Children's Home run by Residential Child Care Community (Town Hall) Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 1 Registered provider: Residential Childcare Community (Town Hall) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to five children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children may suffer with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Children may also experience a range of complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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: Not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children in this home receive excellent, individualised care. They can build trusting and secure relationships with staff, which is evident from the observations of staff caring for children during the inspection. Children are relaxed and happy. Staff are committed and caring, and genuine feelings for the children show through.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming environment that is well maintained and decorated. Children say that they are encouraged and supported to contribute their own ideas about the decorating and furnishing of the home and to personalise their own bedrooms. This results in the creation of a sense of belonging and ownership on the part of the children and pride in their surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress, with some making excellent progress, considering children’s complex histories. Careful and comprehensive assessments guide and support staff to understand and respond to children’s behaviours in a sensitive and consistent manner. Staff view small positive steps as highly significant, and children’s successes are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals speak highly of the insight and knowledge the staff have about the children, praising the carefully thought-through plans used by staff. A social worker said, ‘I have never seen this child so happy. The staff really care about the child, and she truly believes this. Her confidence and self-esteem have grown tremendously.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff persistently promote the value of learning and have developed collaborative relationships with education and training providers. As a result, children generally progress well in their education and training. Staff understand that children can struggle to engage in learning, depending on their previous experiences. This has been recognised for one child, who has been provided with support by the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have ensured that children are registered with local health providers, and their health needs are very well supported by staff. The strong promotion of healthy living means that children have developed an awareness of the link between weight, fitness and the food they eat.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child told the inspector, ‘You know when they say that the grass is always greener on the other side? Well, when you come to live in this home, it really is. I love living here.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 4

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

Children report that they feel safe, well supported and extremely happy in this home. Managers and staff know the children in their care very well and each child has a highly detailed plan to support their progress and development.

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

Moves into this home are carefully planned. Managers actively seek information to ensure that they know what is needed to keep children safe. Where this is not readily available from external professionals, the manager assertively seeks to obtain this information. Discussions take place with the children and their social workers about new children moving into the home, although these are not clearly recorded.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and realistic, identifying individual risks and, most importantly, they are very effective. The inspector saw evidence that the risks to children were being reduced significantly over time from their starting points. Reductions were consistent and sustained.

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

Managers and staff are trained to recognise safeguarding issues, and a culture of reflection and learning is embedded in their practice. Staff are able to recognise risks and take effective action should the need arise. Children who previously engaged in risk-taking behaviour, such as going missing from care, have reduced this behaviour significantly.

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

Social workers report that young people are well protected by staff. One social worker said that she feels confident that the manager takes all possible steps to ensure that young people are safe both inside and outside of the home and that she has seen highly positive changes in the child’s understanding of how to keep herself safe and the actions she must take if she feels unsafe.

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

Staff are subject to a thorough recruitment process that ensures all necessary background checks are carried out prior to commencing work.

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

One child’s records do not contain the necessary consents to ensure that staff are authorised to engage services that are required to meet all their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Managers know the children well and are accessible in the home. They are very involved in the care planning, reviewing and day-to-day arrangements for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Managers advocate strongly on behalf of children to ensure that individual care plans are provided so that children’s needs are identified and met, for example by calling a review and requesting a specialist assessment or resource.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Children’s well-being is at the centre of practice. Staff and managers have high expectations of each other. This also means that they are ambitious for the children. The constant scrutiny of children’s progress means that there is a constant drive to Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 5 support them to flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Emphasis is placed on listening to the children and learning from their behaviours. Children’s views are valued, and expression of their opinions is encouraged. This means that managers and staff are open to hearing children’s views about how they are being cared for. Children are able to influence and negotiate their routines and individual care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The leaders and managers understand strengths and weaknesses of the home, and development plans drive improvements. There is good attention paid to monitoring the home and children’s progress through internal monitoring systems. It is clear that living in this home has made a positive difference to children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

However, there is a shortfall in relation to external monitoring. The independent visitor has failed to provide regular monthly reports of his visits to the registered manager and to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Managers ensure that staff are provided with regular, structured supervision. However, this does not provide the opportunity for staff to reflect on their own practice and on the impact this may have on the care being provided to children. Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x)) 1 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the 1 April 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 7 independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

A copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child’s placing authority, and of the placement plan.

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Requirement Due date

The date and result of any review of the placing authority’s plan for the care of the child, or of the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b) Schedule 3 (19) (20))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s records contain relevant signed consents. 1 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged to develop positive relationships with others. However, staff should be alert to the possibility that children may be at risk from such relationships and develop strategies to minimise and manage any risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.13) Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 8

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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: 2675591 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Residential Childcare Community (Town Hall) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Glazers, 843 Finchley Road, London NW11 8NA

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Inspector

Jacqueline Georghiou, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 10 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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