Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 1 SC460593 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

This home is operated and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/08/2021 Full Good 23/09/2019 Full Outstanding 26/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 3

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improvement to be good

Essential repair work is required in the home to help the children to feel valued and to create a greater sense of belonging. The home looks tired and unclean in some areas. Not all of the children’s bedrooms are personalised and one bedroom has holes in the wallpaper and no curtains. Redecoration has been started in some areas, with the gaming room being a bright and colourful space for the children. However, this is let down by other areas of the home.

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improvement to be good

Some children may not meet their full educational potential as some struggle with their school attendance. The manager has consistently sought support from the children’s respective schools and local authorities. However, despite the organisation having ample educational resources, the staff do not consistently structure the day in a way that promotes education for all children.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to build trusted and positive relationships with the staff. The children have at least one member of staff who they feel able to confide in. One child said, ‘He [name of staff] “gets me” and I can speak to him about anything.’ Therefore, the children are able to share any concerns or worries that they may have.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to keep in good health and they are encouraged to attend all their health appointments. Children are provided with regular therapeutic support sessions. These sessions help the children to explore positive coping strategies that they can use. Staff are further supported in regular meetings with the organisation’s psychologist. This helps the staff to understand the best way to promote the children’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported well when they move on from this home. Where possible, the staff support the children with introduction visits. If children are happy to keep in touch, the staff will remain in contact with them after they move. This provides the children with a positive ending from the home and the best chance of a successful new start.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are detailed, easy to follow and regularly updated. However, there have been occasions when the staff have not responded to the children’s risk assessments. One child was missing from the home for an unknown period of time, as they were able to leave the home in the early hours of the morning without the staff’s knowledge. As the staff do not consistently follow the children’s risk assessments, the children are not always kept as safe as possible. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 4 The manager reports notifications under regulation 40 when serious incidents occur. However, these reports do not always contain enough detail. This means that the regulator cannot always evaluate whether all the necessary steps have been taken to safeguard the children.

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improvement to be good

Children are given the best chance of forming positive relationships with their peers in the home. Children living in this home get along well with one another. The manager considers all the children’s vulnerabilities and needs before a new child moves into the home.

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improvement to be good

Children said that the staff care for them and that they help them to keep as safe as possible. One child said, ‘[Name of home] is the best place I have ever lived.’ Children said that the staff put boundaries and structures in place, such as mobile phone checks and welfare calls. However, not all children are supported to make longer-term plans to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

There have been only two occasions since the last inspection when physical interventions have been used. When they are used, it is only because they are necessary to keep the children or others safe. After each incident, the children and the staff are provided with a debrief by someone independent of the incident. This helps the children and staff to repair relationships and learn how to reduce the risk of future incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children’s voices are heard. Children know how to complain, and the manager responds and acts on these complaints appropriately. Children said that they are confident that their complaint will be managed sensitively and will be taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke positively about the leaders and managers. Staff feel supported by the manager and said that they feel able to speak with her about any personal or work issues that they may have. Staff feel valued in work and this results in the children being cared for by a staff team that is happy to be there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring and reviewing systems in place. The manager has regular oversight of key documents relating to the children. These systems help to identify shortfalls. When shortfalls are identified, the manager, with the support of leaders, acts swiftly to complete thorough investigations to help improve the staff’s practice and put appropriate actions in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are supported by regular supervision sessions. Staff said that these sessions are helpful and reflective. Staff supervision sessions are bolstered by monthly clinical team meetings led by the organisation’s psychologist. These meetings provide the staff with a safe space to discuss the underlying reasons for the children’s behaviours and how to successfully engage with them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 5 The manager, although relatively new to the home, has formed positive and respectful relationships with the staff, despite facing some challenges. She does not avoid having difficult conversations with the staff and she encourages the staff to do the same. The manager promotes an open and honest culture within the home and receives support from leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has missed an opportunity to make ongoing developments in the home using the feedback from the children, their parents or carers. The manager has overlooked an opportunity to support the independent visitor in seeking the views of the children, their parents and carers during the independent visitor’s monthly monitoring visits. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)) 9 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient detail within the record to enable the regulator to understand how the children are being safeguarded effectively. 9 June 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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 7 if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent person consults parents and carers when carrying out their visit.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children living there, and is a homely, domestic environment. In particular, the registered person should repair the wear and tear in the home and redecorate the areas of the home that look tired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that when children placed in the home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, they are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: SC460593 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison O’Donnell

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Inspector

Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC460593 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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