Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 1 SC416464 Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately operated home provides care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides support, assessment and therapeutic intervention for children in need of short-, medium- and long-term care packages.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Full Good 11/02/2020 Full Good 22/08/2018 Full Good 07/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are settled and making progress because they are receiving a high standard of care provided by staff who are nurturing and consistent in their approach. The children enjoy open and trusting relationships with the adults who look after them. Staff are committed to the children; they are aspirational for them and provide them with positive praise.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The day-to-day experiences of children provide them with security and stability. This is because staff provide the children with structure, routines and consistent boundaries, and the children respond to the individualised and unconditional care they receive.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Records show that the discussions that staff have with the children are open, honest and child-centred. One child has been helped to settle into the home by staff talking to them about their journey. This has helped to reduce the child’s anxieties about the changes they have experienced in their life.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education from their starting points. When there are barriers to a child’s education, staff take a proactive approach to advocating for the child to ensure that they are receiving the right support. Staff support children with their learning when they do not have a school place or have been excluded. The children who currently live at the home have good attendance at school; they are making progress, and they said that they enjoy going.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have improved health because they live at this home. One child with additional health needs is helped and supported by staff to manage their lifelong condition. One child had not accessed health care before they moved into the home. Because of the support that they have received from staff, their health needs are now being met. When there is an identified health need for a child, staff ensure that children have access to local services. One child stopped smoking soon after they moved into the home, and one child is accessing support for substance misuse.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s mental and emotional health is well understood by staff. Staff understand how children’s past experiences have an impact on their lives, and this is reflected clearly in the individualised care planning for children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy taking part in a range of activities, including go-karting, day trips out and going to the gym. They are supported to join local sporting clubs so that they can pursue their hobbies and interests, such as boxing and rugby. One child plays rugby for a local team and has high aspirations to play professionally in the future. Children are provided with the same experiences as their peers. Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 4 Equality and diversity are celebrated at this home. Staff are committed to meeting children’s cultural and religious needs. This inclusive approach means that children have a sense of acceptance and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to spend time with the people who are important in their lives. Because of the strong relationships that staff build with families, one child has been supported in a plan to return home. One parent said, ‘They are like a second family. They go above and beyond, not just to support the child, but to support me too.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give priority to the collation of children’s life-story journals and the making of individual photo albums. This provides children with positive memories of their childhood and experiences during their stay at the home.

p.4

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

The risks to the children currently living at this home have reduced. However, for some children who have since moved out of the home, the risks continued despite the effort made by staff to reduce those risks. The manager acted when the risks to children increased, which meant that some children have moved out of the home. Records show evidence of partnership working to ensure that the right support is in place when children move out of the home.

p.4

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

Staff understand children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments provide clear guidance to staff, are up to date and reviewed regularly. Risks are well understood by staff, who are clear on the steps to follow to ensure the children are better protected from harm.

p.4

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

Children who live at this home do not go missing from care. There are strong individualised plans in place that provide staff with steps to follow when children go missing from home, and staff understand their responsibilities. Records show that when children who have since moved out of the home did go missing, staff responded proactively and in line with the children’s plans.

p.4

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

When children struggled to manage difficult feelings, it led to incidents of damage to property at the home and to a vehicle. These incidents are reducing because staff talk to children about their feelings and help them to develop coping strategies to manage their feelings safely.

p.4

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

The physical holding of children does not happen often. Since the last full inspection, there has been one incident of a child being held. The recording of the hold was not made in the expected timescale, and the written information about the hold is not clear. The manager has evaluated the incident and addressed the shortfalls with the user of the hold, but this was not completed within the expected timescale. A conversation with the child has not taken place. Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. She is ambitious and has a clear vision for the development of the home and staff team, and she understands the model of care delivered by staff. The manager is aspirational in her approach, which means that staff have a willingness to embrace the ethos of the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager values her staff and provides them with effective leadership and support. Staff said they are happy and feel supported. This means that staff morale is good, and staff are committed to providing children with a high standard of individualised care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records show that staff receive regular supervision. Discussions are child-centred and allow staff to reflect on practice. Staff are clear about the targets set in their appraisals. Staff development needs are discussed in supervision. This helps staff to remain motivated in their roles.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built strong relationships with other professionals who are involved with the children. The manager and staff understand the importance of partnership working to ensure that children receive the right support. Professionals said that staff have a child-centred approach and they are committed to achieving the best outcomes for the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. There are effective audit and monitoring systems in place to track the risks to children, the progress that children are making and to review staff practice. This means that shortfalls are identified promptly, and the manager takes action to address them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The system in place to respond to complaints is effective. The manager acted when a complaint was made about a child by a member of the public. The action taken was restorative, which has meant that relationships within the community have been repaired.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home benefits from wider support from the organisation’s clinical team, which delivers bespoke training that is individual to the children’s needs. There is a lead therapist based at this home who is pivotal to staff learning and development. The manager ensures that staff have access to the relevant training and that knowledge is refreshed regularly. Priority is given to providing staff with information for research-based learning. This means that children are cared for by adults who are equipped to meet their complex needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When children move into the home, the manager completes an assessment of their risks, including the impact of risk to the children already living at the home. This is done in collaboration with the organisation’s clinical team. However, the steps taken by the manager to ensure that full information about the child is available to them and the rationale about compatibility are not always recorded clearly. Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.6

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.6

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 24 April 2023

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. They should ensure that full information about the child is available to them and that Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 7 the impact of risk is recorded clearly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.6

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: SC416464 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale, Lancashire OL12 9EN

p.8

Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC416464 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9