Children's Home run by Rochdale Borough Council in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 1 SC034922 Registered provider: Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates this children’s home. The home is registered to provide care for four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: SC034922 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good 28/08/2019 Full Outstanding 27/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences of moving into or out of the home. Two children who had lived at the home for a long time, have had planned endings and successfully moved on to semi-independence. Two children have since moved into the home. Their moves to the home were well-considered and have ensured settled placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and comfortable. Staff have worked hard to maintain the comfortable feel to the home. Children have their own bedrooms which they have individualised. There is a homely feeling which will help children feel comfortable and at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children all have educational plans and staff support them to attend education. One of the children has achieved GCSE’s last year and is continuing with his study. One child wanted to learn Greek which staff have facilitated. When children express an interest in a particular subject staff find resources to support them. Children are learning to value education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to fun activities. They have enjoyed holidays abroad and fun days out. Staff support children with important occasions such as shopping for clothes to attend their school prom. One child said, ‘I know what I’m doing every day, they [staff] care about me.’ Children appreciate staff’s care and attention; they feel cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop and maintain family relationships, in line with care plans. Staff do this by building relationships with family members. A parent said, ‘They [staff] do nothing but try for her, they care about her.’ Maintaining relationships with family members helps children to retain a sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are generally in good health and their health needs promoted. One child needs support to prevent them from misusing drugs and vaping. The child has developed a fear of accessing a particular medical support. This means not all children’s health needs are always met.

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

Children are becoming safer because of staff practice. Children have individual, up- to-date risk assessments. These records provide guidance for staff to keep children safe. The manager keeps a clear oversight of children’s plans and risk assessments. When children’s risk increases, staff and the manager respond quickly by putting measures in place to keep them safe.

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

Behaviour management strategies are effective. This is demonstrated as staff have not had to use physical holds to keep children safe or to manage their behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 4 Staff manage children’s behaviour through rewards and incentives. This supports children to learn how to manage their emotions and behaviours. This will help them to integrate well into society.

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

Safeguarding practice has improved. There has been a reduction in children going missing from home. One child used to go missing quite regularly. However, there have been no incidents of missing from home for over seven months. Children are becoming safer.

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

When children have stayed out late at night, staff have used taxis to pick children up. This is not appropriate and is a potential risk to children.

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

The manager ensures that the environment is safe. This means children, staff and visitors are protected from potential risk. Staff recruitment is thorough and ensures children are protected from potentially harmful adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is temporarily absent from work. The deputy manager is the interim manager in his absence. She is experienced and staff say she is supportive to them in their roles. Senior leaders provide oversight of management arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team offers both formal and informal supervision to staff. Supervision provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on their work with the children. Supervision is regular, although there were some gaps when the registered manager first went off work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All new staff are working through a detailed induction programme. This supports staff development, which ensures positive, informed care for the children. Established staff undertake a programme of child-focused training which is regularly reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff communication is effective. Staff handovers enable staff changing shift to have thorough discussions and share important information. This positive communication ensures that care practice is consistent, and boundaries are clear. This means that children feel cared for and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team conduct regular performance reviews with staff. This ensures that they are meeting the children’s needs and are receiving the right support and training. Children are encouraged to contribute to these reviews. This allows children to participate in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager keeps in close contact with partner agencies. This ensures that children are the central focus. A social worker said, ‘One of their strengths is that they provide regular written reports and phone calls.’ ‘They are on the ball.’ Everyone working with the children are working in close partnership to ensure they make positive progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 5 The are some minor gaps in the managers monitoring of the service. This is due to the registered managers absence. Plans are in place to address these gaps. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 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, 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

hat each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that advice, guidance and appropriate services are promoted with children who may need support with substance misuse.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that children are aware of all the risks of vaping and that this does not take place in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Also, that where children appear to have a fear of accessing a specific medical service that they are offered emotional support to help enable them to access the service. 12 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they carefully consider the use of taxis to transport children. Particularly when it is late at night and when returning from being missing from home. (‘Guide to the Childrens Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45 paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that they keep regular oversight of children’s important documents to ensure that their plans are followed. (‘Guide to the Childrens Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 55, paragraph 10.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 7

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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: SC034922 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 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 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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