Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 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 operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences that may have led to complex trauma-based needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2019. The manager has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: 1241855 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2021 Full Good 10/12/2019 Full Good 21/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children currently live in the home. Since the previous inspection, three children have moved on. Two children moved in a planned way back to family or onto more-independent living. One child left in an unplanned way. The manager worked hard to ensure that clear information was shared with the child’s new carers, and they maintained a relationship with the child after they moved on, visiting them at Christmas and their birthday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is persistent in motivating children to want to learn, and find ways to engage them in education or employment. For example, they support children with apprenticeship applications, job interviews, and in creating a curriculum vitae. Additionally, they help to reintegrate children back into education through home tutoring and supporting them to find the right educational establishment. This has resulted in a new school being found very recently for one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised. The manager ensures that they advocate for children to health professionals to overcome any delays in regards to their health. This persistence has ensured that one child’s medication has recently been reviewed, which has impacted positively on their health and well-being. However, there have been some recent occasions when staff have not given a child their medication as prescribed. The manager investigated this thoroughly and took further action to improve procedures to prevent a recurrence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in seeking opportunities to understand children’s views and complex emotional needs. They find ways to engage children when they feel most comfortable to talk and build relationships. For example, one child enjoys fishing trips with staff. Another child goes for drives on the way to visit their friends with the home’s therapist to help them to build a relationship with them at their pace. This ensures that children get individualised care that meets their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is not always homely and welcoming. Some aspects of the home are damaged. For example, there is damage to a downstairs bathroom and the back garden, and heavy soiling on one of the lounge floors.

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of children’s individual risks. Clear written guidance, which is regularly updated, supports staff in managing these risks.

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

When children make allegations relating to staff, the manager takes these concerns seriously. They report appropriately to the relevant professionals, follow advice and conduct investigations. This demonstrates effective safeguarding practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 4 The manager models to staff a curious approach with children when concerns have emerged for children relating to possible exploitation or substance misuse. Staff share information promptly with other professionals, such as the police and local authorities. They also complete further work with children to help them to understand risk, and make plans to ensure the safety of children in the community. New and emerging risks are well understood and mitigated.

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

When children have gone missing, staff try to locate them to make sure that they are safe, and they escalate concerns with police and other professionals when this is needed. However, in one incident, staff did not follow the plans to go looking for a child swiftly, despite knowing of recent safeguarding concerns. The manager did not identify this in her oversight, but acknowledged during the inspection that this is an area where practice needs to be developed.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one restraint. While this incident was some time ago, the incident led to a child moving from the home in an emergency, after another child and staff member were harmed. Staff did not effectively manage this incident to minimise the risk of harm between children. Records from the incident are unclear, and the manager did not ensure that learning from the incident was fully understood and disseminated. The manager has more recently conducted recording training to support staff’s overall development in this area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about the home, and advocates for children’s wishes. She, alongside the therapist, model a nurturing and therapeutic approach to children’s care. The manager has a strong knowledge of children’s progress, and shows commitment to respecting their individual identities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager effectively oversees incidents, and updates the guidance and plans after incidents to make sure that any safeguarding issues are managed effectively. She regularly talks to children. She responds promptly if there is a complaint, to help make improvements for the children based on their wishes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from the manager. Supervision is focused on the needs of the children and how to support them to make progress. The therapist also offers staff bespoke therapeutic training to help upskill them. Team meetings thoroughly consider the care of children and their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff build good working relationships with professionals. Two social workers described the manager’s communication with them as excellent. They said that staff have strong relationships with children, and they ensure that the child’s wishes and feelings are ‘always listened to’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has faced challenges in staffing stability since the last inspection. This has impacted on her ability to monitor the care in the home effectively because she has sometimes been directly caring for children. The quality of care review did not properly evaluate incidents and did not involve consultation with staff or children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 5 The manager has also not identified shortfalls in the care planning arrangements for children. For example, some children’s statutory educational reviews have not taken place promptly, and one child’s life-story work has not commenced. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that any damage is repaired promptly in areas of the home. 30 March 2023

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

and that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 13 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 7 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff have the skills to manage incidents to prevent children from harming one another, and also ensure that children’s safety is prioritised and plans are followed during missing incidents.

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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) requires 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)) 27 April 2023

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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: 1241855 8

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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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Inspector

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1241855 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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