Children's Home run by Brookfield Care (NW) Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: 2734815 1 Registered provider: Brookfield Care (NW) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It is registered to provide care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties and/or special educational needs and/or learning disabilities. There were four children 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 July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since registering as a limited company.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2734815 2

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outstanding

Children make remarkable progress in this home. This is because a knowledgeable and committed team provides the highest standards of care. Central to care provision, is an approach informed by research. All staff receive training from the home’s therapeutic provider. The manager and staff are proactive in their learning. This helps them to understand the children’s behaviours and provide care that is tailored to each child’s needs.

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outstanding

Children with complex emotional needs and who may have experienced significant trauma make excellent progress from their starting points. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘[Child’s name] has made huge progress. Staff use lots of warmth, encouragement, and good humour. They understand his trauma and the impact of this on him.’ Staff understand children and support them to progress.

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outstanding

The staff group is stable and cohesive. They communicate effectively. They provide consistency and unconditional positive regard for the children. Children who have had multiple carers are now able to build trusting relationships with the adults who care for them.

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outstanding

Education is paramount in this home. Staff ensure that children get the right education for their individual needs. Children’s school attendance is a priority. One child has recently struggled to attend school. The manager and staff understand the barriers to education for him. They work with external agencies to provide a suitable solution to meet the child’s needs.

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outstanding

Children have fun. Staff support them to enjoy themselves. Children do lots of stimulating activities that suit their interests. Children also go on overseas holidays with the staff. The children are happy, have fun, and are expanding their life experiences. This will ensure that they build important and happy childhood memories.

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outstanding

Staff have developed a comprehensive and creative independence programme. Children have engaged extremely well with it and have learned important skills. This includes one child learning to manage his complex health needs by himself. This learning is invaluable for when the children are ready to leave the home and live independently.

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outstanding

Staff support and supervise family time. This is in line with children’s care plans. Children spend good-quality time having fun with their family members. Staff help them to maintain links with family members. This is important to children’s sense of self and identity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2734815 3 The home is extremely comfortable and homely, with a pleasant garden. It has a large playroom, which is situated in an outbuilding and has lots of play equipment. Each child has their own highly personalised bedroom that is decorated to their individual tastes. There are photos all over the home of the children having fun with the staff.

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outstanding

Safeguarding incidents are rare in this home. The manager has excellent oversight of risk management. Children with complex needs receive support that ensures that they are safe. The manager rigorously reviews risk management plans. His proactive approach is dynamic and ensures that all risks are understood and addressed.

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outstanding

Staff manage children’s behaviours extremely well. There have been no incidents of physical interventions. This demonstrates the quality of relationships between staff and children and the outstanding ways that children are taught to manage their emotions. Staff use positive reinforcement and incentives to promote positive behaviour. This motivates children to achieve and increases their self-esteem.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that they give children freedom and appropriate responsibility. Staff have an in-depth knowledge of each child and their risks. This means that children can take safe and well-managed risks. Staff empowered one child to start to use public transport to travel to school. She has risen to this challenge and said, ‘I get more freedom here, I’m treated more like an adult.’ The home provides a safe base from which children can safely explore.

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outstanding

The manager has excellent oversight of any incidents in the home. He monitors changes in children’s behaviours. This rigour has led to a significant decrease in incidents in the home.

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outstanding

Children have individualised children’s guides. These ensure that they have an accessible guide to help them to understand the home’s safeguarding and complaints procedures. The guide is also available as a child-friendly short film. This explains all the things that they need to know about the home, including how to complain. Children know how to complain if they have any worries about their care.

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outstanding

The company follows a safer recruitment process. One recruitment record had some details that were out of date. The member of staff had not yet started to work with the children, so there was no impact on them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an inspirational, confident, and ambitious leader. He knows the children extremely well and understands their needs. He has high expectations for children’s progress and achievements. He has equally high expectations of the staff’s practice. This has contributed to excellent morale and dedication throughout the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2734815 4 Equality and diversity are promoted. The children have completed a project with staff about what equality and diversity mean to them. This has enabled them to have further conversations about their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are regular, well-attended team meetings. Staff have plenty of opportunities to discuss the children at length and reflect on their care. This helps them to think about how best to support them. Staff nominate an employee of the month. They share feedback about each other’s practice and celebrate this within team meetings. This supports them in their role and contributes to high morale among staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff training and development are a priority. The in-house therapeutic practitioner supports in identifying any team or individual developmental needs. She provides advice to staff to improve the quality of care provided to the children. There is a wide range of training that staff attend to develop their knowledge and skills to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision is regular and of good quality. Staff have plenty of opportunities to discuss and reflect on their care of the children. Staff complete quizzes to test their knowledge and are given scenarios to think through and discuss with each other. Any shortfall in practice is raised in supervision, and staff are given clear guidance on their tasks to complete.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say that they feel supported by their manager and describe ‘loving’ their jobs. A member of staff said, ‘He is the best manager I’ve ever had.’ The staff team is very enthusiastic, and passionate about offering excellent care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager communicates very well with partner agencies. He advocates for the children and escalates his concerns when children’s needs are not met. Professionals say that the staff are providing excellent care for the children. One social worker said, ‘The care [child’s name] is receiving is outstanding.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2734815 5

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Recommendation

 The responsible person should ensure that all staff are subject to thorough employment checks to ensure that they are appropriate to work with children. (‘The Guide to the Childrens Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ paragraph 13.9 page 61)

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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: 2734815 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brookfield Care (NW) Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Kershaw

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Leanne Carr, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2734815 7 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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