Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 1 SC069198 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 children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

If required, children can access the organisation’s therapy department and school. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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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 11 March 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2019 Full Outstanding 28/08/2018 Full Outstanding 14/11/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 4

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outstanding

Children make wonderful progress in this home, accomplishing things that were once thought impossible.

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outstanding

 From a starting point of hiding underneath a duvet and refusing to communicate with anyone for several weeks at a time, to attending school every day; having a paid weekend job; and enjoying going out for meals with staff and other children.  From initially rejecting communication with everyone and being socially isolating, including be unable to tolerate being involved with groups of people, to participating in a wide range of group activities.  From a starting point of rejecting all adults, to being able to give and receive affection from staff.

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outstanding

Children have made amazing progress because staff know and understand their needs and capabilities exceptionally well. Staff work very closely with professionals to deliver an excellent overall package of care. One therapist said, ‘This home does not give just good-enough care, it gives above and beyond. The children feel safe, cared about and have a positive future. Staff lead with their hearts, with compassion and empathy, and this is the basis upon which the children thrive.’

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outstanding

All of the children have a place in education. For some children, this is the first time in education for several years. All of the children have increased their educational attainments, which is excellent taking into account their previous experiences of education. A head teacher said, ‘Children in this home make unbelievably outstanding progress, way beyond our expectations, due to the tenacity and creativity of a passionate and dedicated staff team.’

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outstanding

Children take part in a wide range of activities that they would have never thought possible, some of which support their ambitions for the future. One child is happily planning her attendance at the school prom. This is a significant achievement as prior to attending this home, the thought of attending school was out of the question. Another child has developed a love of animals and attends a farm daily, having developed aspirations of becoming vet. He is being supported by staff and his teachers to enroll at local college as his first step towards achieving his dream. Another child is being supported in his desire to attend military college, an ambition which his teachers believe to be absolutely achievable.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are promoted rigorously. Specific health needs are known and met, and specialist appointments are arranged as necessary. Therapeutic input is readily available to the children. If the children do not wish to engage directly, Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 5 guidance and advice are provided to the staff team, including the children’s key workers, by the therapists. This ensures that the children’s emotional needs are met to a very high standard.

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outstanding

Children’s daily participation in the home is excellent. Their views are sought and children are listened to, whatever their means of communication. Because their wishes and feelings are seen as paramount, they feel valued and this impacts very positively on their psychological well-being.

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outstanding

Safeguarding is embedded in the culture of this home, and all staff are aware of their responsibilities. Careful consideration is given to meeting the needs of each new child coming into this home and the impact that they may have on the children who are already living in the home and vice versa.

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outstanding

The manager ensures that individual risk assessments inform staff of the control measures to keep all the children safe, and carefully monitors the implementation of these, adjusting them as necessary. Staff have a clear understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and strive to ensure that the children are always physically and emotionally safe.

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outstanding

Staff understand how to report any concerns, including how to escalate practice issues outside of the organisation. Staff say that they feel safe to question and challenge each other. This encourages an accountable and safe environment where safeguarding comes first.

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outstanding

Children are protected from risks in the wider community through careful supervision and learning how to keep safe and protect themselves. When children go missing from home, there is a coordinated and thorough response to locate them. There is a warm welcome and genuine interest in their welfare on their return. This demonstrates to children that they are valued and cared for.

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outstanding

Managers and staff are not risk averse and decisions about children’s independence in the community are carefully assessed in order to achieve the right balance between keeping children safe and allowing them the opportunities to develop independence.

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outstanding

The home is beautifully decorated and furnished, and is safe and well maintained. All health and safety checks are carried out. Any maintenance issues are dealt with promptly. Staff recruitment is robust and this ensures that staff are suitable to be caring for children.

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outstanding

One child said, ‘I feel safe here. I don’t always like the boundaries, but I know they are there to keep me safe, and that because the staff care about me.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager has been appointed, but is not yet registered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Introductions to the home are carefully planned in order to ensure that children have the best experience possible. Children’s guides are sensitively personalised for each child to ensure that they have meaningful information about the home and the staff team, what they can expect while living in this home, and who they can talk to. This includes how to make a complaint, should they need to, and what they can expect in response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with high-quality, reflective supervision where they are given the opportunity to consider their practice and how it impacts on the progress made by the children. This is supported by an impressive range of training and workshops. Mandatory training is supplemented by a wide range of additional resources that are specifically tailored to equip staff with the skills required to meet the individualised needs of the children in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have high aspirations for the children, staff and the home. They are continually seeking to improve the service and the quality of care and support for children. The managers have an excellent awareness of children’s progress, which is monitored through a variety of approaches. Plans are consistently monitored and reviewed. Progress, no matter how small, is celebrated. This means that children feel valued and, as a result, their confidence, self-esteem and aspirations are significantly higher.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor acts as a critical friend, offering professional guidance and challenge that the manager welcomes. The manager provides a comprehensive six- monthly reflective report to Ofsted with clear actions for the next period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by exceptional managers and staff. Their professionalism, skills, diligence and commitment to meet each child’s individual needs are unquestionably of an extraordinary standard. Managers and staff are innovative and creative in their approach, always forward-thinking about helping each child’s development so they can reach their full potential. One child said, ‘I know that staff really care about us. They spend time with us and listen to us. I know that it is not just a job to them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One recommendation was made at the last monitoring visit. This related to the timeliness of the submission of notifications of serious events to Ofsted. This has been fully addressed. The manager has ensured that notifications are submitted in a timely manner and has provided updates as appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One recommendation is made at this inspection as a result of a minor shortfall. This relates to ensuring that staff are able to access children’s records in an efficient and timely manner. Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 7

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records that are kept electronically can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view them and can be reproduced in a legible form if required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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: SC069198 8

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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

Jacqueline Georghiou, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC069198 9 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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