Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 1 SC394283 Registered provider: Salford City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority and provides care for up to five children who can no longer live at home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager resigned from this home in February 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 7 February 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress while living in this home, in health, education, relationships, behaviour and keeping themselves safe. The manager and staff offer children a good quality of care to meet their individual needs. One professional said of the child they work with, ‘She is doing fantastic. The staff are amazing.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into and out of the home, a good transition is planned. An impact risk assessment shows that the home considers the child’s history and behaviour and the needs of the existing children in the home. However, the acting manager and staff are not aware of the local offer, setting out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is a missed opportunity to access additional resources for children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to regularly attend and engage in education. The children know how important education is and respond well to the education incentives in place. For example, one child’s attendance at college has significantly improved. The child told the inspector that this was down to the incentives and the continuing encouragement and support that she receives from the staff. Another child has recently sat an exam and is waiting for her results. Children have ambitions to work with young children or to explore options in the music industry.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to adopt healthy lifestyles by encouraging them to eat a healthy diet and to engage in physical exercise. Children are supported with their individual health needs and they have good access to local health services when they need them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An outstanding area of practice is how children have additional professional support to understand their journey through care, or have someone independent from the home to discuss how they are feeling. One child has completed a PowerPoint presentation on her journey. This is being used to educate and inform a range of professionals who work with children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can regularly share their views about the home and the plans for their own care. Children have regular discussions with their key workers, other staff and the manager during children’s meetings, key-work sessions and reviews. Children feel able to talk to staff and are confident that they are listened to and that their views, wishes and feelings are acted on whenever possible.

p.3

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

Safeguarding practice at the home is good and it keeps the children safe from harm. The children understand that safeguards are needed to keep them safe, such as staying in touch with staff when they are out in the local community. Children say that they feel safe and that staff do their very best to safeguard them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 4 There have been no safeguarding concerns to report to safeguarding agencies. Staff demonstrated that they knew the procedure to follow if a concern was to arise. All staff have received safeguarding training and additional supportive training, such as in child sexual exploitation, county lines and safer recruitment, which is refreshed regularly. This means they have the knowledge to support children and that they can identify early signs of involvement.

p.3

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

Children’s risk management plans clearly outline their individual risks. Staff and the children understand the strategies required to reduce and manage risks. However, there is little information for staff to follow if an incident was to occur. This does not ensure that staff would be consistent in their approach.

p.4

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

Positive behaviour of the children is continually promoted and rewarded at the home. Children can work towards a desired item, such as a new mobile phone, or take an item from the reward box, as an instant recognition of achievement.

p.4

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

Children say that the support that they have received from staff has helped them to be more mature, responsible and confident. As a result, physical intervention has not been used at the home. In addition to this, there has only been one occasion when a child has been reported missing from the home. This is a significant reduction. Staff followed the missing-from-home protocol and searched the local area and areas that the child is known to have frequented. On her return, the child received an independent interview in line with statutory guidance.

p.4

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

Safe recruitment and health and safety practices at the home ensure that only the most suitable staff work at the home and that it is a safe place to live. Records show that children, staff and visitors are taken through the emergency evacuation procedure. This means that everyone is kept as safe as possible.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection in June 2021, significant changes have been made at the home. There is a full staff team, a new acting manager, the home has been modernised and decorated and the paperwork has been streamlined. As a result, children receive care from staff that they know well. Staff receive good support and guidance. The home is comfortable, inviting and children are proud of their home, and the children’s records are clear and accessible to all. As a result, the staff said that they enjoy working here and the children were very complimentary about the care and support that they receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has a good range of experience to care for the children and staff. She is currently completing the leadership and management qualification. She has been in post since February 2022. However, she has not submitted her application to Ofsted, to register as the manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is supported by a deputy manager and two senior care workers. They share tasks to ensure that paperwork is regularly reviewed and updated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 5 However, some staff have not signed the children’s documents. This means that staff may not be aware that information has changed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has high aspirations for the children living at the home and ensures that they are provided with a good quality of care. The children and professionals spoken to as part of this inspection were complimentary about the acting manager’s skills, knowledge and ability to work closely with them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a full staff team. Most of the staff have a relevant childcare qualification. One member of staff is currently completing her qualification. The manager provides the staff with regular and effective supervision that enables them to reflect on their practice. This is in addition to monthly team meetings, where staff can share their knowledge and discuss the children in depth. The staff also benefit from a wealth of training and development opportunities to support their continuing professional development. As a result, staff said that they felt supported, valued and motivated.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Generally, the children’s records are up to date and give enough detail to show the child’s journey throughout their stay at the home. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs, experiences and progress. The acting manager challenges local authorities and other services effectively to provide children with the support that will meet their needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose, development plan and workforce plan are up to date. Monitoring and review systems at the home help the acting manager to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The acting manager is then able to alter her practice when necessary to make improvements that are in the best interests of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(b)) 30 June 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the acting manager must submit her application to register, without delay. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that managers and staff are aware of the local offer setting out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff sign the children’s case records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

p.7

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: SC394283 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5DA

p.8

Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9