Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 1 SC062263 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 home is owned by a private company and is registered to provide care for one child who may have emotional and social difficulties. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2023

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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: SC062263 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2023 Full Good 01/03/2022 Full Outstanding 09/04/2019 Full Good 10/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in this home receives nurture and care appropriate to their age. For example, staff read bedtime stories, offer age-appropriate hugs and provide the child with lots of reassurance. This nurturing ethos is also reflected in the home environment, where the child has access to different games and toys and their bedroom is personalised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s interests are promoted and they are provided with opportunities to engage in activities inside and outside the home. The child has recently joined a dance group and is enjoying this new hobby.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s individual health needs are well met. They are supported to attend appointments, which ensures that routine checks, such as at the dentist and the opticians, are up to date. Staff maintain good links with the in-house therapy team, which offers one-to-one sessions to the child as well as advice, support and guidance for staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted and the child has made progress from their starting point. The staff are aspirational for the child and their achievements are celebrated by the team. However, the manager had not escalated requests for the child’s up-to-date educational, health and care plan. This does not ensure the child is receiving the necessary support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff team support the child by capturing memories and important events in their life in memory books, which helps the child to understand their journey.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to see people who are important to them. The staff are sensitive to this and are attuned to supporting the child to manage the difficulties they face during family time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s emotional health needs. They use a therapeutic model of care to consider the underlying causes of the child’s behaviour and help them to manage their emotions. There has recently been some improvement in the quality of planned discussions and staff are helping the child to increase their confidence and understanding of the issues that are relevant to them.

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

The home is a safe and nurturing environment for the child. The child is comfortable and confident in their home.

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

It has been necessary, as a last resort, for staff to hold the child to keep them safe. The manager has ensured that such measures have been necessary and Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 4 proportionate. Debriefs have been completed with the staff and child to ensure safe practice, behaviour management support and reflection.

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

The child’s risk and behaviour support plans are brief, clear and effective. However, they are not always reviewed in a timely way following incidents. There have also been occasions when staff have not followed behaviour plans to support the child. These instances have been challenged by the manager, with evidence of action taken to support learning and improve practice.

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

Safeguarding concerns are acted on in a timely manner and the manager has been thorough and transparent in her investigations. Investigation records are detailed and shared with relevant professionals. This practice ensures that the child is safeguarded.

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

There have been incidents of the child leaving the home without permission. Overall, staff have been vigilant in such instances, and it has not been necessary to report the child as missing. Staff are aware of what to do in the event the child does go missing from the home.

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

There are some restrictions imposed on the child that are punitive, resulting in the child not having access to all areas of the home, despite there being no significant risk. The child’s games room is locked each evening with no clear rationale or plan to review the decision. A requirement is made in respect of this.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed, with all required safeguarding checks being undertaken. This means that all staff working at the home are safe to work with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The same manager has led the team since the last inspection. The manager and staff know the child well and demonstrate great resilience. They recognise and understand the child’s individual needs through multi-agency working and building relationships with an array of external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular good-quality supervision and practice reviews. Actions identified at these sessions are used to develop and improve staff practice. This means that staff are helped and encouraged to learn and develop in their roles. This supports the consistent good-quality care received by the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meet regularly in team meetings. Consistent, child-focused planning and review of actions set at meetings mean that the team is always striving to improve. Staff get together with the therapy team at each meeting to review assessments and discuss the child’s progress and areas requiring further support, to provide the child with individualised care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have been inducted into the home well, with detailed training plans to support professional development. A good range of mandatory training and training specific Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 5 to the needs of the child is available to the staff team. However, the manager has not ensured that casual staff have completed refresher training courses in a timely manner, or that new staff members have completed all relevant needs-led training. This does not ensure that the child is supported by staff with up-to-date knowledge of their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is visited monthly by an independent person. The reports are positive about the care that children receive and they meet regulation to identify recommendations, which are taken on board by the manager. Their growth mindset means that the care provided is always improving. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 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, 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.

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that risk plans are regularly reviewed, particularly after a significant incident. 8 December 2023

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that casual and permanent staff complete training specific to the needs of the child. 8 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff— 8 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 7 seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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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 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that requests for missing documents are escalated without delay.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children have access to all areas of the home, with the exception of areas that are restricted to safeguard them. 8 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 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: SC062263 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

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062263 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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