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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 1 SC064530 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

The home provides care for children who have experienced early childhood attachment disruptions, which may have a negative effect on their behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

If required, children can access the organisation’s school and therapy department.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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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 24 November 2020 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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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/03/2020 Full Outstanding 01/08/2018 Full Good 04/09/2017 Full Good 25/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 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. A child said, ‘I feel happy here. I feel really safe.’

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outstanding

Children make substantial progress from their starting points. Staff have very high aspirations for children and support their engagement in education. When children are not in school, staff support them to access learning opportunities. For those children who are in school, staff have regular meetings with teachers to ensure that their specific needs are met. As a result, children are making excellent progress with their learning. One child has achieved several GCSEs and additional qualifications.

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outstanding

Staff communicate effectively with each other and are reliable in their approach to caring for the children. There is a strong emphasis on using a ‘secure base’ model of care. Staff implement this in a consistent way that provides good boundaries and clear routines. This provides children with a sense of safety and stability.

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outstanding

Positive behaviour is encouraged and achieved. Individually tailored and realistic incentives, which are agreed with children, are in place. Children are helped to understand that they have something positive to aim for daily. Long-term goals are displayed on a ‘dream board’. This is a visual display where children can express what their goals are for the year ahead. As a result, they achieve better outcomes.

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outstanding

Staff place a strong emphasis on providing children with opportunities which expand their life experiences. Children have access to a wide variety of different educational and fun activities in the home. In addition to home-based activities, children are encouraged to attend local activities, such as swimming, gymnastics and rugby. Children have been on holidays to London and more recently visited Cadbury World. The new opportunities that children are offered have helped them to develop their social skills and make friends in the local area. Developing these skills will help them communicate and improve their relationships with their peers and adults.

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outstanding

Staff excel at offering warmth and acceptance to the children in their care. Because of this, children choose to spend time with staff and enjoy that time having fun. Children have developed attachments to staff, which have helped to increase their feelings of confidence and self-worth.

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outstanding

Children feel safe and valued. Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their resilience and to manage their emotions and feelings better. One of the children said: ‘They [the staff] help me with my anger.’ This provides a platform for making positive choices about their future, as well as helping children prepare for the next stage of their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 4 The home is comfortable and homely. Bedrooms are highly personalised to reflect each child’s individual taste. Communal areas are adorned with photos of the children and staff spending time together and taking part in fun and exciting activities. A significant amount of care and attention has been taken to make this a warm, calm and welcoming home with a family feel.

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outstanding

Children are kept safe. The staff understand the children in their care extremely well. There are detailed and dynamic risk assessments which are regularly updated to reflect changes for the children. The risk assessments capture all the known risks and identify strategies for staff to follow that are effective in reducing risks. Staff take an educational and supportive approach to helping children understand and better manage their behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. Overall, children are making better choices and taking increasing responsibility for their own safety. As a result, the need for physical restraint has significantly reduced for these complex and traumatised children.

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outstanding

Children receive high-quality, individualised care. Each child has a highly detailed plan and visual ‘game of life’ chart displayed on the wall to support their behaviour and development. Children can refer to their chart each day, see their achievements and measure their own success. This allows them to find a positive note to end every day and builds their confidence, encouraging a sense of accomplishment and well-being.

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outstanding

Managers and staff have a detailed and well-researched understanding of child development and the effects of early life experiences. The model of care provides children with a sense of family membership and belonging. When necessary, other therapeutic approaches are researched, and external training is provided to staff, which is used creatively to meet the known and emerging needs of each child.

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outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of each child, and they offer lots of nurture and support to ensure that children’s emotional needs are met. Children say that they feel cared for and safe. This has meant that there have been a very low number of incidents of children going missing from care. Staff work alongside therapists to understand what the children need individually, and they put measures in place to support their positive behaviours. Children have regular access to therapeutic support, which builds their self-esteem and helps them manage their feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is very passionate about providing an environment which is akin to a supportive and caring family home. The manager is very child focused. He knows the children and the staff team extremely well. He is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and uses highly effective monitoring systems to identify Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 5 when change or improvement is needed. Children thrive in this environment and are extremely well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to regular, reflective supervision with the manager or senior staff members. 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. Having this in place motivates staff, keeps them engaged and helps them to remain enthusiastic. Staff speak very positively about their manager. They feel that he is a calm and present leader who is supportive, consistent and structured in his approach to running the home. Staff have access to regular therapeutic consultations which assist them to offer thoughtful, intelligent and informed care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a stable, consistent team of staff who communicate with each other very effectively. Staff trust the manager and feel secure in their role and in the excellent quality of care they are offering the children. Children know the staff who are caring for them extremely well and are aware who is going to be there for them all of the time. The stable staffing arrangements and consistent rota system provide a predictable environment and help children 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. The inspector spoke with a parent who felt supported by staff at the home and said: ‘I think they are wonderful to be honest. They have really helped [my child] turn her behaviour around.’ Safe contact with family helps children to retain their sense of identity and belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 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 for children’s home: SC064530 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dominic Macauley

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064530 8 regulates and inspects 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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