Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 1 Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to four children with complex emotional and social needs due to past trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2019.

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: 12 December 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: 1228090 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2022 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Good 31/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel safe and happy. They have good relationships with staff and the registered manager. Children like the staff, who have meaningful discussions with children to address important topics that are relevant to each child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers consider whether children’s needs can be met before they move into the home. Staff understand what children need to help them move on successfully. Even when unplanned moves happen, staff help children to feel safe and secure by maintaining an appropriate level of support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are understood, and the registered manager acts as a strong advocate for them. There is good communication with professionals to ensure that children’s views are heard and that plans include their views.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress with their education. The registered manager and staff work with children and professionals to ensure that they have a suitable education placement. Staff help children to adapt to new routines, which means that they can successfully participate in their education. For example, children are supported to improve their sleep routines so that they can get up and ready in time for school.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities and opportunities. When children express an interest in a new activity, staff take the time to help them pursue this. Children enjoy holidays, days out and a range of activities in the local and wider community.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised. However, the home environment still requires some work to ensure that it is homely and is somewhere that children can be proud of.

p.3

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

The registered manager takes action to keep children safe. She has strong oversight of all incidents that occur in the home, which means that children are kept safe, and allegations are taken seriously.

p.3

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

Staff have received suitable training to understand how to keep children safe. However, staff do not always act promptly in response to allegations and when there is a risk of children harming one another. The registered manager’s oversight means that children are safe, and she is working with staff to equip them to confidently and swiftly take action to safeguard children when required.

p.3

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

Staff and the registered manager understand the risks to each child and there are suitable risk management plans to address these. These plans are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that staff have access to the information they need to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 4 Physical intervention is only used to keep children safe from harm. All interventions are appropriately recorded by staff. A senior member of staff speaks to the child and staff promptly, and their views are considered. This means that children’s rights are upheld, and reflections can happen quickly to reduce the need for staff to hold children in the future.

p.3

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond quickly and effectively so that the risk of harm to children is reduced. Responses are well coordinated, and the police are called, if required, to assist in locating the child. Reflective discussions with children take place to ensure that their views are heard and to reduce the risk of children going missing again.

p.4

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

The manager regularly reviews the risk of bullying between children and puts measures in place to reduce these risks. When children have harmed one another, the manager reviews if children can continue to be safely cared for together, and the supervision of children is amended accordingly. This supports children’s safety.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child focused, ambitious for children and wants the best for them. She understands the children’s experiences, needs and risks and advocates passionately on their behalf. The registered manager sets high standards for herself and the staff team. She has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and takes action to hold staff to account when shortfalls are identified. This supports children’s care planning, safety and progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers actively challenge when responses from services are not effective. The manager challenged professionals and services on behalf of one child to ensure that their voice and wishes were being heard. This is reflected in positive feedback from external stakeholders who describe how the registered manager leads the staff team well and advocates fearlessly on behalf of children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have received training that is specific to children’s needs to ensure that they have the skills required to meet children’s needs effectively. The registered manager offers staff core training and additional specialist workshops which are tailored to children’s needs. This is followed up with additional therapeutic consultations from the home’s therapist to help further embed the therapeutic approach to care. This ensures that children are cared for by staff who understand their needs well.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has systems to review the quality of care. These systems are being used effectively to support staff members to improve their practice. For example, team meetings are used to have reflective discussions on shortfalls identified through monitoring systems.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are not always carried out regularly by senior staff in the home. Supervision sessions do not always use a reflective approach to care. Staff performance is a focus of supervision. However, on occasion, there are missed Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 5 opportunities to reflect fully on children’s care and upskill staff in safeguarding procedures. Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 6

p.4

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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that any damage or disrepair to the premises is repaired or replaced promptly so that the environment is homely for children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated from the previous inspection. 24 August 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 24 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 7 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff understand their roles in responding to allegations made by children and take action to prevent children from harming each other.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff receive good-quality supervision to improve their practice in specific identified areas, including responding to allegations made by children. 7 September 2023

p.7

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: 1228090 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspectors

Tara Lovatt, Social Care Inspector Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1228090 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

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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9