Children's home run by Arnfield Care Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020171 1 SC020171 Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to seven children and young people with social and emotional needs. The home and the registered school on site are owned and operated by a private provider. This inspection only looked at the social care setting.

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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 outstanding

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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: SC020171 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2021 Full Good 15/07/2019 Full Good 02/05/2018 Full Good 27/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020171 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress since coming to live at the home. Staff are skilled at forming positive relationships with children and setting expectations. Consequently, children’s experiences and educational outcomes are excellent. This is a strength of the service. Children, some of whom have been out of education for some time, have good school attendance. Staff liaise with educational placements and social workers to ensure that children are supported to achieve their targets. This good working relationship ensures that children make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff work hard at building positive relationships with children. These relationships help children to develop a sense of belonging. Children’s individual interests and hobbies are encouraged. For example, children enjoy attending uniformed organisations, playing at the local scooter park, attending football camps, drawing and playing the piano, among other things. One child said, ‘The staff make me laugh and help me with my wildlife garden.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff in the home support children to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them. Staff advocate on behalf of children in their communication with social workers and parents to review family time arrangements. This helps children to maintain important relationships with their loved ones. A family member said, ‘I am happy with the placement. She [the child] is safe and well taken care of, mentally and physically.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help to prepare children when moving on from the home, whether they are returning to family or moving to live independently. For example, one child moved successfully to semi-independent living and continues to maintain telephone contact with staff. The manager and staff team work very closely with placing authorities to support children. This ensures that children are prepared both practically and emotionally when leaving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop skills and strategies to manage their own emotions and difficult feelings. When conflict happens, children are taught how to repair relationships.

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

Risk assessment commences at the referral stage and a thorough, personalised risk assessment is devised for each child. These assessments are regularly updated, with effective, focused work being undertaken to minimise risks to children.

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

The manager and staff team have well-developed strategies in place to keep children safe while on the internet. The introduction of a safety net system provides the care team with the tools to safeguard children from harm. A social worker said, Inspection report for children’s home: SC020171 4 ‘There has been a lot of keywork about being safe online. [The child] has really benefited from it. She reflects with me on the learning from this work.’

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

The highly effective behaviour management strategy is underpinned by an in-depth understanding of the children’s needs. There are clear boundaries in place for children and they know what is expected of them. After the last inspection, the home went through a challenging period which resulted in an increase in the use of physical intervention. The staff team has consistently applied behaviour management strategies that are personalised to each child, in order to reduce incidents. The success of this approach is evident in the reduction in the frequency of physical interventions. There has been no use of physical intervention at the home for a year.

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

All incidents are reviewed and monitored by the manager, who uses this information to help inform children’s plans. The use of restorative practice has increased children’s sense of personal responsibility, reducing the need for consequences. Children have a voice and are listened to.

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

There are effective protocols in place to respond to children who go missing from care, and independent return interviews are usually carried out promptly. Children are encouraged to take well-managed, age-appropriate risks. The staff team balance risk with the development of children’s independence.

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

Staff recruitment practice is robust and is effective in helping to protect children from unsuitable adults. Children are actively involved in the recruitment process, giving them the opportunity to express their views on decisions that affect them.

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

The home is a well-maintained and comfortable environment. Health and safety checks are carried out regularly and therefore protect the children from harm. Any shortfalls are immediately actioned by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example. Her commitment to this home is absolute and she has a clear vision for it. She has an excellent knowledge of children’s needs and the plans for them. Her pride, belief, love and respect for the children is evident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a strong, established management team in place that has a good understanding of safeguarding, and of the children’s needs. Managers have high expectations and are ambitious for the children. The manager is actively involved in the children’s lives, and she has an excellent relationship with every child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There has been some turnover of staff. However, there is a committed core staff team, whose members have established relationships with children. This ensures that the impact of staff turnover on children is minimised. Supervision takes place regularly, and staff receive additional supervision when needed. Overall, the staff team remains strong, and the manager is working hard to retain and develop staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020171 5 Training for staff and the induction processes are a strength. The training lead for the organisation has a clear vision for the development of the staff team. For example, the provider has commissioned an independent report to review equality and diversity practice across the service. This will help to ensure that staff are equipped to meet the specific needs of the children. Senior managers have created a culture of high aspiration, inclusion and positivity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff value their regular supervisions and feel supported in their work. The home is well monitored by the independent visitor, and the manager is proactive in addressing any shortfalls. She is constantly looking for and implementing new ways to improve practice. The manager has strong links with external agencies and within the local community. This gives the children a sense of belonging to the area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager monitors the quality of care provided effectively. Any shortfalls are immediately addressed. This maintains the high level of care provided within the home. Despite the challenge that the manager provides to placing authorities, some children do not have up-to-date care planning documentation, which means their current needs may not be fully understood. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020171 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 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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all placing authority care planning documentation is up to date. 30 September

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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: SC020171 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arnfield Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arnfield Tower Activity Centre, Manchester Road, Tintwistle, Glossop SK13 1NE

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Inspectors

Catherine Honey, Social Care Inspector Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020171 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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