need of short-, medium- and long-term care packages.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 19 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 11 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC416464 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2020 Full Good 22/08/2018 Full Good 07/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC416464 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive thoughtful and individualised care from enthusiastic and committed staff. One child described his experiences of living at the home as ‘sweet’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they feel settled living at the home. They attribute this feeling to the support they receive and the relationships that staff have established with them. Both children said that they like all the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel listened to, and they engage in and contribute to their plans. They have regular opportunities to review their goals, request changes in their care and reflect on the progress they have made. They make individualised progress in their lives, which they themselves recognise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff fully support children’s individual talents and leisure pursuits. For example, one child has learned to play the guitar and is exploring her interest in the arts. Another child attends boxing three times a week.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer stable and consistent care. The attention that children receive underpins their progress in developing emotional resilience and enables them to learn how to better manage their emotions. Children are further supported through access to individual psychological support from the home’s therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff fully support children’s contact with family and friends. For one child, there have been significant improvements and increased contact with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke with professionals and members of the children’s families, all of whom were highly complimentary with regards to the care that children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children, who have left the home since the last full inspection, made variable progress while at the home. Staff worked hard to continuously re-engage these children and provide incentives that were meaningful. The manager has since evaluated their progress and identified improvements to the care children receive.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children say they feel safe, and professionals and parents concur with these views. Staff speak to children about making safe choices and the risks that some behaviour may bring.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

With the support of staff, children have become safer and there has been a reduction in the number of incidents of children going missing from home. Staff work well with other professionals, developing safety maps and identifying areas or people that may pose a risk to a child’s welfare. This work enabled one child, previously living at the home, to be given permission from the social worker to stay Inspection report children’s home: SC416464 4 at friends’ homes. Other work with the police enabled staff to identify and assess potential risks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children are missing from home, staff are proactive and follow procedures and protocols. They continuously search for the child, contact all known friends and family and ensure the child’s safe return.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home’s therapist works regularly with staff to ensure that children’s feelings are validated and that children receive care that is thoughtful and reflective. Staff and managers regularly review children’s progress and their overall safety. The manager has commenced analysis and evaluation to further improve the progress that children make and identify any triggers that may lead to incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads an enthusiastic and committed staff team. The staff speak highly of their manager and the leadership she offers. They feel supported and enabled to fulfil their roles and grow in confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work effectively as a team. They are offered regular supervision and informal support. The manager is clear in her expectations of the care that should be afforded to children. When concerns about performance have been identified, managers have acted in a decisive and timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff and manager work well with other professionals to ensure that children make progress and their plans remain relevant. This collaborative approach offers children holistic care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The culture in the home is one of positivity. Staff and managers recognise and celebrate children’s achievements and progress. The manager understands each child and their plans well and recognises the positive effect that living at the home has on children’s life chances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has recently undergone redecoration and overall improvement. This has included new carpets and flooring. Consideration is being given to reassigning the use of a downstairs room to better meet the needs of one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the manager has attempted to obtain copies of minutes from meetings with the local authorities, this has not always been successful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of training. However, some training has not been refreshed for a number of years. Inspection report children’s home: SC416464 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s case records (regulation 36) are kept up to date, particularly in relation to obtaining copies of meetings held with local authorities as well as children’s plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulation, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive up-to-date training, specifically in areas, such as childhood trauma and development. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulation, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: SC416464 6

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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 children’s home: SC416464 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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