Children's home run by Timeout Children’s Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 1 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned and managed children’s home that provides care for up to two children. The home provides a nurturing environment and works holistically with education and therapy to help children integrate into the community.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered with Ofsted in December 2020. The registered manager is qualified and holds the registration of this home and the sister home that is within the same area.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2022 Full Outstanding 26/10/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with trusted adults in the home who they can speak to about any issues they might have. Interactions between the staff and children are warm, friendly and humorous. The staff are invested in the children, and they encourage them to reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have safe, meaningful time with their families and other important people. The mother of one child said, ‘I only have good things to say about the staff; they have really supported me and my child. They take good care of [child’s name] and I know [child’s name] is happy.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in education. Staff advocate for children to ensure they have the right education in place to meet their needs. One child required a bespoke education package. The staff supported this, and the child has started attending college, which is going well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported with independence planning by the registered manager and staff. There are well-thought-out and extensive care plans in place for children, which are completed at the children’s pace. When care plans change, the registered manager and staff are able to adapt. This means that when children move on from the home, they are equipped with the independence skills they need as young adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff are keen for children to have positive memories of living at the home. As such, they arrange for children to do activities and have new experiences. Staff take children on holidays and day trips that the children enjoy, which also helps to broaden their life experiences. Each child has a book that documents these experiences with photos that they can take with them as their journey progresses.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In order to prepare children for living in the home, they are provided with a children’s guide. The guide does not include details about what care the child will receive while living in the home. This is a missed opportunity to provide children with important information about what care they can expect from the staff.

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

Children are appropriately safeguarded in this home. They have individual risk assessments that detail known risks and what staff need to do to manage risks. Although children do go missing from this home, the response from staff is appropriate and effective.

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

Physical intervention is only ever used as a last resort. Staff are skilled at using de- escalation techniques when presented with challenging behaviours, which means Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 4 that children are rarely held. When children have been held, it has been proportionate, and the correct process has been followed. The child and any staff involved have had discussions afterwards to ensure their safety, and the hold has been recorded appropriately.

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

Incidents are well managed in the home by staff. Children are offered one-to-one reflective discussions with staff, and restorative work is undertaken when required. The staff can access support from a psychologist, and they do so regularly to inform their practice. The children also have weekly sessions with a therapist, which gives them a safe space to talk and helps them develop different strategies to manage their behaviour, feelings and emotions.

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

The staff use consequences to manage unwanted behaviours. When this has happened, it has been fair and proportionate, with an emphasis on the child learning that there is an outcome to their actions. This ensures that consequences are not punitive and are restorative in nature.

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

When staff complete room searches, they are done in agreement with the child and are handled sensitively. However, one child has been having room searches completed daily as an additional safety measure. This is an invasive measure that has not been reviewed. Such measures should be used when necessary and for the shortest time possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The skilled and knowledgeable registered manager is liked and well respected by the staff and the children. Staff and wider professionals have stated that the registered manager is a good communicator and that they advocate for the children in their care. The registered manager expects high standards from the staff, and they have high aspirations for the children and staff and want them to achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that team meetings and staff supervision take place monthly. Team meetings are well attended, and a psychologist offers a clinical view on any decisions made about the children. Staff said that meetings are effective and a valuable way of them sharing information and good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses the feedback she receives from the independent visitor’s reports to enhance practice and the quality of care provided. The registered manager has previously challenged the quality of these reports and welcomes the ‘critical friend’ approach. They act on the recommendations made after monthly visits appropriately and recognise how useful this additional form of oversight can be for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is keen to ensure that all staff have the skills necessary to care for the children. She ensures that all training is completed and will arrange additional development sessions using the psychological support the home has. However, due to current circumstances, the majority of the staff team are Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 5 inexperienced, and staff from other homes are being used. The registered manager should ensure that the skill mix of staff is appropriate to care for the children effectively. The registered manager should ensure that appropriate contingency plans are in place should a staff member be off work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager does not have consistent oversight of all important documents. There have also been times when she has had oversight but has not taken appropriate action to address any shortfalls found. Although some tasks are delegated to the senior staff, the registered manager has not ensured that she has had the appropriate level of oversight over these delegated tasks. The registered manager has also failed to challenge external professionals’ practice when it has not been good enough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager does not have an appropriate system in place for ensuring that the regulator is informed of significant events that happen at weekends and holidays. As such, Ofsted has received several notifications later than expected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the risk assessments for each child should detail any additional measures in place that are deemed necessary to keep them safe, which are regularly reviewed and updated. 15 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 7 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should have effective systems in place to ensure that they have oversight of the home’s records. This includes ensuring the quality and accuracy of incident reports. 15 October 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children understand the care they can expect to receive when living in the home. This should include what therapy looks like and what this means, as this is a component part of the care they will receive. It should also explain what physical intervention is and when this may need to be used. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should have a system in place which ensures that all serious events are notified within 24 hours to the regulator. This system needs to cover weekends and holidays. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that staffing levels meet the needs of the children, and they are planned so staff have the ability to respond to unexpected

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Recommendations

events. Staffing structures should promote continuity of care for the children. There should be a plan in place to manage any long-term sickness, considering how many different people may have to be introduced to a child to manage that absence. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 8 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: 2612070 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Ripponden Mill, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dominic Macauley

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Inspector

Gail McGann, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2612070 10 regulates 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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