Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 1 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 three children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2021

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers develop good-quality, enduring relationships with children that are based on trust and mutual respect. This helps children to make good progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from being cared for by staff who know and understand the organisation’s therapeutic model of care. Staff are supported by an in-house therapist who is readily available to them. The manager ensures that learning and reflection from working with the therapist translates into practice and plans for the children. This means that children receive responsive and predictable care, which helps them to feel settled and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s records are generally of a good quality. However, some daily records contain emotive language to describe children’s behaviours. This means that children’s experiences are not always captured in a way that is helpful to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have positive relationships with family members and others who are important to them. Children are encouraged to invite friends for tea and sleep overs. This helps to ensure that children have the same experiences as their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form good relationships with the children’s family members. They help families to better understand the needs of their children and will challenge their actions if needed. One child spends each weekend with her family. Staff support a flexible arrangement and work closely with the family to ensure this remains child-centred. This helps to ensure that children can enjoy quality time with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered a wide range of opportunities and experiences to broaden their horizons and develop their confidence. Children’s progress is well documented through their records, in particular their journals. These journals will help to keep children’s memories alive as they move on in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop independence skills. This helps to prepare them for a successful adulthood. One parent said, ‘I never thought it possible that [name of child] would travel independently or have a job.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The smallest of achievements are celebrated in a way that is meaningful to each child. This means that children develop positive self-esteem and increase their aspirations for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to be ambitious. Managers and staff value education and demonstrate tenacity in the way they support children to engage in learning. Staff understand the barriers to learning and help children to navigate these. Staff have Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 4 high expectations of the children and what they can achieve. This helps children to view learning as important.

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

Children are safeguarded effectively in this home. Children told the inspector that they feel safe and can talk to staff when they feel worried about something. Children are confident they will be listened to.

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

A social worker described how the staff went above and beyond in their efforts to keep one child safe, by keeping the child’s birth family engaged in communication with them. The information and knowledge they gathered meant a safety plan could be put in place that addressed the risk and limited further trauma experienced by the child.

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

The home’s safeguarding procedures are clear. Staff have a good understanding of them and follow them when the need arises. Staff spoken to have a clear understanding of allegation management and how to whistle-blow. Risk is identified early and acted on. This helps to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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

Risk assessments are thorough and address all the important needs and risks for children. They are reviewed and updated regularly. This means staff are clear about children’s individual vulnerabilities and what they need to do to keep children safe.

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

The staff team is not risk-averse. Staff actively support children to take calculated risks, such as travelling independently. Where specific risks are present, staff engage children in discussions and carry out focused work. Children are helped to identify risk and understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

Behaviour in the home is managed well. Physical intervention is rare and only ever used as a last resort. Staff are clear about how best to support children through incidents because they know the children well. Plans inform staff how children should be helped to avoid and de-escalate situations. Children and staff receive effective debriefs following incidents. Learning is used to inform practice and update plans. Behaviour is good because children are helped to communicate their wishes and feelings in a more positive way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a skilled and confident leader who is supported by team leaders and a staff team that is knowledgeable and mostly well established. New staff are made to feel welcome. Staff report that they find managers to be accessible and supportive. The staff address issues as they arise, and managers support them with this. The in-house therapist helps staff to ensure that personal or team issues do not impact on children’s care. Staff are happy in their work and stay in post for a long time, which provides children with the stability they need. Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 5 Supervision sessions are regular and of a consistent quality. Staff are supported to consider their practice and how this can be improved through training and development. New staff receive a good induction that helps them to understand the home and its ethos. Their progress is monitored and reviewed until the end of the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

probation period. Staff are well prepared and supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are purposeful and regular. Managers use the meetings to address the running of the home, planning for children and practice issues. Actions are set and reviewed to ensure that progress is made. A monthly meeting led by the therapist specifically reflects on children’s needs and how best to help them. Meetings are not seen as separate events; they form part of the home’s systemic approach to care. This means children receive care that is continually adapted to their needs as they grow and develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations for the children. She leads by example and encourages staff to be tenacious in their approach. The manager and staff work well with the local authorities. Communication is maintained and information shared that informs effective care planning. For one child, the home has worked in collaboration with further education providers and the careers service. By being a strong advocate, the manager has ensured that, for one child, repeated opportunities to engage in further education have been made available. Children receive the help they need to thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are regularly consulted on a wide range of matters, from meal choices to holidays. Children are not afraid to speak their minds and are confident that staff actively listen to them. One child said, ‘Staff always do what they say they will.’ Children feel heard because their wishes are acted on. Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) 

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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: 2560639 7

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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

Rachel Walker, Social Care Inspector Ceri Evans, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: 2560639 8 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

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

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