Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children's home: SC416464 1 SC416464 Registered provider: Meadows Care 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 care for up to three children with social and emotional needs. Three children are currently being cared for in this home. The registered manager is suitably experienced and has been in post since October 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC416464 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2023 Full Good 25/01/2022 Full Good 11/02/2020 Full Good 22/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC416464 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff and can identify trusted adults. One child said the staff are ‘perfect.’ Children engage in a range of activities and holidays with staff. This helps to build and maintain relationships. One child said, ‘My birth- day wouldn’t have been as special as it was without the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s cultural and religious needs are supported. Food is provided that is cultur- ally appropriate. Some children fast for religious purposes; staff ensure that food is available for them when they broke their fast. The children’s cultural background and religious needs are promoted and children feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of preserving the children’s memories. Staff ensure keep mementoes for the children, particularly where the children have come from another country and arrived with no belongings. One child had their first train jour- ney documented with tickets and photographs. As a result, the children have a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have an educational provision. One child is awaiting a school place; the manager is advocating on their behalf. Children are making progress in education. Staff support children’s learning and support extracurricular activities after school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with partner agencies to create a detailed plan of support for children moving out of the home. For one child who moved to semi-independence, staff kept in regular contact by telephone, video calls and visits for several weeks after moving out of the home. As a result, children’s anxieties are reduced, and children feel well supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some areas of the home need to be updated to help fit in with the rest of the home which is very homely and comfortable.

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

Safeguarding practice ensures that children are protected from potential harm. Staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding to help children and keep them safe.

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

Risk assessments are clear and detailed. They provide clarity about children’s needs. Staff keep risk assessments up-to-date and include learning from any behavioural incidents. As a result, staff have relevant information to inform their care practice.

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

Physical intervention is rarely used in the home. Staff manage behaviour well and support children to manage their emotions in a constructive way. Staff complete reparation work with children following any behavioural incident. This helps build and maintain trusting relationships between children and staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC416464 4 When children go missing from home, staff work hard to find children and bring them back home safely. Children are offered an independent person to speak to and staff’s recording of these incidents is good. As a result, this helps keep children safe.

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

Staff promote a healthy lifestyle. When children have specialist health needs, staff have the knowledge and skills required to meet their needs. On occasion, children have misused substances. Staff are proactive in responding to these incidents and educate children about the health risks and legal implications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The committed manager has excellent relationships with the staff team. She expects the highest standards from the staff team. Monitoring and reviewing is very thorough. She knows the children very well. She has high expectations for children’s progress and achievements. The manager advocates on behalf of children. When children's needs are not met, she escalates her concerns to relevant agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures safe staff recruitment. Thorough vetting ensures that only suitable adults work with the children. New staff receive a quality induction. This provides a firm foundation for further learning. The stable staff team is enthusiastic about offering excellent care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training that is relevant to their role and the specific needs of the children. Staff have engaged in training on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and managing diabetes. This training is exemplary. Good practice is shared through monthly team meetings. The in-house residential assistant psychologist attends and provides research-based training within team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff have high-quality and frequent supervision sessions. This means they have plenty of opportunities to discuss and reflect on their care of the children. Staff feel supported by the manager and say she is ‘One of the best managers they have had.'

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most professionals say that the manager communicates well. For one child, there is inconsistent communication between the manager and wider professionals. This does not support best care practices. Inspection report for children's home: SC416464 5

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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, 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular to ensure consistent communication with partner agencies. 22 December

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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: SC416464 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC416464 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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