Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 1 SC065072 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to two children aged between six and 17 years. The children can be of either gender and may have severe social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting registered manager in post to cover maternity leave.

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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

Date of last inspection: 19 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2021 Full Outstanding 23/07/2019 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 04/07/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled. They have lived at the home for some time and have developed attachments to the people who care for them. Children are positive about the home and call it their family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress from their starting points, which has been well documented in the home. Birth parents for one child say that their child has made ‘great progress’ since living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are doing well educationally. One child has left with GCSEs and is now attending college, and another child has moved on to mainstream school. However, children’s personal education plans and education, health and care plans are missing on their files. This impacts on staff understanding education plans for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given the opportunity to develop independent living skills, such as managing money, meal planning and cooking. This equips them with life skills and gives them confidence in their abilities to move to the next stage of independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional and physical needs are understood and met. Children are supported by the home’s therapist, who, along with staff, uses a ‘secure base’ model. This in turn supports children by providing them with consistent care. Children also enjoy many activities. They lead healthy lifestyles and have a wide range of food choices. It is important that the home has children’s health assessments on file.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given the opportunity to have holidays outside of the home and travel, which broadens their experiences. Staff are supportive of children maintaining relationships with those who are most important to them. This includes supporting children to see their friends in the community. This enables children to sustain meaningful friendships, which supports their sense of belonging and emotional well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are considered and acted on. This was demonstrated when a child asked for a later bedtime when they reached a certain age. This makes children feel valued and listened to.

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

Children are safe and protected in the home. Staff support children to develop strategies to help them understand and regulate their emotions. One child’s social worker stated, ‘He is now able to regulate his behaviours and incidents have significantly reduced because of this.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 4 The use of physical interventions in the home is rare. This is because staff understand children’s behaviours and how to respond and de-escalate situations when these arise. When physical interventions have been used, they have been appropriate and proportionate.

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

Safeguards are in place for internet safety, and children understand and accept the house rules in relation to the use of technology and electronic devices. This keeps children safe online.

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

The physical environment is welcoming. However, some repairs are needed, such as fixing a broken toilet seat and painting rusty pipes. Externally, there is broken play equipment in the garden, which impacts on children’s use of the outdoor play area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has submitted his application for registration and has enrolled on the level 5 diploma. He has a good knowledge of the home having worked in it for many years. This provides him with a good understanding of the children and staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home does not have a senior worker and staff rotas do not include the manager. Consequently, his day-to-day presence in the home is unknown and is also reduced because he is overseeing two homes. This impacts on leadership and oversight in the home. There are shortfalls in monitoring, which reduces the quality of care provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite changes in managers, staff continue to feel supported. Staff supervisions remain regular and consistent. They focus on supporting staff to progress in their role. Team meetings are well attended by staff. Annual appraisals take place which review staff’s knowledge and skills and identify future training needs. This supports staff’s ongoing professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Additionally, staff participate in a wide range of training to ensure that they have the knowledge to safely and competently meet the wide-ranging needs of the children cared for at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. The acting manager supports staff to work in accordance with the home’s ethos of providing a therapeutic environment. This is achieved by staff’s high commitment to training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The ‘Point in Time’ surveys have not been encouraged to be completed. This has impacted on feedback being received from children, parents, internal staff and external agencies. This limits the overall monitoring system. Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 5

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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 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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any missing documentation is in place, including health assessments, personal education plans, and education, health and care plans. 22 September

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

A copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a) schedule 4 (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager is included on the rota. 22 September Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. The registered person should ensure that the garden does not have broken furniture and is fit for purpose. The broken toilet seat should be replaced and rusty pipes should be repainted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC065072 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Ripponden Mill, Mill Fold, Ripponden Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dominic Macauley

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065072 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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