Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 1 SC066560 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 privately operated and provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

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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: SC066560 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/04/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/09/2019 Full Good 12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting and positive relationships with staff. They are treated with dignity and respect. The children said that if they have a problem or any worries they can speak to the staff, who do listen.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work with placing authorities and families to promote positive and meaningful family time, in line with agreed plans. Children are also supported to spend time with friends. This means that children have age-appropriate social interactions and can build skills and strategies to form and maintain relationships and gain a sense of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are always welcomed sensitively and with the best possible planning. There is a robust referral process which is used to assess the needs of children who already live in the home and the needs of children who may be new to the home. This ensures that there is a child-centred approach when making decisions about whether staff are able to support children to live together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress with their education. When one child faced difficulties with their education provider, the manager and staff advocated on their behalf. They ensured that the child’s educational needs were being met while an alternative school was identified. The manager has taken swift action to ensure that a child who is new to the home is enrolled in a school which will meet their cultural needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children’s cultural identities. One child has limited English language. Staff have adapted their communication methods to ensure that the child understands them and that they feel included in the home. Their religious beliefs are encouraged. One child is supported to attend the local mosque and celebrate their religious festivals, such as Ramadan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in seeking health advice when needed. They work in partnership with health professionals to ensure that the children’s health needs are met and that children have access to necessary health services.

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

Leaders and managers have responded suitably when safeguarding concerns have been raised. They have taken all necessary action to investigate and address these complaints and have worked in partnership with relevant professionals, such as the local authority designated officer and the police.

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

Each child’s individual risks are detailed in their risk management plans. These are robust documents which are frequently updated and give clear guidance to staff, Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 4 which ensures a consistent response to children’s behaviours. Staff understand the content of these documents and put guidance into practice.

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

There have been instances when children have been physically held, and holds have been reasonable and proportionate. They are recorded appropriately, and all relevant professionals notified. The manager has evaluated each incident and children are given the opportunity for a debrief after a hold has taken place. However, these focus on the child’s behaviour and do not ensure that the child understands the reason that a hold was necessary. In addition to this, staff are not always spoken to about the use of a hold.

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

There are some shortfalls in recruitment processes. Gaps in employment history for staff are not always fully explored. Recruitment of staff must be robust and in line with regulation to ensure that all staff are safe to work with children.

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

Direct work takes place around relevant topics, such as cannabis use, emotional well-being and education. This helps the children to learn how to keep themselves safe. These sessions are proactive but also delivered in response to new risks that arise.

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

When children go missing from home, there are clear and comprehensive plans in place for staff to follow. The manager and staff work collaboratively with external professionals, such as the local police and missing-from-home team, to ensure well- coordinated responses when children go missing. Staff have been proactive in ensuring that children’s well-being remains a priority while they are away from the home. However, return home interviews are not always recorded and the manager does not use her evaluation of the incident to identify lessons learned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager shows an ambitious vision, with high expectations for what all children can achieve. The staff are positive about the manager and describe a supportive environment. Staff spoken to describe the manager as readily available to provide advice and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place for the monitoring and review of the home. These systems generally work well. However, there have been some shortfalls in the manager’s oversight of processes and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent staff team which provides stability for the children and means that children are always cared for by staff who know them well. Staff are suitably trained and qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Imposed consequences are not always evaluated for effectiveness. The manager should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are recorded and have regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and effective. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 5 The manager and staff work proactively and positively with other agencies and professionals. They seek to build effective working relationships to secure positive outcomes for children. However, for one child whose review has passed the required timescale and whose care plan is not up to date, there is a lack of challenge of the placing authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervisions take place regularly and focus on children’s experiences. They are practice-led, meaning that staff are reflective and learn from experiences. Individual supervision is also used as a development opportunity for staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 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

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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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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)(vii)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that imposed consequences are reviewed for effectiveness.

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, the registered person must ensure that following a hold, there is a record kept showing that staff have been spoken to about the use of the measure and children are supported to understand why a hold has been used. 22 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 22 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 7 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must challenge the placing authority if children’s reviews do not take place within agreed timescales and if children’s relevant plans are not up to date.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is a full employment history for each staff member and an explanation for any gaps in employment. 22 May 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. A record of the return home interview should be recorded in the missing-from-home record. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that an evaluation of incidents of children going missing from home is undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46,

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Recommendations

paragraph 9.31) Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 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: SC066560 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 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

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC066560 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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