Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 1 SC065189 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 children’s home is operated by a private provider and is registered for three children with emotional or social difficulties. Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC065189 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2022 Full Good 14/06/2021 Full Good 19/02/2020 Full Good 11/07/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable, welcoming and has a homely feeling. There are photos of the children on display. The children each have their own personalised bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. Children feel at home here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting relationships with staff. Inspectors observed positive relationships between staff and children. A child’s family member said: ‘The staff are amazing with [child’s name].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that they meet children’s physical and emotional needs. Staff work with multi-agency professionals to ensure that children have individual support. Staff offer therapeutic support to all the children. When children do not wish to engage with the therapist, the therapist will work with staff to help them understand how to support the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s relationships with their families. Staff are working closely with a child’s social worker and family member. This is to support the child in staying safe. This work enables the child to have a meaningful relationship with their family, which supports their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have up-to-date immunisations and health assessments. Staff support children to attend any appointments. This promotes the improvement and maintenance of good health. One child has had difficulty engaging with health appointments. Staff are aware of the child’s health issues and are creative in ensuring that they meet the child’s health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have up-to-date personal education plans. One child is attending education regularly. Staff are proud of the child’s progress in attendance and attitude to learning. The other children are currently not attending school regularly. This does not promote improved outcomes.

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

Incidents of children missing from home are low. When this has happened, staff follow a plan to try to locate the child. Information received on the children’s return is shared with multi-agency professionals and informs an updated risk assessment. This helps to keep the child safe.

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

Risk assessments are individualised and updated regularly to meet each of the children’s needs. Staff were aware of the risks for each child and how they should respond to them.

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

Behaviour support plans are specific to each child and easy to understand. This ensures that staff can use strategies to de-escalate behaviours. As a result, staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 4 have not had to physically hold children to keep them safe. Staff use incentives and take a restorative approach to promote positive behaviours. When consequences are required, children are clear about why these are used.

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

Medication is safely stored and dispensed by staff. The manager audits medication records regularly. This ensures that mistakes in dispensing medicines are not made.

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good

The registered manager’s ability to effectively manage the home has been affected by a range of difficulties. These include staff leaving and a shortage of senior staff. This means the registered manager has had little support in the daily management of the home.

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good

The children have felt the impact of staffing changes. One child remarked to inspectors that there was a lot of new staff.

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good

Staff receive monthly supervision which is reflective and has a focus on practice. Staff benefit from monthly team meetings. A team meeting was observed during the inspection. This was well attended, and staff used the meeting as an opportunity to share information and learn about the children living in the home. This supports staff to offer consistency of care to children.

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good

Annual appraisals enable the manager to identify the skills, knowledge and identify training needs of the staff team. The manager is helping to stabilise staffing and create positive team morale. This benefits children, who are now receiving consistent and stable care.

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good

The home has good working relationships with partner agencies. The inspectors gained positive feedback from a professional of one child and a family member of another child. Both spoke positively about the standard of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 5

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training, and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all children are accessing education regularly. At times of non-attendance, alternative informal education should be promoted and provided. 16 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that staff help each child to— 16 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 6 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all children have an up-to-date health assessment and are accessing all identified health services regularly.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the employment of senior staff to complete management tasks and support the manager’s role. 14 July 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, Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 7 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: SC065189 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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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC065189 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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