Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 1 SC411030 Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider, and it provides care for three children with emotional and/or social difficulties. Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/04/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/07/2019 Full Good 23/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled in helping children to be healthy. All children are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician. Staff support children to attend health appointments and encourage them to make choices that promote a healthy lifestyle.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create opportunities for children to develop independence skills. One child has a part-time job and is currently learning how to keep safe when outside of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to remain in contact with their family. This promotes relationships with people that are important to them and allows them to retain their identity.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and promote children’s education. The social worker for one of the children said that the home’s education provision is something the home does well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has its own qualified therapist. Children are offered weekly sessions that focus on their individual needs. Care practice in the home is informed by strategies provided by the home’s therapist.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been damage caused to the home recently. This is because children have been unsettled. Repairs have been made quickly but some pictures and items that would make the home feel more homely and comfortable have not been replaced which makes the home have an impersonal feel.

p.3

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

Staff quickly intervene to prevent harm coming to children. They provide advice and guidance about bullying so that children understand the effect it has on others.

p.3

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

Staff carry out health and safety checks of the home. Fire equipment is maintained, and fire drills are completed regularly. Consequently, children live in an environment that is physically safe.

p.3

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

There has been a high number of missing-from-home incidents. Staff review and update risk management plans. This means staff understand each child’s safety needs and can respond to protect children.

p.3

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

Staff use physical restraint rarely and only when it is necessary to keep children safe. Children and staff have an opportunity to talk and reflect on incidents. This encourages learning from these incidents and improves staff practice.

p.3

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

Managers treat allegations made by children seriously. They carry out a thorough investigation and take swift and effective action to reduce harm coming to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 4

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very child-focused and knows the children and staff well. She is working hard to achieve a calm and settled home that offers supportive care to children. A member of staff said, ‘We are not here to judge; we are here to care.’ This shared staff ethos provides an environment where children develop a feeling of safety and belonging.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision is regular and of good quality. It provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on their work with the children. Staff are offered annual appraisals. This supports staff development to ensure positive care for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular team meetings. They enable staff to discuss their plans and ambitions for the children. There is also a thorough handover of information when staff change shift. This ensures that care practice is consistent and that boundaries are clear. This means children feel secure.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring of the service is thorough. There is a regular audit of the home, which includes the input from education and therapeutic staff. This helps to support the manager in her critical evaluation of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all children have had a positive experience in the home. The home has been very unsettled recently. This is due to some of the challenges that individual children are facing. It has been necessary for one child to leave during this time. The process of assessing children’s suitability to live alongside each other should be strengthened Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 5 to help ensure that staff have the skills to manage them alongside each other.

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

p.5

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 11 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that incidents in the home are subject to regular analysis to increase staff’s learning and help to prevent incidents from reoccurring.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that staff have the skills to manage each child alongside the others, ensuring that all children’s needs are met.

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. Specifically, they should develop the appearance of the home to create a homely and cosy environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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: SC411030 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC411030 8 and inspects 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.

p.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8