Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 1 SC460593 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

The home is run by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

During this time, one child has lived at the home after turning 18 under the wholly and mainly principle; this child has now moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in December 2021. A temporary manager has overseen the home since January 2022 but has not registered with Ofsted. An acting manager has now been appointed.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/08/2021 Full Good 23/09/2019 Full Outstanding 26/06/2018 Full Good 14/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 3

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improvement to be good

The leadership and management of the home is inadequate which has affected the overall judgement. Children do not always receive the support and care they need due to poor direction and ineffective management responses.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently apply the therapeutic model of care when children leave the home. One child’s belongings remained in the home five months after they had left. Limited efforts have been made to return these belongings and there was no recognition of the impact this could have on the child.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to attend school but staffing issues have impacted on one child being able to attend full time. This may hinder the child’s progress in achieving at school.

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improvement to be good

The provider has failed to ensure that the home is decorated to a good standard nor is it a homely environment. There is no urgency to address maintenance issues and items remain in the home that are no longer needed. This does not provide children with a welcoming environment and contradicts the home’s ethos.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records, especially daily notes, do not capture the events of the day in a child-friendly way. This does not provide children with a meaningful record of their memories for the future.

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improvement to be good

The staff team and acting manager recognise the progress that children have made and celebrate small steps. This helps to build children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by a therapist who visits them at the home. In addition, staff are trained and are supported by the therapist. The result of the therapeutic work is steadily helping children to develop a greater understanding of themselves.

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improvement to be good

Family time is promoted for children, and staff understand the importance of this. Staff keep in touch and share information with children’s families. This has helped children to build links with their families and, for one child, this is enabling them to return to live with their family.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the significance of physical activities in promoting children’s mental health and well-being. Children benefit from taking part in different activities, such as local walks, shopping, and trips to the cinema. This provides children with lots of happy memories and experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 4

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improvement to be good

Allegations against staff are not responded to in line with the provider’s policies and procedures. Risk assessments and evaluation of staff suitability to work with children are not in place. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are poor and not updated for children as situations change. This does not provide staff with clarity on how to respond. For example, the steps taken to reduce the risk of a child self-harming are not clear for all staff. As a result, some staff do not know what is expected of them. This does not help protect children or reduce the likelihood of them experiencing harm.

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improvement to be good

Although the number of times children have been reported missing has reduced, children continue to socialise in unsafe areas and have unhealthy peer relationships. Not enough is done by staff to disrupt these friendships or to manage them safely. This was recognised by the acting manager during the inspection as an area that needs to improve so children can be kept safe.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to understand and discuss any incidents. However, these sessions do not help children to set meaningful goals or rewards to work towards. Therefore, children are not fully engaged with plans in place.

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improvement to be good

Room searches take place when concerns arise relating to a child’s safety. Records are not always clear and lack detail if something has had to have been removed from a child’s room. Furthermore, children are not always informed when this has occurred. This does not help children to understand potential risks to them or why staff have entered their private space without their consent.

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improvement to be good

The temporary manager has ensured that concerns relating to county lines and gang affiliation have been addressed and that professionals are aware of the risks. Staff understand their responsibilities regarding this. This helps to reduce the risk and better protects the children from harm.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of self-harm have reduced due to staff and therapists giving children the skills to manage their emotions better. The impact of moving homes for some children has been recognised and therapeutic support is in place to support this transition to help children manage their emotional well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager left in December 2021 which unsettled the staff team and the children. A temporary manager has had oversight of the home since January 2022 and a new manager has now been recruited. The acting manager has not yet applied to register with Ofsted. The characteristics of good leadership and management are not currently in place. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 5 Support from the provider for the temporary manager has been poor. Team leaders within the staff team are either new in their roles and therefore do not have the level of understanding of the children and what is expected of them. The temporary manager does not have full oversight of the home and this has led to significant shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that processes for allegations management are followed by staff. Delays in sharing information with relevant people has prevented immediate management oversight. Therefore, an evaluation of risk has not taken place. On occasion, staff have remained at work with children following an allegation without a clear risk assessment in place. This does not provide adequate protection to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staffing levels are sufficient to support children in their day-to-day activities. Action taken has not sufficiently addressed this. For example, children do not arrive at school on time due to staffing issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers review incidents but the evaluation is poor. Shortfalls are not identified and there is no professional curiosity to actions taken by staff. There is no learning to prevent similar incidents happening again in the future and this prevents poor staff practice being addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff care about the children and follow children’s plans as best they can. However, the temporary manager had no oversight or awareness that children’s plans were confusing, and staff were not doing what was expected of them. This does not demonstrate effective management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they are supported by the temporary manager who has introduced structure and support in order to improve team morale. This has motivated the staff team to develop and make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When children move into the home, risks are identified and staff receive training to support them meet children’s needs. This includes internal workbooks while waiting for formal training. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 6

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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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the homes décor is improved, remove items from the home that are no longer needed such as lock and ensure that all areas are clean and tidy. 30 July 2022

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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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plan (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that arrangements are in place for children to be able to attend education on time. 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)((b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that risk assessments are accurate and up to date and that staff understand and follow these. That staffing levels allow for safeguarding processes to be implemented. The registered person must ensure that children understand how to keep themselves safe and have achievable targets.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 8 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that day-to-day oversight is improved to ensure that all information is reviewed, evaluated and shortfalls addressed. This includes incident reports and room searches. To ensure staffing levels are appropriate to meet the needs of the children. To ensure that children’s plans are up to date to improve consistency.

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Requirement Due date

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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)((iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that when children move out of the home their belongings are moved with them or shortly after 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 9 and that children are helped to say goodbye and understand the reasons for the move.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the provider’s allegations policy is followed including identifying if children are at potential risk and ensuring that any decisions for staff to remain at work or be suspended are clearly recorded in line with the policy. 16 June 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s records are child friendly and capture the events of the day for the child in a way which will support them to understand their life history in the future. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 10  The registered person should ensure that notifications under Regulation 40 include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: SC460593 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Meadows Care Ltd, Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale, Lancashire OL12 9EN

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Inspectors

Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Rachel Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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