Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 1 Registered provider: Time-Out Childrens Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties. There are currently two children living at this home. The staff are referred to as carers or the care team.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager commenced her role in February 2021 and registered on 4 April 2021. She is currently undertaking her level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered on 17 April 2019.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Full Outstanding 31/01/2020 Interim Not judged 08/10/2019 Interim Not judged Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and well maintained. Careful consideration has been given to the decor. For example, children’s photographs are displayed around the home and the furnishings are of a high quality. Children enjoy living in this homely environment and have a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show high levels of empathy. They understand the impact of children’s experiences on their development and behaviour. Staff are consistent in their approach to boundaries and ensure that children have good routines in place. As a result, children know what is expected of them, and they are happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made very good progress in all areas of their development. They have gone from not attending school to having 100% attendance. They have developed a love for books and reading. Their self-confidence has significantly improved. Children are helped to be successful and are given every opportunity to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop quality relationships with staff. Relationships are based on openness and trust. Both children said that staff were kind and helpful. One child who has recently moved into the home has been drawn into negative behaviours with peers. The manager used her existing relationship with the child to consistently reinforce with them their qualities and worth. This is helping the child to make better choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to develop individual hobbies and interests. One child has recently asked to learn to horse ride. Staff were quick to approach the local stables. In the evenings, staff and children join in activities together, such as watching films or completing jigsaws. Children are developing their individuality and are having fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When considering new children moving into the home, the manager ensures she has all the information she needs to make good decisions. She uses this information to decide which children are right for the home and the other children living there. Children meet each other and share positive experiences before new children move in. This helps children to build positive relationships with each other from the start.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, individual care plans are not always put in place quickly enough. One child did not have a care plan in place for four weeks from the time they moved in. Staff did have the right information to tell them how to care for the child, but this was held over several different documents. This could lead to some confusion about how children should be cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly talk to children about important matters such as racism, school and friendships. They use their knowledge of the children to ensure conversations are relevant and carried out in a way children understand. Children’s ability to Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 4 communicate their needs with staff is increasing. Children are listened to and are learning.

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

Most identified risks to children are managed well through good risk assessment and action plans. However, at the time of the inspection, the key risk for one child had not been assessed or evaluated. Risks relating to one child’s behaviour in the community and the impact of these on the other child living in the home were also not fully assessed. This means the manager cannot be sure she is taking all steps necessary to keep children safe. Once this was highlighted to the manager during the inspection, she took immediate action to address the shortfalls.

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

Plans in place for one child who goes missing from home do not include all actions staff must take to keep the child safe. There is an expectation that staff should immediately follow the child if they leave the home. Although staff spoken to knew what to do, this expectation was not noted in the child’s records. This may lead to confused practice.

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

There has been one occasion where a safeguarding notification was not made. This does not help the regulator to understand what steps the manager has taken to keep a child safe.

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

Staff work together with professionals to understand the risks to children who go missing. Staff have worked hard to make positive links with parents of other children who live locally. During the inspection, a parent had shared information of a child’s whereabouts with staff. The child was quickly found and returned safely home.

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

Staff have relevant training which helps them to understand and reduce risks to children. They understand safeguarding procedures and follow these when needed. Staff know how to respond to allegations and feel confident in whistleblowing. Staff have the skills and knowledge they need to keep children safe.

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

Staff complete detailed work with children to help them understand risk and personal safety. This work is tailored to the child’s specific needs. For example, a younger child has learned how to cross the road safely and an older child has learned about drugs and knife crime. The work is meaningful and relevant to each child. Research is used to enhance the child’s understanding. This means that children are helped to learn the skills needed to keep themselves safe.

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

When physical intervention is needed, this is done in line with children’s individual plans. Interventions are well recorded. The manager and staff are using evaluation and reflection to learn from incidents. Situations are defused before they escalate. Physical interventions are reducing in number.

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

Children said that they could tell any of the staff if they were worried and that staff would help them. One child was able to share their fears with staff about being in Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 5 trouble with the police. Staff were able to reassure the child and help them understand how to avoid similar situations in the future. Children feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by an experienced and fully committed manager. Her aspirations and expectations for children are high. She has equally high expectations of staff. She has led by example, and staff have followed this because they respect her and are confident in her leadership. This helps to ensure that staff morale is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager takes professional development seriously. She is using coaching to reflect on and enhance her practice. Staff are encouraged to develop their skills through structured training and specific learning to help them better understand the needs of the children in their care. Some staff have clear aspirations to be future leaders. Staff skills are increasing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is not afraid to challenge other professionals and raise her concerns to ensure children’s needs are met. She will escalate concerns that are not addressed quickly. Children get the help they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sound recruitment practice ensures that all prospective staff go through rigorous interview processes and checks before they are employed. Induction supports new staff to develop the skills they need to care for the children well from the start. Staff who pass their probation enrol on the level 3 qualification quickly. Staff have the right qualities and characteristics to provide effective care to children. This ensures that children have consistent experiences of being cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Systems in place to help the manager monitor the home are not consistently effective. They did not highlight that key documents for children were missing or not up to date. This does not help the manager to have full oversight on all areas of the running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and effective. There is a clear link between children’s experiences and the areas discussed. Meetings are used to support staff development and ensure that they have the relevant understanding of children’s needs as they change. For example, in a recent team meeting, staff’s knowledge on child exploitation was refreshed. Team meetings are driving good practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the registered manager must ensure that there are risk assessments in place that identify and evaluate all relevant risks to children; and that staff are aware of and follow the actions set out in plans designed to keep children safe. 16 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children have plans in place which form the basis of their care at the point they come to live in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1)  The registered person should ensure that day-to-day oversight is improved to ensure that all information is reviewed, evaluated and shortfalls addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page)  The registered person should ensure that safeguarding notifications are made when a child protection enquiry has been instigated or concluded. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 7 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: 2514770 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Childrens 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

Rachel Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2514770 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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